Follow-up costs up to 5 years after conventional treatments in patients with cartilage lesions of the knee

In this retrospective cross-sectional study, we contacted patients who had been diagnosed with (and, if necessary, treated for) knee cartilage defects by arthroscopy at one of seven treatment centres in Germany between 1997 and 2001. In early 2003, patients completed a questionnaire on the health care resources they had used since the time of the arthroscopy. Based on this information, we determined follow-up costs. Data from a total of 1,708 patients were included in the final analysis. Of these, 1,070 were assigned to the initial operation (IO) group (61% men, 49±15 years; 39% women, 52±14 years) and 638 were assigned to the re-operation (RO) group (64% men, 44±13 years; 36% women, 47±14 years). The cumulative direct medical costs caused by knee complaints for the first 5 years following the arthroscopy were €1,984 for the IO population and €4,203 for the RO population. The cumulative indirect costs (i.e. costs associated with loss of productivity), however, amounted to €7,669 and €15,265, respectively, and were thus almost four times as high as the cumulative direct costs. This is the first study that quantifies the considerable follow-up costs in patients who have undergone surgery for knee cartilage defects. As such, it may provide a yardstick for future treatments.