Causes, clinical symptoms, treatment and follow up of meniscus tear in Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Babol, 1992-2000

Background and Objective: There are different diagnosis and therapeutic methods for meniscus tears. For obtaining optimal results, the characteristics of each one should be known. This study was performed with regard to epidemiology, causes, diagnosis methods, surgery and after surgery treatments. They were evaluated with regard to effective factors in prognostic. Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was done according to information, which obtained from patients’ files, interviewing and physical and radiographic examination. Final evaluation was done according to the score of patients’ consent of treatment and average score of physical examination with regard to clinical symptoms. Findings: 77% of patients were under 35 years old. 88% of patients were male and 43% were sportsmen. Pain and locking were the most common complaint in 80% and 58% of cases respectively. Arthrography was the most common diagnostic procedure (72%) with accuracy rate of 93% for medical and 74% for lateral meniscus. The rate of pain, swelling, locking and instability before surgery were 80%, 15%, 52% and 33% respectively which after surgery reduced to 70%, 0, 13% and 10% respectively. Conclusion: In patients with trauma of knee especially young sportsmen, presence of meniscus should be considered seriously. Arthrography was known as an accessible, easy and effective method for diagnosis of meniscus. The ideal methods for treatment were repair of meniscus tear and partial menisectomy respectively. Postoperative Jones bandage immobilization for 2 to 4 weeks and postoperative physiotherapy for 10 to 25 sessions had the most effective results