Return to Sport After Meniscal Transplant Complicated

While three-fourths of athletes are able to return to at least one sport after meniscal allograft transplantation, the recovery journey is not the same across the board, researchers say.

In the study, “Return to Sport and Patient Satisfaction After Meniscal Allograft Transplantation,” published in the September 2020 issue of the journal Arthroscopy, researchers analyzed patient return to sport and satisfaction after meniscal allograft transplantation.

Eighty-seven patients who had undergone meniscal allograft transplantation using a bone bridge technique between 2013 and 2015 with a minimum of 2-year follow-up were included in the study. They were all asked to complete a survey on return to sport, satisfaction, subsequent surgery and patient-reported outcomes.

The mean age at the time of surgery was 28.99 ±8.26 years. In 44 cases, lateral meniscal allograft transplantation was performed; medial meniscal allograft transplantation was performed in 42 cases. One patient required a combined medial and lateral procedure.

Most of patients also had concomitant procedures including cartilage restoration, realignment, and anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

All of the patients had improvements in Lysholm score (p < .001), International Knee Documentation Committee score (p < .001), Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score – Quality of Life (p < .001), Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score – Activities of Daily Living (p < .001), Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score – Pain (p < .001), Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score – Sports (p = .001), Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score – Symptoms (p = .003), Short Form 12 physical scare (p < .001) and Veterans Rand-12 physical score (p < .001).

Twenty-six of the patients in the study required reoperation and, the researchers noted, 12 patients were categorized as receiving a failed treatment. Sixty-two of the patients returned to at least one sport at 12.58 ±6.20 months postoperatively, with 30 of them returning to their preoperative level of intensity. About 88% of the athletes discontinued at least one of their preoperative sports.

The most common reasons cited for stopping a sport was prevention of further damage, pain with activity, fear of further injury, surgeon recommendation and swelling with activity. Overall satisfaction with sports participation was 62.1%.

The researchers wrote, “Most patients were satisfied with the outcome of surgery, with 77% in general and 62.1% satisfied with their ability to play sports.”