OE Journal

ORIGINAL ANALYSIS

Arthroscopic Partial Meniscectomy for Meniscal Tears of the Knee

Meniscal tears are common, especially in middle-aged and older adults, and arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (APM) has long been a go-to surgical option. But when the evidence is pulled together, the benefits look far more modest than many expect. Across randomized trials comparing APM with either sham surgery or structured exercise therapy, short-term improvements in pain or composite knee scores were small and never reached clinical importance. Longer-term outcomes—up to five years—showed no meaningful advantage for surgery, and adverse-event rates were similar. While APM appears relatively safe, the overall certainty of evidence is low to very low, and most patients likely gain little beyond what high-quality exercise therapy can offer.