ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Sonographic Imaging of Meniscal Subluxation in Patients with Radiographic Knee Osteoarthritis

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0929-6646(08)60031-5Get rights and content
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Background/Purpose

This study was undertaken to describe the sonographic features of meniscal sub-luxation in the weight-bearing position and to determine any association between meniscal subluxation and radiographic osteoarthritis.

Methods

In total, 238 knees with symptoms were examined successfully with weight-bearing anteroposterior and lateral radiographs and high resolution ultrasonography The radiographs were examined to determine whether participants had radiographic osteoarthritis, graded using the Kellgren-Lawrence Scale. The degree of subluxation of the medial meniscus in each knee was measured using high resolution ultrasound with a 10-MHz linear transducer, at the level of the medial collateral ligament in weight-bearing condition. The degree of subluxation was compared in knees with the presence or absence of radiographic osteoarthritis using Student's t test. Additional analysis between knees with early and advanced radiographic osteoarthritis was also performed.

Results

Meniscal subluxation for knees with (n = 141) and without (n = 97) radiographic signs of osteoarthritis were 4.3 ±1.9 mm and 0.7 ± 0.6 mm, respectively. The difference was highly significant (p<0.001). After age adjustment, the medial meniscal subluxation of age-matched subjects were 4.8 ± 1.7 mm for knees with radiographic osteoarthritis (n = 43) and 1.0 ± 0.8 mm for knees without such changes (n = 43). The difference between the two groups was still significant (p<0.001). The greatest meniscal subluxation was seen in knees with advanced radiographic signs of osteoarthritis; no knee with osteoarthritic changes on radiographs had an undisplaced meniscus.

Conclusion

Meniscal subluxation is a prominent feature on weight-bearing sonographic imaging in patients with radiographic osteoarthritis and could be considered as a risk factor for the development of knee osteoarthritis. By using musculoskeletal ultrasonography, one can detect this occult meniscal derangement early before the appearance of radiographic signs of osteoarthritis.

Key Words

knee
medial meniscus
meniscal subluxation
osteoarthritis
ultrasound

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