MR imaging of meniscal tears associated with traumatic anterior cruciate ligament injury

Abstract

Introduction. There are no studies in Mexico that describe the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings of meniscal tears associated with traumatic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. This study describes the MR characteristics of meniscal tears associated with different severity-based grades of acute or chronic traumatic ACL injuries in the Mexican population. Material and Methods. This multicenter, cross-sectional study included patients with an MR imaging diagnosis of ACL injury of the knee and a suspected meniscal tear. Age, sex, timing, and grade of the ACL injury were recorded. Location, types, and subtypes of tears of the medial meniscus (MM), lateral meniscus (LM), or both were assessed. A p-value < 0.05 was significant. Results. We included 322 patients with a traumatic ACL injury. In 292 (90.7%) of these patients, 425 meniscal tears were detected in one or both menisci. MM tears were found in 146 (50.0%), LM tears in 65 (22.3%), and in 81 (27.7%) in both menisci. Longitudinal tears were the most common in the MM (n = 81, 31.5%) and radial tears in the LM (n = 52, 31.0%) (p < 0.001). The most common segment was the posterior horn of both menisci. The LM tore most frequently in patients younger than 30 years, whereas most MM tears occurred in patients equal to or older than 30 associated with a traumatic ACL injury. Conclusion. This study is the first in Mexico describing the MR imaging characteristics of the location, type, and subtype of meniscal tears in patients with different grades of acute or chronic traumatic ACL injury.

Keywords

• Knee joint. Meniscus. Meniscal tears. Anterior cruciate ligament. Magnetic resonance imaging.