So-Yeon Lee, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Won-Hee Jee MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Sung Hun Kim MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

So Lyung Jung MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

In-Jun Koh, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Jung-Man Kim, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To retrospectively evaluate magnetic resonance (MR) findings for the detection of lateral meniscocapsular separation in patients with lateral tibial plateau fractures.

After institutional ethics review board approval the informed consent was waived. The patient group included 12 patients with lateral meniscocapsular separation detected at surgery due to lateral tibial plateau fractures. For the control group, 12 patients with normal lateral meniscus with a less than two-week interval between MR imaging and surgery were used. MR images were assessed for the presence of increased perimeniscal signal, meniscal displacement, tears of lateral meniscofemoral and meniscotibial ligaments as well as superior and inferior fascicles. Meniscal displacement was measured to the tibia on axial fat-suppressed intermediate-weighted images as well as on sagittal and coronal images, respectively. Fisher’s exact and Mann-Whitney tests were used for the statistical analysis.

There were significant differences between two groups in the presence of perimeniscal hyperintense signal on axial, sagittal, and coronal MR images (P < .05). Mean width of perimeniscal hyperintense signal showed significant difference between the patient and control groups at axial and coronal images. [10.58 mm ± 2.84 (standard deviation) in the patient group and 2.75 mm ± 1.91 in the control group at axial images (P = .000); 7.08 mm ± 5.92 in the patient group and 1.0 mm ± 1.60 in the control group at coronal images (P = .001)]. The mean width of perimeniscal hyperintense signal was not significantly different at sagittal images between the two groups. Lateral meniscofemoral and meniscotibial ligaments were torn in 11 (92%) of 12 patients with lateral meniscocapsular separation, whereas the superior and inferior fascicles were torn in 8% (1/12) and 25% (3/12), respectively.

MR imaging is helpful for the detection of lateral meniscocapsular separation in patients with lateral tibial plateau fractures.

Preoperative detection of lateral meniscocapsular separation allows better therapeutical management since meniscal repair is usually done in patients with lateral tibial plateau fractures.

Lee, S, Jee, W, Kim, S, Jung, S, Koh, I, Kim, J, Lateral Meniscocapsular Separation in Patients with Lateral Tibial Plateau Fractures: Detection with MR Imaging.  Radiological Society of North America 2009 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 29 - December 4, 2009 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2009/8010739.html