ARTHROSCOPICAL ANALYSIS OF ONE THOUSAND KNEES

Abstract

Introduction: In this study, the knee pathologies in one thousand knee arthroscopies, their frequency rates and their comparisons with the clinical examination were reported.
Patients and methods: From January 1993 to July 1999 a total of 1000 knee arthroscopies of 996 patients were performed. The average age of the patients was 34 years (9 to 74 years), 684 of the patients were male, and 312 were female. Of the patients, 482 had right, 510 had left and four had both knee arthroscopy procedures. All the patients were evaluated according to their complaints, physical examination, radiographical findings and Lysholm knee evaluation score. Clinical examination findings were compared with arthroscopic findings.
Results: One or more than one pathologic findings were found in nine hundred and fifty-six (96 percent) knees but no intraarticular pathologic findings were found in forty-four (4 percent) knees. The most common arthroscopic finding was meniscal tears in 819 (82 percent) knees, 502 (61 percent) of them were medial meniscal tears, 257 (31 percent) were lateral meniscal tears, 60 (8 percent) had both meniscal tears. Anterior cruciate ligament rupture in 197 (20 percent) knees and chondral pathologies in 145 (14.5 percent) knees were found. The patients were followed for average 14 months (3 months-5.5 years). According to Lysholm knee evaluating score, final post-arthroscopic scores of meniscal tears were higher than the chondral knee pathologies. Arthroscopic instruments were broken in four knees during the procedure and headache caused by spinal anesthesia was a common problem after arthroscopy.
Conclusion: In this study, meniscal and anterior cruciate ligament tears were observed more common than other knee pathologies when compared with other studies. When the clinical examination compared with the arthroscopic findings, meniscal and anterior cruciate ligament tears were diagnosed clinically more than the other knee pathologies.