Editorial Commentary: Are We Over-treating Meniscal Root Tears?

Abstract

Meniscal root tears function as a complete meniscectomy, with loss of hoop stress due to the detachment of the meniscus. Root tears have been increasingly recognized recently with improvements in diagnostic imaging and the understanding of meniscal biomechanics. Patients have a high rate of progression of osteoarthritis and subsequent knee replacement after a meniscal root tear. Recent advances in repair techniques, arthroscopic instrumentation, and biological augmentation strategies continue to offer surgeons ways to manage historically "irreparable" meniscal tears. Root repair clinical outcomes are generally favorable, although patients may still experience progressive degenerative changes.