Is osteophyte located in the inferior of the intermeniscal ligament an indication for the surgical treatment of degenerative meniscal tear?

Year 2023, Volume: 9 Issue: 4, 637 - 644, 04.07.2023

Emre Anıl Özbek , Mehmet Can Gezer , Mustafa Onur Karaca , Mustafa Kavak , Ramazan Akmeşe

https://doi.org/10.18621/eurj.1050757

Abstract

Objectives: Our study aimed to determine how often the osteophyte located underneath the anterior intermeniscal ligament is observed in patients who underwent arthroscopic surgery due to degenerative meniscal tears, how often this osteophyte can be diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging, and whether this osteophyte could be an indication for the surgery to be performed for degenerative meniscopathy.

Methods: Our retrospective study included 47 patients operated for degenerative meniscus tears between 2017 and 2018, with a minimum follow-up of 2 years. Visual analog scale (VAS), Lysholm knee, and Western Ontario Meniscal Evaluation Tool (WOMET) scores were applied to all patients included in the study preoperatively and at the postoperative 3^rd, 6^th, 12^th, and 24^th months. The operated patients were grouped into two groups with and without osteophytes beneath the anterior intermeniscal ligament in magnetic resonance imaging (Group A and B). Preoperative and postoperative values of the patients were compared among themselves.

Results: The average age of the patients included in our study was 57 (range: 42 to 72) years. Forty (85%) participants were female. Osteophyte was detected in 36.1% (n = 17) of the patients in preoperative magnetic resonance imagings (Group-A). There was a statistically significant difference between preoperative VAS, Lysholm, and WOMET scores and postoperative 3^rd, 6^th, 12^th, and 24^th months (p < 0.05). Mean follow-up time was 32 (range: 24 to 60) months.

Conclusions: We believe that arthroscopic control of the inferior intermeniscal ligament for the presence of any osteophytes in patients treated surgically for degenerative meniscal tears is one of the main steps of this surgery.

Keywords

Degenerative meniscus, intermeniscal ligament, osteophyte, meniscectomy

Supporting Institution

Ankara University

References

• 1. Nelson EW, LaPrade RF. The anterior intermeniscal ligament of the knee. An anatomic study. Am J Sports Med 2000;28:74-6.
• 2. Marcheix PS, Marcheix B, Siegler J, Bouillet P, Chaynes P, Valleix D, et al. The anterior intermeniscal ligament of the knee: an anatomic and MR study. Surg Radiol Anat 2009;31:331-4.
• 3. Poh SY, Yew KS, Wong PL, Koh SB, Chia SL, Fook-Chong S, et al. Role of the anterior intermeniscal ligament in tibiofemoral contact mechanics during axial joint loading. Knee. 2012;19:135-9.
• 4. Ollivier M, Falguières J, Pithioux M, Boisrenoult P, Beaufils P, Pujol N. Sectioning of the anterior intermeniscal ligament changes knee loading mechanics. Arthroscopy 2018;34:2837-43.
• 5. Englund M, Guermazi A, Gale D, Hunter DJ, Aliabadi P, Clancy M, et al. Incidental meniscal findings on knee MRI in middle-aged and elderly persons. N Eng J Med 2008;359:1108-15.
• 6. Kohn MD, Sassoon AA, Fernando ND. Classifications in brief: Kellgren-Lawrence classification of osteoarthritis. Clin Orthop Relat Res 2016;474:1886-93.
• 7. Faiz KW. [VAS--visual analog scale]. Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen 2014;134:323. [Article in Norwegian]
• 8. Briggs KK, Lysholm J, Tegner Y, Rodkey WG, Kocher MS, Steadman JR. The reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the Lysholm score and Tegner activity scale for anterior cruciate ligament injuries of the knee: 25 years later. Am J Sports Med 2009;37:890-7.
• 9. Krott NL, Betsch M, Wild M. A meta-analysis of measurement properties of the Western Ontario Meniscal Evaluation Tool (WOMET). J Orthop Surg Res 2020;15:569.
• 10. Taylor SA, Rodeo SA. Augmentation techniques for isolated meniscal tears. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med 2013;6:95-101.
• 11. Giwa SO. Arthroscopic menisectomy. J West Afr Coll Surg 2017;7:x-xiii.
• 12. Li J, Zhu W, Gao X, Li X. Comparison of arthroscopic partial meniscectomy to physical therapy following degenerative meniscus tears: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Biomed Res Int 2020;2020:1709415.
• 13. Beaufils P, Becker R, Kopf S, Englund M, Verdonk R, Ollivier M, et al. Surgical management of degenerative meniscus lesions: the 2016 ESSKA meniscus consensus. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 2017;25:335-46.
• 14. Felson DT, Gale DR, Elon Gale M, Niu J, Hunter DJ, Goggins J, et al. Osteophytes and progression of knee osteoarthritis. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2005;44:100-4.