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Retrospective evaluation of MRI findings in arthroscopically confirmed cases of hypermobile lateral meniscus

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Abstract

Objective

To identify preoperative MRI findings in patients with arthroscopically confirmed hypermobile lateral meniscus utilizing a standard MRI knee protocol, with comparison to normal control and lateral meniscal tear groups.

Subjects and methods

All patients with arthroscopically confirmed hypermobile lateral meniscus diagnosed at our institution were retrospectively identified. The following structures were evaluated on preoperative knee MRIs: superior and inferior popliteomeniscal fascicles, lateral meniscus and meniscocapsular junction, popliteal hiatus, and soft tissue edema around the popliteal hiatus. The same MRI features were evaluated in the normal control and lateral meniscal tear groups.

Results

Study, normal control, and lateral meniscal tear patients (18 each) were included. In the study group, 94.4% had superior popliteomeniscal fascicle abnormality, 89.0% had inferior popliteomeniscal fascicle abnormality, and 72.2% had lateral meniscal abnormality. Incidence of these abnormalities was significantly higher than in the normal control group. Meniscal abnormalities in the study group all involved the posterior horn meniscocapsular junction, 12/13 of which had vertical signal abnormality at the junction and 1/13 with anterior subluxation of the entire posterior horn. Popliteus hiatus measurements were largest in the lateral meniscal tear group.

Conclusion

In patients with hypermobile lateral meniscus, the combination of popliteomeniscal fascicle abnormality and vertical signal abnormality at the meniscocapsular junction was seen in the majority of patients. Popliteomeniscal fascicle signal abnormality without identifiable lateral meniscal injury was the next most common imaging appearance. Radiologists may provide valuable information by suggesting the diagnosis of hypermobile lateral meniscus in such cases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st St SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA

    Dennis J. Heaton, Mark S. Collins, Adam C. Johnson & Christin A. Tiegs-Heiden

  2. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st St SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA

    Aaron J. Krych & Malik E. Dancy

Authors
  1. Dennis J. Heaton
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  2. Mark S. Collins
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  3. Adam C. Johnson
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  6. Christin A. Tiegs-Heiden
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christin A. Tiegs-Heiden.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Aaron Krych declares consulting and royalties from Arthrex, Inc. All other authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Heaton, D.J., Collins, M.S., Johnson, A.C. et al. Retrospective evaluation of MRI findings in arthroscopically confirmed cases of hypermobile lateral meniscus. Skeletal Radiol 53, 465–472 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-023-04433-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-023-04433-1

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