[Clinical-imaging-arthroscopic correlation in the diagnosis of meniscal lesions]

To assess the relation between location and intensity of pain in the articular interline as reported by the patient and proven objectively with the physical exam, and the type and location of the meniscal lesion found in the knee imaging study and arthroscopy.

Prospective, observational, longitudinal study including 34 consecutive patients with a clinical and arthroscopic diagnosis of symptomatic meniscal tears. Pain location was reported, an MRI was taken and finally all patients were assessed with knee arthroscopy.

We found an excellent correlation between the clinical manifestation of pain and the arthroscopic findings (p < 0.001), as well as between the clinical findings and the MRI (p < 0.001).

Correlating the clinical expression of meniscal pathology with the anatomical lesion could be useful at the time of deciding to perform surgery, as the clinical identification of certain types of meniscal tears could potentially determine what the best time to perform surgery is. Our study shows that there is no significant relation neither between the magnitude of pain and the laterality of the lesion, nor between the magnitude of pain and the type of lesion diagnosed arthroscopically. This shows that patients cannot be selected considering the anatomy of the lesion based only on the physical exam.