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Age dependent morphological changes of the normal meniscus in children based on large scale MRI analysis
Tianfeng Zhu1,2,3, Chao Deng2, Yibiao Zhou2
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, 07100, Italy.
Insights
Pediatric knee MRI analysis reveals that the meniscus grows significantly until age 15, after which growth plateaus and some dimensions may slightly decrease. These findings establish crucial age-specific reference data for diagnosing pediatric meniscal disorders.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Pediatric Radiology
- Anatomy
Background:
- Accurate morphological data for the pediatric meniscus is essential for diagnosing and managing meniscal disorders.
- Existing reference data for normal pediatric meniscal morphology is limited, hindering precise clinical assessment.
- Understanding developmental trends in meniscal dimensions is critical for surgical planning in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically quantify the morphological characteristics of the normal pediatric meniscus.
- To establish age-specific reference data for pediatric meniscal dimensions using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
- To support accurate diagnosis and surgical decision-making for pediatric meniscal disorders.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 3.0T MRI scans from 877 children, categorized into four age groups (≤5, 5-10, 10-15, 15-18 years).
- Detailed morphological analysis of 50 randomly selected children per group, measuring anterior horn, body, posterior horn, tibial plateau, and intercondylar ridge dimensions.
- Comparison of morphological parameters across age groups to identify developmental trends.
Main Results:
- Significant increases in most meniscal dimensions were observed from the ≤5 years group to the 5-10 years group.
- Continued growth was noted from the 5-10 years group to the 10-15 years group, with some exceptions like tibial intercondylar ridge width.
- After age 15, meniscal growth plateaued, with some dimensions (e.g., lateral meniscal anterior horn width) showing a slight decrease compared to the 10-15 years group.
Conclusions:
- The pediatric meniscus exhibits progressive growth from birth to approximately 15 years of age.
- Meniscal dimensions stabilize after age 15, with potential slight reductions in certain areas.
- This study provides essential age-specific reference data for the normal pediatric meniscus, aiding clinical practice.
Abstract:
To systematically quantify the morphological characteristics of normal meniscus in children and establish age-specific reference data to support accurate diagnosis and surgical decision-making for pediatric meniscal disorders. This retrospective study analyzed knee images of 877 children who underwent 3.0T plain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. The researchers categorized participants into four age groups: Group A (≤ 5 years), Group B (5 < age ≤ 10 years), Group C (10 < age ≤ 15 years), and Group D (15 < age ≤ 18 years) and randomly selected fifty children from each group for detailed morphological analysis. Measurements on coronal images included the width and thickness of the meniscal body, the width and height of the tibial intercondylar ridge, and the width of the tibial plateau. Measurements on sagittal images assessed the width and thickness of the anterior and posterior meniscal horns, along with the sagittal diameter of the meniscus. Morphological parameters across the four age groups were compared to evaluate developmental trends. This study collected and analyzed the morphological parameters of the normal meniscus in children across four age groups, including measurements of the anterior horn, body, and posterior horn, as well as the tibial plateau and tibial intercondylar ridge. The results showed that, except for the lateral meniscal anterior horn thickness (P = 0.223), nearly all measurements in Group B were significantly greater than those in Group A (P < 0.05). Similarly, most parameters in Group C were higher than those in Group B, except tibial intercondylar ridge width, which showed no significant difference (P = 0.988). When comparing Group C and Group D, most measurements showed no significant difference (P > 0.05); however, specific parameters were unexpectedly greater in Group C than in Group D, including the lateral meniscal anterior horn width, medial meniscal anterior horn width, medial meniscal body width, and medial meniscal posterior horn width (P < 0.05).In children aged 0 to 15 years, the meniscus demonstrates a progressive increase in size, reflecting normal growth and development. However, after age 15, this growth plateaus, and certain regions of the meniscus exhibit a slight reduction in size.
