@article {Cicuttini1954, author = {Flavia M Cicuttini and Andrew Forbes and Wang Yuanyuan and Glen Rush and Stephen L Stuckey}, title = {Rate of knee cartilage loss after partial meniscectomy.}, volume = {29}, number = {9}, pages = {1954--1956}, year = {2002}, publisher = {The Journal of Rheumatology}, abstract = {OBJECTIVE: Surgical removal of the meniscus of the knee is thought to be a risk factor for later appearance of knee osteoarthritis (OA). We examined whether there is a difference in cartilage loss in those who undergo a partial meniscectomy compared to healthy controls. METHODS: Eight patients who underwent a meniscectomy (5 partial medial, 3 partial lateral) and 13 controls with normal knee radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) had an MRI at baseline and at a mean 28.6 +/- 7.6 months followup. Articular cartilage volumes were determined by processing images acquired in the sagittal plane using T1 weighted fat saturation MRI on an independent work station. RESULTS: The mean +/- SD of percentage rates of cartilage loss from baseline volume were 4.1 +/- 2.8\% per year for the meniscectomy subjects and -2.3 +/- 3.0\% per year for the controls (difference 6.5\% per year, 95\% CI 3.7-9.3\% per year; p \< 0.001). After adjustment for age, body mass index, and sex the difference increased slightly to 6.9\% per year (95\% CI 3.4-10.3\%; p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that significant rates of cartilage loss are seen in subjects post partial meniscectomy compared with healthy controls. This may be a useful model in which to examine therapies to prevent OA.}, issn = {0315-162X}, URL = {https://www.jrheum.org/content/29/9/1954}, eprint = {https://www.jrheum.org/content/29/9/1954.full.pdf}, journal = {The Journal of Rheumatology} }