Personalized Surgical Decision-Making in Meniscal Tears: Short-Term Outcomes of Repair vs. Partial Meniscectomy in Mongolian Patients

<b>Objectives</b>: Arthroscopic meniscal surgery (AMS) is one of the most common orthopedic procedures worldwide, and its prevalence has been steadily increasing. In this study, we aimed to compare the short-term clinical outcomes (STCOs) and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) with anxiety and satisfaction in Mongolian patients. <b>Methods</b>: A prospective cohort study involved 103 patients who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery at The National Trauma Orthopedic Research Center and Grandmed Hospital in Mongolia between 2020 and 2023. STCO and PROM were calculated for the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) subscores, the visual analog scale was assessed for pain (VAS), and Knee Range of Motion (ROM), Measures of Anxiety State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and The Surgical Satisfaction Questionnaire (SSQ-8) were also used. <b>Results</b>: Out of 103 patients (69 for partial meniscectomy and 34 for meniscal repair), KOOSs improved significantly from pre-operative to post-operative levels. The Koos subscores for pain were 57.93 ± 12.58 pre-operatively and 80.93 ± 5.70 post-operatively; Koos subscores for Symptoms (KOOS Sx) were 54.13 ± 12.73, 80.27 ± 6.22; Koos subscores for Activities of Daily Living (KOOS ADL) were 61.28 ± 13.19, 79.61 ± 4.91; Koos subscores for Sports/Recreation (KOOS SR) were 42.28 ± 13.21, 72.04 ± 6.88; and Koos subscores for Quality of Life (KOOS QOL) were 45.08 ± 12.46, 77.85 ± 7.96. On the other hand, the pre-operative and post-operative results of the STAI were not significant (46.03 ± 8.2 vs. 39.59 ± 7.13, <i>p</i> = 0.781). <b>Conclusions</b>: In the present study, we elucidated patient- and injury-specific factors that may guide personalized surgical decision-making in Mongolian patients. Our findings suggest that AMS is a viable option for alleviating pain and enhancing function in the short term for patients with meniscal tears. The high PROMs and satisfaction scores reflect good-to-excellent results, and meniscal repair was associated with better outcome scores. While pre-operative anxiety levels were high, they decreased after surgery, although they did not entirely disappear.