Meniscal Root Tear: A Missed Epidemic?

Meniscal root tears often go unnoticed and represent unique injury patterns with unique biomechanical consequences. Meniscal root tear occurs about 10-21% of all meniscal tears. Almost 10% of ACL tears involving posterior lateral meniscus tears. Meniscal root tears interrupt the continuity of the circumferential fibers, hence meniscus will fail to function as a shock absorber and load distributor. The biomechanical implication is the accelerated degeneration of the joint comparable to total meniscectomy. Repair of meniscal root tear will reduce contact pressure and increase contact area biomechanically similar to the uninjured meniscus. However, the repair must be done as anatomic as possible. Otherwise, the goal of restoring the meniscus function may not be achieved. Sign and symptoms, physical examination and radiological findings that may suggest a meniscal root tear will be discussed in this paper. Moreover, an overview of the management will also be described.