Physical Therapy or Arthroscopic Surgery for Treatment of Meniscal Tears

Knee arthroscopy is among the most common surgical procedures performed worldwide. Each year, an estimated 500 000 meniscus procedures are performed in patients older than age 45 years in the United States and more than 2 million procedures are performed worldwide. Magnetic resonance imaging studies indicate that 60% of individuals without knee pain older than 50 years have evidence of meniscus degeneration, which often occurs in the presence of osteoarthritis (OA). In symptomatic patients, the clinical challenge is determining the cause for pain (meniscal, arthritic, or other reasons). With health care costs increasing throughout the world, scientific evidence should be used to determine the most effective and cost-effective regimens.