PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Flavia M Cicuttini AU - Andrew Forbes AU - Wang Yuanyuan AU - Glen Rush AU - Stephen L Stuckey TI - Rate of knee cartilage loss after partial meniscectomy. DP - 2002 Sep 01 TA - The Journal of Rheumatology PG - 1954--1956 VI - 29 IP - 9 4099 - http://www.jrheum.org/content/29/9/1954.short 4100 - http://www.jrheum.org/content/29/9/1954.full SO - J Rheumatol2002 Sep 01; 29 AB - 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.