Clinical Outcomes after a Meniscus Repair

• Reduction in Pain by 7.8 PROM score points
• Improved Knee Strength and Function by 6 PROM score points
• Improved Mental Health by 3.4 PROM score points

Henry Ford uses Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) or PROMIS scores to track the satisfaction and recovery of our patients after surgery. PROMIS scores interpret patient perception of pain, physical function and general mood with a series of targeted questions. We also use your scores before surgery to predict how much the surgery will improve your wellbeing.

Our patients experienced significant improvements in physical function, experienced pain, and mental health after receiving a meniscus repair (as seen in the table below).

Patient PROMIS Scores Before and After Meniscus Repair

Reduction in Pain

Examination of PROMIS Scores from 166 of our patients showed that, on average, patient perception of pain decreased 7.8 points from before surgery to six months after meniscus repair surgery. Our patients felt like they could do more activities with less pain.

Improvement in Knee Strength and Function

This same set of our patients also showed an increase of 6 points in physical function before surgery to six months after surgery. Our patients felt like surgery helped them better use their knee for physical activity.

Improved Mental Health

Lastly, our patients experienced, on average, a 3.4-point decrease in depression. Because of the improvements in pain and physical function, our patients experienced an overall increase in their mood and quality of life

Read the original published research paper here.

Use of PROM Scores Before Surgery to Predict Success of Meniscus Surgery

As we become better experienced at using these important tools, we are learning how they can be used for predicting how well you will do after surgery based on your scores before surgery.

There is an 82% chance that patients with PROMIS-Physical Function scores of less than 34.9 will see improvements in their overall wellbeing after surgery.

There is an 86% chance that patients with PROMIS-Pain scores of greater than 67.5 will see improvements in their overall wellbeing after surgery. On the other hand, patients with low levels of symptoms that do not meet these thresholds have lower likelihoods of improving after surgery.

If you are considering meniscus surgery, please talk to your doctor about your PROM scores before surgery. Together you can come to a decision whether surgery is right for you.

Read original published research paper here.