Meniscal Injury Differential Diagnoses

1. Jackson JP. Degenerative changes in the knee after meniscectomy. Br Med J. 1968 Jun 1. 2(5604):525-7. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].

2. Behairy NH, Dorgham MA, Khaled SA. Accuracy of routine magnetic resonance imaging in meniscal and ligamentous injuries of the knee: comparison with arthroscopy. Int Orthop. 2009 Aug. 33 (4):961-7. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

3. Nikolaou VS, Chronopoulos E, Savvidou C, et al. MRI efficacy in diagnosing internal lesions of the knee: a retrospective analysis. J Trauma Manag Outcomes. 2008 Jun 2. 2 (1):4. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

4. Vance K, Meredick R, Schweitzer ME, et al. Magnetic resonance imaging of the postoperative meniscus. Arthroscopy. 2009 May. 25(5):522-30. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

5. Barber FA, Harding NR. Meniscal repair rehabilitation. Instr Course Lect. 2000. 49:207-10. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

6. Insall JN, Scott WN, eds. Surgery of the Knee. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: WB Saunders Co; 2001.

7. Rodkey WG. Basic biology of the meniscus and response to injury. Instr Course Lect. 2000. 49:189-93. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

8. Vaziri A, Nayeb-Hashemi H, Singh A, Tafti BA. Influence of meniscectomy and meniscus replacement on the stress distribution in human knee joint. Ann Biomed Eng. 2008 Aug. 36 (8):1335-44. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

9. Yeh PC, Starkey C, Lombardo S, Vitti G, Kharrazi FD. Epidemiology of Isolated Meniscal Injury and Its Effect on Performance in Athletes From the National Basketball Association. Am J Sports Med. 2011 Nov 30. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

10. Shrive NG, O'Connor JJ, Goodfellow JW. Load-bearing in the knee joint. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1978 Mar-Apr. 279-87. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

11. Renstrom P, Johnson RJ. Anatomy and biomechanics of the menisci. Clin Sports Med. 1990 Jul. 9(3):523-38. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

12. Arnoczky SP, Warren RF. Microvasculature of the human meniscus. Am J Sports Med. 1982 Mar-Apr. 10(2):90-5. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

13. Fu FH, Harner CD, Vince KG, eds. Knee Surgery. Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 1994.

14. Iobst CA, Stanitski CL. Acute knee injuries. Clin Sports Med. 2000 Oct. 19(4):621-35, vi. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

15. Yasuda T, Ota S, Fujita S, Onishi E, Iwaki K, Yamamoto H. Association between medial meniscus extrusion and spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee. Int J Rheum Dis. 2017 Apr 5. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

16. Goldstein J, Zuckerman JD. Selected orthopedic problems in the elderly. Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 2000 Aug. 26(3):593-616. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

17. Stanitski CL, Harvell JC, Fu F. Observations on acute knee hemarthrosis in children and adolescents. J Pediatr Orthop. 1993 Jul-Aug. 13(4):506-10. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

18. Yoo JC, Ahn JH, Lee SH, et al. Increasing incidence of medial meniscal tears in nonoperatively treated anterior cruciate ligament insufficiency patients documented by serial magnetic resonance imaging studies. Am J Sports Med. 2009 Apr 9. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

19. Konan S, Rayan F, Haddad FS. Do physical diagnostic tests accurately detect meniscal tears?. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2009 Apr 28. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

20. Lee JH, Lim YJ, Kim KB, Kim KH, Song JH. Arthroscopic pullout suture repair of posterior root tear of the medial meniscus: radiographic and clinical results with a 2-year follow-up. Arthroscopy. 2009 Sep. 25 (9):951-8. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

21. Rinonapoli G, Carraro A, Delcogliano A. The clinical diagnosis of meniscal tear is not easy. Reliability of two clinical meniscal tests and magnetic resonance imaging. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol. 2011 Jan-Mar. 24(1 Suppl 2):39-44. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

22. Rytter S, Kirkeskov Jensen L, Bonde JP, et al. Occupational kneeling and meniscal tears: a magnetic resonance imaging study in floor layers. J Rheumatol. 2009 May 1. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

23. Costa CR, Morrison WB, Carrino JA. Medial meniscus extrusion on knee MRI: is extent associated with severity of degeneration or type of tear?. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2004 Jul. 183 (1):17-23. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

24. Lerer DB, Umans HR, Hu MX, Jones MH. The role of meniscal root pathology and radial meniscal tear in medial meniscal extrusion. Skeletal Radiol. 2004 Oct. 33 (10):569-74. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

25. Furumatsu T, Fujii M, Kodama Y, Ozaki T. A giraffe neck sign of the medial meniscus: A characteristic finding of the medial meniscus posterior root tear on magnetic resonance imaging. J Orthop Sci. 2017 Apr 13. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

