Incidence of Meniscal Ramp Lesion in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstructions

Objective  To evaluate the incidence and epidemiological profile of meniscal ramp lesions in patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery, and to determine the related risk factors. Methods  In total, 824 patients undergoing ACL reconstruction surgery were retrospectively analyzed. Patients who presented medial meniscal instability were submitted to evaluation of the posteromedial compartment of the knee. In case of injury, surgical repair was performed. Potential risk factors associated with the lesions were analyzed. Results  The overall incidence of ramp lesions in the population studied was of 10.6% (87 lesions in 824 patients). The multivariate analysis through the Chi-squared test showed that the presence of meniscal ramp lesions was significantly associated with the following risk factors: right laterality and chronic lesions. Gender, age and sports activity were not statistically significant. Soccer was the most frequent cause of ramp injuries related to sport, with 78.2% of the cases. However, it was not shown to be a risk factor. The annual incidence from 2014 to 2019 ranged from 4.0% to 20.6%. Conclusion  The incidence of meniscal ramp lesions was of 10.6% in ACL reconstruction surgeries, being more frequent among patients with chronic lesions. The increasing annual incidence ranged from 4.0% in 2014 to 20.6% in 2019.