Meniscus Injuries of the Knee in the Elderly

A survey was made of the records of 119 patients aged 50 or over who had undergone arthrotomy for meniscal lesions during the period 1951–1965. The predominant complaint at the time of admission to the hospital was pain, and half the patients had had knee symptoms for at least six months. In about half the cases there was no history of injury or of injury severe enough to cause meniscal tear, yet at operation about 80 per cent of the cases showed a torn meniscus. Meniscus tears in the knee joints of elderly patients occur with sufficient frequency to merit detailed study. Delay in necessary surgery may produce or aggravate degenerative joint disease. The symptoms and signs of meniscus lesions in the elderly are virtually the same as in younger patients. When the diagnosis is in doubt, double contrast arthrograms may be helpful. Elderly patients tolerate arthrotomy well, without an undue increase in the incidence of complications as compared to the incidence in younger persons.