The impact of combined meniscus tear on quality of life after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Introduction. An anterior cruciate ligament injury represents a significant epidemiological problem worldwide, especially due to involving young, sporty and active working-age population. This study has been conducted in order to compare the quality of life of patients who had isolated anterior cruciate ligament tear and of those who suffered from an associated meniscal injury. Material and Methods. This study included 185 patients who had undergone reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology in Novi Sad from January 1st, 2012 to December 31st, 2012. The patients were divided into 2 groups: group A consisted of patients who had anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction only, and group B consisted of patients who had partial meniscectomy in addition to the anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. The follow-up period was 12 months. Results. Distribution of patients by gender was significantly in favor of men. In our study, 146 patients were male and 39 patients were female. The average age of patients was 26.1 years overall (16-55 years), being 26.9 years for men, and 23.3 years for female patients. Out of 185 patients, 110 had an isolated anterior cruciate ligament injury, while 75 suffered both meniscus, internal or external, and anterior cruciate ligament injury. Conclusion. The comparison of the quality of life of patients in both groups showed no statistically significant difference. Therefore, we were not able to prove the hypothesis about the superior quality of life of those patients who had suffered from a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament only.