FRIDAY, Dec. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Middle-aged patients who have had a meniscectomy (removal of the meniscus in the knee) have reduced quadriceps strength in the affected leg several years after the surgery, researchers report in the Dec. 15 issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.
Ylva B. Ericsson, M.Sc., from Malmo University Hospital in Malmo, Sweden, and colleagues examined the isokinetic strength of knee extensors and flexors, function and self-reported quality of life in 45 patients (mean age 46.7 years) who had undergone an arthroscopic partial meniscectomy due to non-traumatic meniscus tears a mean of four years earlier. Function was evaluated through the one-leg hop, one-leg rising and square-hop tests, while quality of life was assessed through the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score questionnaire.
The researchers found that knee extensor strength and one-leg rising capacity were significantly worse in the operated leg, although knee flexor strength was similar in both legs. Pain, function and quality of life were significantly better in patients with stronger quadriceps in the operated leg.
"Quadriceps strength is reduced in the meniscectomized leg compared with the non-operated leg four years after surgery," the authors conclude. "This relative quadriceps weakness significantly affects objective and self-reported knee function, pain and quality of life, indicating the importance of restoring muscle function after meniscectomy in middle-aged patients."
Abstract
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