NCT02113280.

Study name	DEMAND ‐ DEgenerative Meniscal Tears ‐ Arthroscopy vs. Dedicated Exercise Official title: Randomised Controlled Trial Comparing Arthroscopy With Physiotherapy for Degenerative Meniscal Tears
Methods	Study design: prospective parallel‐arm randomised controlled trial Setting: North Tyneside General Hospital, UK Trial time period: December 2015 to December 2018 Interventions: arthroscopic surgery versus physiotherapy Sample size calculations: not reported Analysis: not reported
Participants	Inclusion criteria Age over 45 years Knee pain in the presence of a medial meniscal tear on MRI Exclusion criteria History of trauma to the knee or ipsilateral lower limb in the past 2 years Inability to engage in post‐operative rehabilitation Lacking capacity to consent Evidence of infection Previous knee surgery other than arthroscopy (diagnostic or partial meniscectomy) Neurological disease Inflammatory arthritis Loose bodies Ligament injuries causing symptomatic instability Women who are pregnant Have current signs or symptoms of severe, progressive or uncontrolled renal, hepatic, haematological, gastrointestinal, endocrine, pulmonary, cardiac, neurologic, or cerebral disease Uncontrolled disease states, such as moderate/severe asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or inflammatory bowel disease, where flares are commonly treated with oral or parenteral glucocorticoids, or recurrent infections
Interventions	Arthroscopy: participants to receive knee arthroscopy and meniscal debridement Physiotherapy: outpatient standardised physiotherapy regime with focus on exercise therapy
Outcomes	Outcomes will be measured at baseline, 6 weeks and 6, 12 and 24 months. Primary outcome Change in Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score Secondary outcomes SF‐12 (12‐item short form survey) Pain visual analogue score
Starting date	December 2015
Contact information	Sarah Johnson‐Lynn, MBBS Specialty Registrar, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust 08448118111 ext 2508 selynn@doctors.org.uk Derek Kramer, MBBS 08448118111 ext 2508 derek.kramer@northumbria‐healthcare.nhs.uk
Notes	Clinical trial registration:NCT02113280 Trial status: withdrawn (failed funding application) Expected completion date: December 2018