Defining the Value of Future Research to Identify the Preferred Treatment of Meniscal Tear in the Presence of Knee Osteoarthritis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (APM) is extensively used to relieve pain in patients with symptomatic meniscal tear (MT) and knee osteoarthritis (OA). Recent studies have failed to show the superiority of APM compared to other treatments. We aim to examine whether existing evidence is sufficient to reject use of APM as a cost-effective treatment for MT+OA.

Methods

We built a patient-level microsimulation using Monte Carlo methods and evaluated three strategies: Physical therapy ('PT') alone; PT followed by APM if subjects continued to experience pain ('Delayed APM'); and 'Immediate APM'. Our subject population was US adults with symptomatic MT and knee OA over a 10 year time horizon. We assessed treatment outcomes using societal costs, quality-adjusted life yea

SUBMITTER: Losina E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4472814 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature