ArticleKnee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA2021
Meniscal tears are more common than previously identified, however, less than a quarter of people with a tear undergo arthroscopy.
Article in Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 23 citations in OpenAlex.
- Patient beliefs and perceptions play a crucial role in the decision-making process when managing a meniscal tear. A qualitative systematic review of the literature.European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie · 2022Pooled it
- The Use of Fibrin Clot During Meniscus Repair in Young Patients Reduces Clinical Symptom Rates at 12-Month Follow-Up: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2025Trial
- Telerehabilitation versus face-to-face physical therapy for middle-aged patients with degenerative meniscal tear in China: a non-inferiority randomized controlled trial.Journal of rehabilitation medicine · 2025Trial
- Linking meniscal pathology to Baker's cyst formation: the role of tear type, location and chondral damage.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2026Article
- Complications and Reoperations Following Meniscal Repair and Transplantation.Current reviews in musculoskeletal medicine · 2026Review
- A clinical practice review: augmentation of meniscoligamentous structures for primary prevention of knee joint deterioration.Annals of joint · 2026Review
- Article
- Clinical results and failure rates after meniscal allograft transplantation and autologous chondrocyte implantation: a systematic review.Knee surgery & related research · 2025Review
- Potential sources of pain in symptomatic degenerative meniscal tear: A narrative review.Osteoarthritis and cartilage open · 2025Review
- The Impact of Aging on Meniscal Tears and Chondral Lesions in Men: Insights from First-Time Arthroscopic Knee Evaluation.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Saving the Meniscus: A Retrospective Observational Study of the Incidence, Treatment, and Failure Rate of the Main Meniscal Tear Types at 24-Month Follow-Up.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Article
- Good mid- to long-term outcomes after meniscus bucket-handle tear repair: A comparative analysis with and without anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.Journal of experimental orthopaedics · 2024Article
- Comparing Surgical Techniques for Meniscal Tears: A Systematic Review of Radiographic and Functional Outcomes.Cureus · 2023Review
- A Machine Learning Approach for Knee Injury Detection from Magnetic Resonance Imaging.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
purposeThe management of meniscal tears is a widely researched and evolving field. Previous studies reporting the incidence of meniscal tears are outdated and not representative of current practice. The aim of this study was to report the current incidence of MRI confirmed meniscal tears in patients with a symptomatic knee and the current intervention rate in a large NHS trust.
methodsRadiology reports from 13,358 consecutive magnetic resonance imaging scans between 2015 and 2017, performed at a large UK hospital serving a population of 470,000, were assessed to identify patients with meniscal tears. The hospital database was interrogated to explore the subsequent treatment undertaken by the patient. A linear regression model was used to identify if any factors predicted subsequent arthroscopy.
results1737 patients with isolated meniscal tears were identified in patients undergoing an MRI for knee pain, suggesting a rate of 222 MRI confirmed tears per 100,000 of the population aged 18 to 55 years old. 47% attended outpatient appointments and 22% underwent arthroscopy. Root tears [odds ratio (95% CI) 2.24 (1.0, 4.49); p = 0.049] and bucket handle tears were significantly associated with subsequent surgery, with no difference between the other types of tears. The presence of chondral changes did not significantly affect the rate of surgery [0.81 (0.60, 1.08); n.s].
conclusionMeniscal tears were found to be more common than previously described. However, less than half present to secondary care and only 22% undergo arthroscopy. These findings should inform future study design and recruitment strategies. In agreement with previous literature, bucket handle tears and root tears were significant predictors of subsequent surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.
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