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Concepts in Managing the Patient with Post-meniscectomy Knee Pain

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Surgery of the Meniscus

Abstract

Symptomatic unicompartmental pain in the meniscus-deficient knee without significant articular cartilage wear is known as ‘post-meniscectomy syndrome’. Once symptomatic, several factors need to be taken into account when formulating a management strategy for the post-meniscectomy syndrome patient.

Management requires careful and complete evaluation of symptoms, signs and patient-related factors to reach an appropriate diagnosis and treatment plan to address patient expectations. A period of maximised nonoperative management that may include physiotherapy, bracing, injections and activity modification should be explored prior to embarking on surgical intervention.

The hierarchy of surgical priority is to consider alignment, stability, meniscal deficiency and articular chondral lesions. Pre- and post-operative physiotherapy is the most important adjunct throughout this process. Rehabilitation should concentrate not only on neuromuscular control of the knee but also core strengthening, balance control and a functional return to sport programme based upon predetermined expectations and goals.

This chapter outlines the options and factors to consider in the complex decision-making process of treating the symptomatic meniscal-deficient knee.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, Clifford Bridge Road, Coventry, UK

    Benjamin Bloch & Tim Spalding FRCS Orth

  2. Fowler Kennedy Sport Medicine Clinic, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada

    Alan Getgood

  3. Cairns Hospital, The Esplanade, Cairns, QLD, Australia

    Ben Parkinson

Authors
  1. Benjamin Bloch
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  2. Alan Getgood
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  3. Ben Parkinson
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  4. Tim Spalding FRCS Orth
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tim Spalding FRCS Orth .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Unit INSERM, Normandy University, Caen university Hos, Caen, France

    Christophe Hulet

  2. Orthopedic Department, Centro Hospitalar Póvoa de Varzim –Vila, Póvoa de Varzim, Porto, Portugal

    Helder Pereira

  3. University of Milan, Dpt. of Biomedical Sciences for Health, Milano, Italy

    Giuseppe Peretti

  4. Istituto Clinico Humanitas, Monza, Italy

    Matteo Denti

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Bloch, B., Getgood, A., Parkinson, B., Spalding, T. (2016). Concepts in Managing the Patient with Post-meniscectomy Knee Pain. In: Hulet, C., Pereira, H., Peretti, G., Denti, M. (eds) Surgery of the Meniscus. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-49188-1_45

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-49188-1_45

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-49188-1

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