26. Spindler KP, McCarty EC, Warren TA, Devin C, Connor JT. Prospective comparison of arthroscopic medial meniscal repair technique: inside-out suture versus entirely arthroscopic arrows. Am J Sports Med. 2003 Nov-Dec. 31 (6):929-34. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

27. Bin SI, Kim JM, Shin SJ. Radial tears of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus. Arthroscopy. 2004 Apr. 20 (4):373-8. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

28. El Ghazaly SA, Rahman AA, Yusry AH, Fathalla MM. Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy is superior to physical rehabilitation in the management of symptomatic unstable meniscal tears. Int Orthop. 2015 Apr. 39 (4):769-75. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

29. Stensrud S, Risberg MA, Roos EM. Effect of exercise therapy compared with arthroscopic surgery on knee muscle strength and functional performance in middle-aged patients with degenerative meniscus tears: a 3-mo follow-up of a randomized controlled trial. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2015 Jun. 94 (6):460-73. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

30. Jarrett JB, Sauereisen S. PURLs: When can exercise supplant surgery for degenerative meniscal tears?. J Fam Pract. 2017 Apr. 66 (4):250-2. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].

31. Gauffin H, Tagesson S, Meunier A, et al. Knee arthroscopic surgery is beneficial to middle-aged patients with meniscal symptoms: a prospective, randomised, single-blinded study. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2014 Jul 30. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

32. Thorlund JB, Juhl CB, Ingelsrud LH, Skou ST. Risk factors, diagnosis and non-surgical treatment for meniscal tears: evidence and recommendations: a statement paper commissioned by the Danish Society of Sports Physical Therapy (DSSF). Br J Sports Med. 2018 Feb 2. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

33. Khan M, Evaniew N, Bedi A, Ayeni OR, Bhandari M. Arthroscopic surgery for degenerative tears of the meniscus: a systematic review and meta-analysis. CMAJ. 2014 Oct 7. 186 (14):1057-64. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

34. Kise NJ, Risberg MA, Stensrud S, Ranstam J, Engebretsen L, Roos EM. Exercise therapy versus arthroscopic partial meniscectomy for degenerative meniscal tear in middle aged patients: randomised controlled trial with two year follow-up. BMJ. 2016 Jul 20. 354:i3740. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

35. Frellick M. Exercise as Effective as Surgery for Meniscal Tears. Medscape Medical News. 2016 Jul 21. [Full Text].

36. [Guideline] Siemieniuk RAC, Harris IA, Agoritsas T, et al. Arthroscopic surgery for degenerative knee arthritis and meniscal tears: a clinical practice guideline. Br J Sports Med. 2018 Mar. 52 (5):313. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].

37. Kim SB, Ha JK, Lee SW, et al. Medial meniscus root tear refixation: comparison of clinical, radiologic, and arthroscopic findings with medial meniscectomy. Arthroscopy. 2011 Mar. 27 (3):346-54. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

38. Pekari TB, Wang KC, Cotter EJ, Kusnezov N, Waterman BR. Contemporary Surgical Trends in the Management of Symptomatic Meniscal Tears among United States Military Servicemembers from 2010 to 2015. J Knee Surg. 2018 Mar 7. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

39. Logan M, Watts M, Owen J, Myers P. Meniscal repair in the elite athlete: results of 45 repairs with a minimum 5-year follow-up. Am J Sports Med. 2009 Jun. 37 (6):1131-4. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

40. Adachi N, Ochi M, Uchio Y, Kuriwaka M, Shinomiya R. Torn discoid lateral meniscus treated using partial central meniscectomy and suture of the peripheral tear. Arthroscopy. 2004 May. 20 (5):536-42. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

41. Kelly JD 4th, Ebrahimpour P. Chondral injury and synovitis after arthroscopic meniscal repair using an outside-in mulberry knot suture technique. Arthroscopy. 2004 May. 20 (5):e49-52. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

42. Allaire R, Muriuki M, Gilbertson L, Harner CD. Biomechanical consequences of a tear of the posterior root of the medial meniscus. Similar to total meniscectomy. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2008 Sep. 90 (9):1922-31. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

43. LaPrade CM, Jansson KS, Dornan G, Smith SD, Wijdicks CA, LaPrade RF. Altered tibiofemoral contact mechanics due to lateral meniscus posterior horn root avulsions and radial tears can be restored with in situ pull-out suture repairs. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2014 Mar 19. 96 (6):471-9. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

44. Marzo JM, Kumar BA. Primary repair of medial meniscal avulsions: 2 case studies. Am J Sports Med. 2007 Aug. 35 (8):1380-3. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

45. Kim YM, Rhee KJ, Lee JK, Hwang DS, Yang JY, Kim SJ. Arthroscopic pullout repair of a complete radial tear of the tibial attachment site of the medial meniscus posterior horn. Arthroscopy. 2006 Jul. 22 (7):795.e1-4. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

46. West RV, Kim JG, Armfield D, Harner CD. Lateral meniscal root tears associated with anterior cruciate ligament injury: classification and management (SS-70). Arthroscopy. 2004. 20:e32-3.

