title: Relationship of 3D meniscal morphology and position with knee pain in subjects with knee osteoarthritis: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore whether quantitative, three-dimensional measurements of meniscal position and size are associated with knee pain using a within-person, between-knee study design.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 53 subjects (19 men, 34 women) from the Osteoarthritis Initiative, with identical radiographic OA grades in both knees, but frequent pain in one and no pain in the other knee. The tibial plateau and menisci were analyzed using coronally reconstructed double echo steady-state sequence with water excitation (DESSwe) MRI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The medial meniscus covered a smaller proportion of the tibial plateau (-5%) and displayed greater extrusion of the body (+15%) in painful than in painless knees (paired t-test; p < 0.05). The external margin of the lateral meniscus showed greater extrusion of the body in painful knees (+22%; p = 0.03), but no significant difference in the position of its internal margin or tibial coverage. Medial or lateral extrusion ≥3 mm was more frequent in painful (n = 23) than in painless knees (n = 12; McNemar's test; p = 0.02). No significant association was observed between meniscal size and knee pain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest a relationship between extrusion of the meniscal body, as measured with quantitative MRI, and knee pain in subjects with knee OA. Further studies need to confirm these findings and their clinical relevance.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Anatomy & Musculoskeletal Research, Paracelsus Medical University (PMU), Strubergasse 21, A5020 Salzburg, Austria. andrea.wenger@pmu.ac.at
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wenger
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Englund
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wirth
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hudelmaier
authors.forename: Kent
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kwoh
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Eckstein
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010865:Pilot Projects