Accuracy of High-Resolution Ultrasound in the Detection of Meniscal Tears and Determination of the Visible Area of Menisci

Abstract

The findings of this study suggest that ultrasound examination may be suitable for screening for meniscal tears. The fact that almost 10% of the lateral menisci could not be evaluated because of poor images appears to be a weakness of ultrasound.

Anterior cruciate ligament and meniscal injuries in sports: incidence, time of practice until injury, and limitations caused after trauma

“…In the USA, the most common intra-articular lesion of the knee occurs in the meniscus,9, 10 being the most frequent surgical indication among the orthopedic procedures 9, 11. The menisci play an important role in knee homeostasis, load transmission, shock absorption, lubrication, joint stability and proprioception.…”

Ultrasound for Treating Meniscocapsular Separation Together With Arthroscopy

“…4 However, in depicting near-surface structures, ultrasonography is superior to MRI; thus, we believe that ultrasonography is more effective than MRI for diagnosing meniscocapsular separation (Table 1).…”

“…3 A possible alternative to MRI is ultrasonography, and it has been reported to have relatively high accuracy in the detection of meniscal tears and to facilitate bilateral comparison and repetition at will. 4 In addition, advancements in ultrasonography machines have allowed the simultaneous display of ultrasonography images and images from other imaging tools, such as an arthroscope, on the same screen (picture-in-picture [PiP] function). Considering that arthroscopy facilitates the visualization of the surfaces of structures in the knee joint and ultrasonography facilitates visualization of the inside of the structures, we believe that the PiP function would be beneficial during arthroscopic surgeries.…”

Sonographically Guided Knee Meniscus Injections: Feasibility, Techniques, and Validation

“…Each specimen was placed in a side‐lying position with the target side of the knee facing the ceiling. To optimize sonographic visualization and meniscal access, the knee was flexed to 30‐60° and a gravity‐induced valgus or varus stress was imparted on the joint by placing a small, rolled‐up towel under the dependent side of the knee [11]. The transducer was then placed in an anatomical coronal plane across the joint, perpendicular to the long axis (LAX) of the meniscus, yielding a short‐axis view (or cross‐section) of the meniscus.…”

“…The ability of high‐resolution ultrasound (US) to image the meniscus has been well‐established [10‐12]; however, the feasibility of using sonographic guidance (SG) to specifically deliver needles/injectates into the bodies and posterior horns of the medial and lateral menisci has not been evaluated formally. Consequently, the primary purpose of this investigation was to determine the feasibility of SG intrameniscal injections; more specifically, to determine the safety and accuracy of SG body and posterior horn intrameniscal injections by using an unembalmed cadaveric model.…”