Information for the public
The aim of this study is document the symptoms, imaging findings and current NHS treatment of people who present with a meniscal tear under the age of 55, and to determine which factors most closely relate to the success of treatment. I also aim to explore the experiences of young patients with a meniscal tear treated both with and without surgery.
We will invite patients who have been newly diagnosed with a meniscal tear from hospitals to take part. The majority of these patients will undergo a period of physiotherapy, however, some may be put on a waiting list for surgery. We will collect information on patient specific features e.g. symptoms, age and gender and see how these features affect the treatment result. I will also use measures of arthritis in the knee based on MRI to investigate the proportion of young patients with signs of arthritis with a meniscal tear and whether this arthritis affects outcome.
If patients agree to take part there will be no change to their standard care determined by the consultant. We will use questionnaires to collect information at the time of diagnosis and at 3,6 and 12 months. This information will help us understand the management of this condition in greater detail and help us make treatment decisions in the future.
Please find attached out participant information sheet.