LATERAL MENISCUS CYST - A 5-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE STUDY ON 105 CYSTS ARTHROSCOPICALLY TREATED

A retrospective study was performed on 122 patients with 124 lateral m eniscal cysts, selected from a series of 8100 knee arthroscopies (1.5 per cent). Eight of the patients were lost for follow up, 11 patients had chronic anterior cruciate ligament deficiency or previous medial m eniscectomy. Therefore 105 of 124 patients were included in this study . Average follow-up was 5 years (range of 1 to 12.5 years). Materiel a nd methods Mean age was 33 years (range of 12 to 69 years). All patien ts had pain over the joint line with a palpable mass. All were noted t o have a meniscal tear at the time of surgery and 60 (57 per cent) had a horizontal cleavage component. They were all arthroscopically treat ed. Results Meniscal tears were treated by arthroscopic partial menisc ectomy in 104 cases and meniscal repair in one case. Cysts were treate d by intra-articular debridement in 91 cases and open cystremoval in 1 4 cases. Eleven cysts recurred and a second arthroscopy was required. The clinical results, including cysts recurrence, were excellent or go od in 87 per cent of cases. Osteoarthritis following treatment of thes e meniscal cysts occurred in 9 percent of cases. Conclusion When there is a cyst and no other intra-articular damage, the prognosis was exce llent at 5 year follow-up. For lateral meniscal cysts;arthroscopic par tial meniscectomy with intra-articular debridement yields predictable results.