Meniscal tear in the setting of an anterior cruciate ligament tear

meniscal tears in the setting of anterior cruciate ligament tears

In acute anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, the lateral meniscus is torn twice as often as the medial meniscus.
In these patients:

• displaced meniscal tears are also more common
• the sensitivity for diagnosing meniscal tears is decreased

In ACL-deficient knees, there is an increased rate of medial meniscal tears which is possibly due to increased posterior translation of the femur in relation to the tibia with flexion. Majority of these tears are less amenable to repair, hence in certain populations (athletes and manual labourers) early ACL repair should be considered (1).

Reference:

• (1) Fox MG. MR imaging of the meniscus: review, current trends, and clinical implications. Radiol Clin North Am. 2007;45(6):1033-53