From surgery to sports career: The long-term fate of athletes with discoid meniscus

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of different surgical techniques for discoid meniscus in athletes. Design: This retrospective cohort study included 44 athletes (51 knees) who underwent arthroscopic surgery for symptomatic discoid meniscus between 1996 and 2019. Setting: The study was conducted at a tertiary-level sports medicine center. Patients: Athletes aged 15 to 35 years with symptomatic discoid meniscus confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging and requiring surgical treatment were included. Exclusion criteria were cartilage injuries (Outerbridge grades 3-4), concomitant ligament injuries requiring surgery, osteochondritis dissecans, and prior knee surgery. Interventions: Patients underwent arthroscopic partial, subtotal, or total meniscectomy, with or without meniscus repair. Main outcome measures: Functional outcomes were assessed using Visual Analog Scale (VAS), International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), and Lysholm scores. Osteoarthritis progression was evaluated using the Kellgren-Lawrence classification. Return to sports time and total career duration were also recorded and compared between the surgical groups. Results: The mean follow-up was 13.5 ± 6.2 years (range: 5-27 years). At the final follow-up, 72% of the meniscus-preserving group (partial meniscectomy and repair) had KL grade 0 osteoarthritis, whereas 38% of the subtotal/total meniscectomy group developed KL grades 3 to 4 osteoarthritis (P < 0.001). All groups showed significant postoperative functional improvements (P < 0.001), but career duration and return to play time were significantly longer in the meniscus-preserving group (P = 0.004, P < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Subtotal/total meniscectomy significantly accelerates osteoarthritis progression. Meniscus-preserving techniques provide better long-term outcomes.