Problems with repeated arthroscopic surgery in the discoid meniscus.

To identify the main causes of repeated arthroscopic surgery of the knee joint and to find out the points of therapeutic approaches, we evaluated 139 patients who underwent arthroscopic meniscectomy in our department and in affiliated hospitals between 1983 and 1987. Two or more arthroscopic surgeries were needed in 9 knees of 8 patients (6.5%). In 5 knees with no known injuries, the primary reason for repeated surgery was horizontal tears of remnant meniscus after partial resection of lateral discoid meniscus. The most appropriate initial treatment for lateral discoid menisci in cases without tear should be observation of the clinical course with minimal treatment using diagnostic arthroscopy.