A Balanced Arthroscopic Debridement of the Inner Layer of the Knee Retinaculum Increases the Tibiofemoral Joint Space Width

Table 1

Descriptive statistics of joint space width, meniscal tear, and treatment.

	Without debridement	With debridement	Δ
	Mean ± Sd	Mean ± Sd
	n = 20	n = 20
Compartment
Medial, mm.	3.4 ± 1.0	5.3 ± 0.7	1.9
Lateral, mm.	3.8 ± 1.4	5.9 ± 0.9	2.1
	Number of cases n = 20
Meniscal tear
Longitudinal	60% (12/20)
Radial	5% (1/20)
Horizontal	0% (0/20)
Bucket handle	20% (4/20)
Parrot beak	0% (0/20)
Flap	5% (1/20)
Mixed	10% (2/20)
Meniscal repair
Meniscal suturing	10% (2/20)
Partial meniscectomy	90% (18/20)
Total meniscectomy	0% (0/20)

Sd : standard deviation. Δ = differences between compartment spaces without and with debridement.