Time Dependent Increase in Medial Meniscus Extrusion may require Meniscal Repair in Partial Medial Meniscus Posterior Root Tears

Key findings of the study were:

• The duration from the onset to the first MRI scan (23.2±16.1 days vs. 23.9±37.8 days, p=0.200) and the follow-up duration (22.6 ± 12.2 months vs. 25.1 ± 12.8 months, p = 0.583) were not significantly different between the two groups.

• The duration between the two MRI scans was significantly shorter in the pull-out repair group than in the nonoperative management group.

• The increase in MME (ΔMME) on MRI scans was significantly greater in the pull-out repair group than in the nonoperative management group.

• Linear regression analysis revealed a weak correlation between the MRI interval and ΔMME in the nonoperative management group and a moderate correlation in the pull-out repair group.

• In the ROC construction, the cut-off value for ΔMME that requires surgical intervention was 0.41 mm, with a sensitivity and specificity of 85.0% and 52.9%, respectively.

The authors concluded – “Patients with partial MMPRTs requiring surgical treatment had greater MME progression in a shorter time and a time-dependent increase in MME. Therefore, a ΔMME of ≥0.41 mm may be useful in deciding surgical intervention based on MRI retests.”

Level of evidence III.  

Further reading:

Time Dependent Increase in Medial Meniscus Extrusion Predicts the Need for Meniscal Repair in Patients with Partial Medial Meniscus Posterior Root Tears: A Case–Control Study

Koki Kawada, Takayuki Furumatsu et al

Indian Journal of Orthopaedics (2023) 57:1633–1639

https://doi.org/10.1007/s43465-023-00987-3