ReviewCureus2024
Efficacy of Arthroscopic Meniscal Surgery Versus Conservative Management on Knee Pain and Functional Outcomes: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Review in Cureus, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Synovial Fluid Characteristics and Pain Recovery Trajectory Following Rehabilitation in Patients with Meniscal Tears: A Retrospective Cohort Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Rethinking meniscal repair in patients over 40: Extending the boundaries of joint preservation.World journal of methodology · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Knee pain is a prevalent issue among older adults, often resulting from degenerative joint changes, and significantly impacts functionality and quality of life. While arthroscopic meniscal surgery is a common intervention for managing knee pain, its effectiveness compared to conservative treatments remains debated. This meta-analysis aims to compare the efficacy of arthroscopic meniscal surgery versus conservative management in alleviating knee pain and enhancing functional outcomes in patients with degenerative meniscal tears. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) sourced from PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. The focus was on studies evaluating knee pain and function in patients aged 40 and older. Primary outcomes included knee pain reduction, measured using scales such as the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), and functional improvement, assessed by scores like the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for Activities of Daily Living (KOOS ADL) and Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale (Lysholm). A random-effects model was employed to account for variability across studies, with heterogeneity quantified using I². Nine RCTs, encompassing a total of 1,200 patients, met the inclusion criteria. Pain outcomes indicated similar improvements in both the arthroscopic surgery and conservative management groups. The pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) for pain was -0.01 (95% CI: -0.36 to 0.34). Functional outcomes also showed minimal differences between treatments, with an SMD of -0.04 (95% CI: -0.21 to 0.13). Moderate heterogeneity (I²=70%) was observed, attributed to variations in conservative management protocols and patient characteristics across studies. Arthroscopic meniscal surgery does not offer significant advantages over conservative management in reducing knee pain or improving function in patients with degenerative meniscal tears.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.