Donals Shelbourne and Jonathan Dickens
Few studies exist that evaluate the effect of partial medial meniscectomy in knees with intact ACLs. This study investigates whether partial meniscectomy of bucket handle tears will cause joint space narrowing. Between 1982 and 2001 135 participants met the study criteria. Joint space narrowing was measured radiographically. The results showed that partial medial meniscectomy in stable knees causes only mild joint space narrowing (mean 1.2mm) at a 12 year follow up. The authors also pointed out that x-rays in 45 degrees knee flexion were more likely to pick up any loss of joint space.
The American Journal of Sports Medicine 34:1648-1655 (2006)