Abstract
Meniscal tears within the body of the meniscus or at the meniscocapsular junction
represent a well-understood and manageable condition encountered in clinical practice.
In comparison, however, meniscal root tears (MRTs) often go unnoticed and represent
a unique injury pattern with unique biomechanical consequences. Though first described
decades ago, improvements in magnetic resonance imaging and arthroscopy have only
recently enhanced our diagnostic and treatment capabilities with regard to MRTs. This
review contains an anatomic description of the roots including their significance
in meniscal function as well as the consequences of their loss. In addition, how to
properly identify MRTs and when it is appropriate to surgically repair them are described.
Finally, we review the surgical techniques available in the existing literature and
present an illustrative case.
Key Words
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Article info
Footnotes
The authors report no conflict of interest.
Note: To access the supplementary video accompanying this report, visit the September issue of Arthroscopy at www.arthroscopyjournal.org.
Identification
Copyright
© 2009 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
