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Destabilization of the Medial Meniscus and Cartilage Scratch Murine Model of Accelerated Osteoarthritis

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Joint line fullness and meniscal pathology.

Jean-Francois Couture¹, Wazzan Al-Juhani, Michael E Forsythe

¹McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

|September 28, 2012

Summary

Joint line fullness is a reliable physical exam test for detecting meniscal tears. This accurate, sensitive, and specific finding aids in diagnosing knee injuries when used with other clinical tests.

Keywords:

joint line meniscal cyst meniscal tear physical examination

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Published on: September 2, 2025

Area of Science:

Orthopedic Surgery
Sports Medicine
Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

Meniscal tears often present with associated meniscal cysts and palpable joint line fullness.
Accurate clinical diagnosis of meniscal tears is crucial for effective patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of joint line fullness in detecting meniscal tears.
To compare the efficacy of joint line fullness with other clinical tests like joint line tenderness and the McMurray sign.

Main Methods:

Prospective cohort study of 100 patients undergoing knee arthroscopy.
Physical examinations included assessment of joint line fullness, joint line tenderness, and McMurray sign.
Arthroscopy served as the gold standard for diagnosing meniscal tears; MRI was used to identify cysts.

Main Results:

Joint line fullness demonstrated high accuracy (73%), sensitivity (70%), and specificity (82%) for meniscal tear detection.
The positive predictive value of joint line fullness for tears was 88%, outperforming other tested physical signs.
Joint line fullness did not correlate well with the presence of meniscal cysts (29% PPV).

Conclusions:

Joint line fullness is an accurate, sensitive, and specific clinical finding for diagnosing meniscal tears.
Routine incorporation of joint line fullness assessment into physical examinations can enhance diagnostic accuracy for meniscal tears.