ORIGINAL
PAPERS – abstract
Comparative
study regarding postthraumatic knee lesions in athletes
(chondral
versus internal meniscus lesions) Diaconu
Carmen
Sports
Medicine Clinic of Craiova
Abstract
The
purpose of this study was to compare the
recovery process after
the arthroscopic knee surgery in patients suffering from internal
meniscus and/or chondral knee injury. The athletes were admitted to
our Trauma Department between January and June 2005. 63 subjects
were included (M/F = 44/19, mean age = 24.3). First, the athletes
underwent clinical and imaging evaluation, then arthroscopic
intervention (internal meniscetomy and/or chondral debridement).
Checkups were performed weekly by monitoring the articular pain (the
McGill questionnaire – adapted), the thigh perimeter and the
joint
mobility. Statistical analysis was performed using the EpiInfo
software. Three groups emerged from our study: 38 cases suffering
from internal meniscus injury, 9 cases with chondral lesions and 16
cases with associated lesions. The pain evaluation revealed
statistical significant differences between the meniscus and the
chondral groups [week 4: : p = 0,0001, RR = 3,67 (1,07-12,58) and
week 6: p = 0,01, RR = 1,71 (0,95-3,97)]. The use of goniometer
confirmed the previous findings [week 4: p = 0,000, RR = 4,14 (4,45
–
14,12) and week 6: p = 0,000, RR = 2,92 (1,16 – 7,37)]. The
thigh
perimeter wasn’t correlated with the first two parameters.
Our
analysis showed that the patients suffering form internal meniscus
lesions recovered better than the ones with chondral damage. The
associated lesions had the worst outcome, as predicted.
Key
words:
meniscus, cartilage, rehabilitation
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