The results of the present trial by Katz and colleagues, together with prior data, suggest that surgery is not routinely needed for presumed symptomatic meniscal tears in patients with knee osteoarthritis and that physical therapy may be appropriate initial management, although the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of physical therapy also need to be confirmed in high-quality trials.

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe1302696

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1301408