Postoperative change in the length and extrusion of the medial meniscus after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Purpose: The medial meniscus is a secondary stabilizer of anterior tibial translation in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-deficient knees. ACL reconstruction effectively restores an increased anterior tibial translation in the ACL-deficient knee. However, knee osteoarthritis sometimes develops in ACL-reconstructed patients during a long-term follow-up period. We hypothesized that the medial meniscal position would be different between the ACL-deficient and reconstructed knees. The aim of this study was to investigate pre-operative and postoperative location of the medial meniscus in patients who underwent ACL reconstruction.

Methods: ACL-reconstructed knees (28 knees) and normal knees (27 knees) were investigated. Medial tibial plateau length (MTPL) and medial tibial plateau width (MTPW) were determined using radiographic images. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based medial meniscal length (MML), medial meniscal width (MMW), and medial meniscal extrusion (MME) were measured. Postoperative change in the MML, MMW, and MME were evaluated and compared with those in normal knees.

Results: No significant differences between the ACL-deficient (pre-operative) and normal groups were noted. The ACL-reconstructed (postoperative) group showed an increase in the MML, in the percentage of the MML (%MML = 100 MML/MTPL), and in the MME. Significant differences between postoperative and normal groups were observed in the MML, %MML, and MME. MMW and MMW percentage (100 MMW/MTPW) were similar in all groups.

Conclusions: The anteroposterior length and radial extrusion of the medial meniscus increased after ACL reconstruction. Transposition of the medial meniscus may be a possible cause of developing further degenerative knee joint disorders after ACL reconstruction.