Sonographic Imaging of Meniscal Subluxation in Patients with Radiographic Knee Osteoarthritis

Background/PurposeThis study was undertaken to describe the sonographic features of meniscal sub-luxation in the weight-bearing position and to determine any association between meniscal subluxation and radiographic osteoarthritis.MethodsIn total, 238 knees with symptoms were examined successfully with weight-bearing anteroposterior and lateral radiographs and high resolution ultrasonography The radiographs were examined to determine whether participants had radiographic osteoarthritis, graded using the Kellgren-Lawrence Scale. The degree of subluxation of the medial meniscus in each knee was measured using high resolution ultrasound with a 10-MHz linear transducer, at the level of the medial collateral ligament in weight-bearing condition. The degree of subluxation was compared in knees with the presence or absence of radiographic osteoarthritis using Student's t test. Additional analysis between knees with early and advanced radiographic osteoarthritis was also performed.ResultsMeniscal subluxation for knees with (n = 141) and without (n = 97) radiographic signs of osteoarthritis were 4.3 ±1.9 mm and 0.7 ± 0.6 mm, respectively. The difference was highly significant (p<0.001). After age adjustment, the medial meniscal subluxation of age-matched subjects were 4.8 ± 1.7 mm for knees with radiographic osteoarthritis (n = 43) and 1.0 ± 0.8 mm for knees without such changes (n = 43). The difference between the two groups was still significant (p