47. Ahn JH, Wang JH, Lim HC, et al. Double transosseous pull out suture technique for transection of posterior horn of medial meniscus. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2009 Mar. 129 (3):387-92. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

48. Kim JH, Shin DE, Dan JM, Nam KS, Ahn TK, Lee DH. Arthroscopic suture anchor repair of posterior root attachment injury in medial meniscus: technical note. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2009 Aug. 129 (8):1085-8. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

49. Kim JH, Chung JH, Lee DH, Lee YS, Kim JR, Ryu KJ. Arthroscopic suture anchor repair versus pullout suture repair in posterior root tear of the medial meniscus: a prospective comparison study. Arthroscopy. 2011 Dec. 27 (12):1644-53. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

50. Ahn JH, Lee YS, Yoo JC, Chang MJ, Park SJ, Pae YR. Results of arthroscopic all-inside repair for lateral meniscus root tear in patients undergoing concomitant anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Arthroscopy. 2010 Jan. 26 (1):67-75. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

51. Englund M, Guermazi A, Roemer FW, et al. Meniscal tear in knees without surgery and the development of radiographic osteoarthritis among middle-aged and elderly persons: The Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study. Arthritis Rheum. 2009 Mar. 60(3):831-9. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

52. Everhart JS, Magnussen RA, Abouljoud MM, Regalado LE, Kaeding CC, Flanigan DC. Meniscus tears accelerate joint space loss and lateral meniscal extrusion increases risk of knee arthroplasty in middle-aged adults. J Orthop Res. 2020 Mar 27. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

53. Ronnblad E, Barenius B, Engstrom B, Eriksson K. Predictive Factors for Failure of Meniscal Repair: A Retrospective Dual-Center Analysis of 918 Consecutive Cases. Orthop J Sports Med. 2020 Mar. 8 (3):2325967120905529. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].

54. Mordecai SC, Al-Hadithy N, Ware HE, Gupte CM. Treatment of meniscal tears: An evidence based approach. World J Orthop. 2014 Jul 18. 5 (3):233-41. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].

55. Wareluk P, Szopinski KT. Value of modern sonography in the assessment of meniscal lesions. Eur J Radiol. 2011 Oct 5. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

Sarjoo M Bhagia, MD † Consulting Staff, OrthoCarolina; Voluntary Teaching Faculty, Carolinas Rehabilitation

Sarjoo M Bhagia, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Association of Academic Physiatrists, North American Spine Society, Physiatric Association of Spine, Sports and Occupational Rehabilitation

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Selina Yingqi Xing, MD, MS Staff Physician, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Temple University

Selina Yingqi Xing, MD, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Physiatric Association of Spine, Sports and Occupational Rehabilitation, American Medical Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Michael Weinik, DO Associate Chairman, Associate Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Temple University Hospital

Michael Weinik, DO is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Bradley S Baker, MD Orthopedic Surgeon, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery Certified in Orthopaedic Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine; Partner, Nevada Orthopedic and Spine Center

Bradley S Baker, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, Arthroscopy Association of North America

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Received salary from Medscape for employment. for: Medscape.

Michael T Andary, MD, MS Professor, Residency Program Director, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Michael T Andary, MD, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine, American Medical Association, Association of Academic Physiatrists

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Ryan O Stephenson, DO Associate Professor of Clinical Practice, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado School of Medicine; Medical Director of Polytrauma and Brain Injury (Polytrauma Network Site), Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Eastern Colorado Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Ryan O Stephenson, DO is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine, Association of Academic Physiatrists

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Robert E Windsor, MD, FAAPMR, FAAEM, FAAPM President and Director, Georgia Pain Physicians, PC; Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Emory University School of Medicine

Robert E Windsor, MD, FAAPMR, FAAEM, FAAPM is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pain Medicine, American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, American College of Sports Medicine, American Medical Association, International Association for the Study of Pain, Texas Medical Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

James H Lubowitz, MD Director, Taos Orthopaedic Institute, Taos Orthopaedic Institute Research Foundation (TOIRF), and Taos Orthopaedic Institute Sports Medicine Fellowship Training Program; Clinical Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of New Mexico School of Medicine

James H Lubowitz, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Arthroscopy Association of North America

Disclosure: Received consulting fee from Arthrex for consulting; Received salary from AANA for employment; Received royalty from Arthrex for other.

Bryce T Wolf, MD Sports Medicine Fellow, Taos Orthopedic Institute

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

The authors and editors wish to thank Kavita Gupta, DO, MEng, Department of Orthopedics, Center of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Dentistry and Medicine of New Jersey, for her previous contributions to this article.

• Print this section
• Print the entire contents of
• Print the entire contents of article