Meniscus repair five-year results are influenced by patient pre-injury activity level but not age group

BackgroundThe purpose of the study is to determine whether patient age group (≥ 40 years versus < 40 years) and pre-injury activity level are independently predictive of symptomatic failure rates and patient-reported outcomes after meniscus repair with or without concomitant anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) at mean five years of follow-up.MethodsTwo hundred and twenty-five patients (n = 61, age ≥ 40 years; n = 164, age < 40; 11% sedentary, 63% recreational athletes, 26% competitive athletes; 72% cutting-pivoting sports, 28% non-cutting or non-pivoting sports) who underwent meniscal repair were assessed for symptomatic failure and subjective knee function at mean 5.4 years of follow-up. Symptoms were assessed with Knee Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective (IKDC-S) scores.ResultsRepair failure was 20% overall with no association with age group (< 40 vs. ≥ 40 years) or level of activity. When compared with sedentary patients, IKDC-S scores were not associated with age group but were lower among sedentary patients (mean: 59.6, SE: 4.9) compared with recreational (mean: 78.9, SE: 2.5; p = 0.007) or competitive athletes (mean: 79.2, SE: 3.8; p = 0.02). KOOS-ADL scores were independently associated with age and were higher among patients < 40 years. KOOS-pain, KOOS-sport, or KOOS-QOL were not associated with age group. Sedentary status was independently associated with lower KOOS scores for all sub-scores.ConclusionsMeniscal repair failure rates and patient-reported outcomes do not differ substantially between older or younger patients of similar pre-injury activity level. Sedentary patients regardless of age have worse self-reported subjective outcomes compared with active patients.