Meniscus injury: 2025 update

This topic focuses on medial meniscus posterior root tears, a condition that has garnered increasing attention due to its association with degenerative knee changes and the potential for early-onset osteoarthritis if left untreated.Biomechanically, a complete medial meniscus root tear mimics the effects of total meniscectomy, leading to impaired hoop stress distribution and accelerated cartilage degeneration.Early detection and accurate diagnosis are crucial for optimizing patient outcomes.Most cases of medial meniscus root tears occur in conjunction with degenerative changes of the knee, with meniscal extrusion being a common finding on magnetic resonance imaging, reflecting compromised meniscal function.Proper patient selection and a thorough understanding of the natural history of the disease are essential in guiding treatment decisions.Management options include conservative treatment, meniscectomy, meniscus root repair, meniscus reconstruction and techniques aimed at reducing meniscal extrusion.Long-term study suggests that surgical intervention, particularly meniscus root repair, is associated with a lower rate of knee replacement compared to nonoperative management.