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From Fellrnr.com, Running tips
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* '''Surgery to correct mistracking'''. A study of knee pain indicated that this type of surgery has the second highest failure rate<ref name="PPConcepts"/>.
* '''NSAIDs'''. Using NSAIDs does not generally improve healing, can mask symptoms and is a cause of cartilage damage<ref name="KneeNSAID"/>. An animal study showed that Asprin resulted in greater cartilage degeneration<ref name="KneeAsprin"/>. More at [[NSAIDs and Running]].
=Surgery=
Surgery for knee problems is a common treatment, but the research suggest is may not be worthwhile. While surgery and exercise seem to generally result in improved pain, function, and quality of life, it doesn't do better than a program of exercise. (I'm continuing my research, so this is preliminary, but I've yet to find a study showing improved outcomes from surgery.)
* A 2012 study looked at 102 patients with a meniscus tear and compared surgery with strengthening and found no difference in terms of function or pain after two years<ref name="YimSeon2013"/>. Both groups reported a high degree of satisfaction with their treatment.
* A 2013 study looked at with a meniscal tear and osteoarthritis in 351 subjects, with half randomly assigned to surgery, the others to physical therapy<ref name="KatzBrophy2013"/>. The study did not find any significant difference in functional improvement after 6 months. (30% of those assigned to physical therapy elected to have surgery before the 6 months were up.)
* A 2008 study found that 60% of subjects aged 50+ had meniscus tears<ref name="EnglundGuermazi2008"/>. The rate of meniscus tears was similar in patients with and without knee pain symptoms.
* A 2013 study looked at 96 subjects over five years after either surgery plus 2 months of exercise or just exercise for with degenerative meniscal tears<ref name="HerrlinWange2012"/>. No difference was found in the outcomes at the 2 and 5 year marks. It's worth noting that a third of the exercise only group still had disabling knee problems after the exercise therapy but they improved to the same level as the other subjects after surgery.
* There are indications that meniscus surgery may increase the risk for osteoarthritis, with the amount of meniscus removed tending to predict a higher osteoarthritis risk<ref name="PapaliaDel Buono2011"/>.
* A 2007 study looked at 90 subjects with degenerative meniscal tears who were given either exercise or exercise plus surgery<ref name="Herrlin-2007"/>. Both groups reported similar improvements in pain, knee function and quality of life. The exercise consisted of cycling, calf raises, leg press, stair walking, wobble board, jumping, stretching, and similar exercises to improve strength and balance.
* A 2010 study of 121 young adults compared two treatment approach for acute, traumatic ACL injury<ref name="FrobellRoos2010"/>. One group received rehabilitation and surgery within 10 weeks (early group), the other group received rehabilitation with an option for surgery if required (delayed group). Only 40% of the delayed group underwent surgery, and both groups had similar success in terms of pain, quality of life, and difficulty in sports/recreational activities.
=References=
<references>
<ref name="Herrlin-2007">S. Herrlin, M. Hållander, P. Wange, L. Weidenhielm, S. Werner, Arthroscopic or conservative treatment of degenerative medial meniscal tears: a prospective randomised trial., Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc, volume 15, issue 4, pages 393-401, Apr 2007, doi [http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00167-006-0243-2 10.1007/s00167-006-0243-2], PMID [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17216272 17216272]</ref>
<ref name="HerrlinWange2012">Sylvia V. Herrlin, Peter O. Wange, Gunilla Lapidus, Maria Hållander, Suzanne Werner, Lars Weidenhielm, Is arthroscopic surgery beneficial in treating non-traumatic, degenerative medial meniscal tears? A five year follow-up, Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy, volume 21, issue 2, 2012, pages 358–364, ISSN [http://www.worldcat.org/issn/0942-2056 0942-2056], doi [http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00167-012-1960-3 10.1007/s00167-012-1960-3]</ref>
<ref name="FrobellRoos2010">Richard B. Frobell, Ewa M. Roos, Harald P. Roos, Jonas Ranstam, L. Stefan Lohmander, A Randomized Trial of Treatment for Acute Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tears, New England Journal of Medicine, volume 363, issue 4, 2010, pages 331–342, ISSN [http://www.worldcat.org/issn/0028-4793 0028-4793], doi [http://dx.doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa0907797 10.1056/NEJMoa0907797]</ref>
<ref name="PapaliaDel Buono2011">R. Papalia, A. Del Buono, L. Osti, V. Denaro, N. Maffulli, Meniscectomy as a risk factor for knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review, British Medical Bulletin, volume 99, issue 1, 2011, pages 89–106, ISSN [http://www.worldcat.org/issn/0007-1420 0007-1420], doi [http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/bmb/ldq043 10.1093/bmb/ldq043]</ref>
<ref name="EnglundGuermazi2008">Martin Englund, Ali Guermazi, Daniel Gale, David J. Hunter, Piran Aliabadi, Margaret Clancy, David T. Felson, Incidental Meniscal Findings on Knee MRI in Middle-Aged and Elderly Persons, New England Journal of Medicine, volume 359, issue 11, 2008, pages 1108–1115, ISSN [http://www.worldcat.org/issn/0028-4793 0028-4793], doi [http://dx.doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa0800777 10.1056/NEJMoa0800777]</ref>
<ref name="KatzBrophy2013">Jeffrey N. Katz, Robert H. Brophy, Christine E. Chaisson, Leigh de Chaves, Brian J. Cole, Diane L. Dahm, Laurel A. Donnell-Fink, Ali Guermazi, Amanda K. Haas, Morgan H. Jones, Bruce A. Levy, Lisa A. Mandl, Scott D. Martin, Robert G. Marx, Anthony Miniaci, Matthew J. Matava, Joseph Palmisano, Emily K. Reinke, Brian E. Richardson, Benjamin N. Rome, Clare E. Safran-Norton, Debra J. Skoniecki, Daniel H. Solomon, Matthew V. Smith, Kurt P. Spindler, Michael J. Stuart, John Wright, Rick W. Wright, Elena Losina, Surgery versus Physical Therapy for a Meniscal Tear and Osteoarthritis, New England Journal of Medicine, volume 368, issue 18, 2013, pages 1675–1684, ISSN [http://www.worldcat.org/issn/0028-4793 0028-4793], doi [http://dx.doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1301408 10.1056/NEJMoa1301408]</ref>
<ref name="YimSeon2013">J.-H. Yim, J.-K. Seon, E.-K. Song, J.-I. Choi, M.-C. Kim, K.-B. Lee, H.-Y. Seo, A Comparative Study of Meniscectomy and Nonoperative Treatment for Degenerative Horizontal Tears of the Medial Meniscus, The American Journal of Sports Medicine, volume 41, issue 7, 2013, pages 1565–1570, ISSN [http://www.worldcat.org/issn/0363-5465 0363-5465], doi [http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0363546513488518 10.1177/0363546513488518]</ref>
<ref name="KneeSleeveBea09">Clinical practice guidelines for rest ortho... [Joint Bone Spine. 2009] - PubMed - NCBI http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19467901 </ref>
<ref name="KneeBracingBrouwer2005">Braces and orthoses for treating ... [Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2005] - PubMed - NCBI http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15674927 </ref>
