In early surgical repair of forty acute ruptures of the medial ligament
of the knee in patients sixteen to twenty-four years old, the meniscus was
resutured when it was avulsed from the bone and was excised only when there
was central disruption (three knees). Follow-up of one to six years in
thirty-six patients whose menisci were preserved showed that thirty-three
had no limitations due to knee impairment. Twenty-six patients were
re-examined; sixteen had no medial instability and twenty-one had no
anterior rotatory instability. We concluded that in the absence of
significant advantage from meniscectomy, an intact meniscus should not be
removed.