Study: Mensical Tears Don't Lessen Function in Osteoarthritis Patients

Having a meniscal tear does not mean that patients with osteoarthritic knees will experience more pain and less function than those who do not have such a tear, according to a study reported in the January issue of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS).

A meniscal tear is common in older persons with and without osteoarthritis and occurs in the crescent-shaped cushion in the knee joint where the thighbone and shinbone of the leg meet. This cushion helps the joint carry weight, glide and turn.

Meniscal tears are frequently found during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of osteoarthritic knees. However, the prevalence and clinical relevance of these tears had not been determined until this study.

Using MRI and plain X-ray radiography, the researchers examined 154 older patients with clinical symptoms of knee arthritis as well as a control group of 49 elderly persons with no symptoms of arthritis.
Meniscal tears were commonly found in the knees of both groups but were more prevalent in the patients with arthritis symptoms (91 percent compared to 76 percent in the control group). Patients with more severe cases of osteoarthritis were more likely to have meniscal tears.

Using a questionnaire and a function assessment, the researchers found that osteoarthritic patients with meniscal tears have about the same ability to function and about the same level of pain as those without such tears.

The researchers also evaluated the use of MRI in diagnosing meniscal tears and noted that those found using this diagnostic procedure may be difficult to interpret because of the lack of data concerning the prevalence of meniscal tears in patients with arthritis and those without arthritis.

Thus, the researchers concluded that their data do not support routine use of MRI in evaluating and managing meniscal tears in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.

Other sources: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, JBJS (2003 85: 4-9)