Knee surgery for cartilage damage does not benefit patients, study suggests

A 10-year study of 146 patients found that partial meniscectomy — a common knee surgery to trim torn cartilage — not only failed to help patients but actually led to worse outcomes than fake surgery, including poorer knee function, more osteoarthritis, and higher chances of needing additional surgery. Experts say most meniscus tears seen on MRI scans are harmless, and physiotherapy should be tried first.