Opioid use and pain less after partial meniscectomy with needle arthroscopy

Editor's Note

A prospective, multi-center randomized trial comparing opioid use and patient reported outcomes following isolated partial meniscectomy with needle versus standard arthroscopy resulted in less postoperative pain and opioid use, according to a February 2026 article published ahead of print in the Journal of Orthopedics.

The trial was designed to evaluate opioid use following partial meniscectomy performed with needle arthroscopy compared to standard arthroscopy. Between January and August 2023, patients undergoing isolated partial meniscectomy were randomized to receive either needle or standard arthroscopic treatment.

The primary outcome was opioid consumption within 24-hours postoperatively and secondary outcomes included Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome pain measured at 2, 6, and 12 weeks post procedure. In the immediate post-operative period, opioid use was significantly reduced after partial meniscectomy performed with needle arthroscopy compared with standard arthroscopy.

Additionally, the functional outcome scores and pain scores improved in the needle arthroscopy group at 2 and 6 weeks; however, these differences were not maintained, per the article.

The authors concluded that these findings suggest needle arthroscopy offers significant subjective and objective functional outcomes over standard arthroscopy for partial meniscectomy in the early postoperative period.