Prevalence of meniscal tears in anterior cruciate ligament-deficient knees: a prospective epidemiological study of 731 knees (Award Paper Session).

Abstract

<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Delay in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is associated with increased risks of meniscal tears and premature osteoarthritis. However, controversy exists regarding the definition of delayed ACLR, which ranges from 3 weeks to 24 months. This study aims to determine a cut-off period for delayed ACLR that is associated with a significant increase in the risk of meniscal tears.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This prospective single-centre epidemiological study investigated the prevalence of meniscal tears at the time of primary ACLR between 2017 and 2021. Patients with multi-ligamentous injuries or those who were skeletally immature were excluded. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to determine the cut-off period between injury and ACLR (in days) that was associated with a significant increase in the risk of meniscal tears.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 731 patients (83% male), the mean age was 28±8 years. The mean period between injury and ACLR was 539±988 days. Meniscal tears were present in 70% of knees. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the cut-off period of 376 days best predicted the presence of meniscal tears (odds ratio=2.51, 95% confidence interval=1.72-3.67, p<0.001). Medial meniscal tears were associated with surgical delay alone, whereas lateral meniscal tears were associated with male sex alone (p=0.005).</p><p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> A delay of 12 months in ACLR is associated with a 2.5-fold increase in the risk of developing meniscal tears.</p>