Partial lateral meniscectomy in athletes.

Arthroscopic partial lateral meniscectomies performed for isolated meniscal tears, without associated ligamentous injury, in 41 athletes between August 1, 1988 and June 1, 1991 were reviewed for clinical and functional outcome. The study population was composed of 27 males and 14 females, with an average age of 26 years (range 17-40). Thirty-seven patients (90%) reported previous trauma to the knee. At an average follow-up of 3 years (range 2-5), 85% of the patients had excellent/good results, and 98% of the athletes returned to full sports activities after an average of 55 days. Patients' prognoses depended on (a) type of meniscal tear and (b) presence/absence of an articular cartilaginous lesion. Athletes who had isolated, longitudinal type tears of the lateral meniscus had the best outcome: 100% achieved excellent/good results and averaged 41 days to return to full sports activities. Athletes with complex meniscal tears and tears associated with articular cartilaginous lesions had the poorest results, achieving 79% and 64% excellent/good results, respectively, and averaging 64 and 78 days, respectively, for return to full sports activities.