title: Use of the V-sign in the diagnosis of bucket-handle meniscal tear of the knee.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Bucket-handle tear is a displaced vertical longitudinal tear of the meniscus. Several signs of the tear have been described on MRI but none in the axial plane. We propose to describe such a sign named the V-sign that is seen at the junction of the displaced fragment and the meniscus, which is in place.
  
  
  METHODS
  MRI imaging of 25 surgically proven bucket-handle tears was reviewed for presence of the V-sign. Two control groups, one with normal menisci (n = 75) and one with surgically proven non-bucket-handle tears (n = 25), were also evaluated. Comparisons for presence or absence of the V-sign were performed among the three groups, and also for other commonly associated signs such as double PCL sign, double delta sign, and presence of ACL tear. Also, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among those with bucket-handle tear, 72% demonstrated the V-sign while no participant in either control group had the V-sign (P ≤ 0.001). The V-sign occurred in 38% of those with double PCL sign, 55.6% with ACL tear, and 66.7% with double delta sign. The V-sign had higher sensitivity and negative predictive values than other signs related to bucket-handle tear.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The V-sign, when seen on an axial plane image, is highly suggestive of bucket-handle tear. Our data suggest the benefit of using the V-sign for detecting bucket-handle tears, perhaps even above other commonly used approaches.
authors.affiliation: Radiology Associates of Tampa, Tampa, FL, USA. nisharao@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Nisha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: Yogita
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Oleg
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Opsha
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Owen
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eisemon
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fogel
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beltran
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000473:pathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012421:Rupture / Q000473:pathology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D000070600:Tibial Meniscus Injuries