Patterns of meniscal injury associated with acute anterior cruciate ligament injury in skiers

Abstract

To determine if the incidence and patterns of meniscal injury associated with acute anterior cruciate ligament injury in skiers are different from those seen in individ uals injured in nonskiing athletic activities, we reviewed the records of 150 patients with acute anterior cruciate ligament injuries. All patients had undergone arthro scopic evaluation within 21 days from the time of injury. There were 75 individuals who were injured while skiing and 75 individuals who sustained an injury in some other high-load athletic activitiy. Associated meniscal injury was documented at the time of arthroscopy and characterized by location, region, zone, depth, shape, size, and stability. Thirty-one of 75 skiers had an associated meniscal injury as compared to 47 of 75 of the nonskiers. This suggested a strong trend of decreased incidence of meniscal injury in the skier group, but the nonskiers had a higher incidence of major meniscal tears that required repair or partial meniscectomy. The location of the meniscal tear was also significantly different. The incidence of isolated lateral meniscal injury in skiers was higher than in nonskiers. There was a strong trend of increased incidence of medial meniscal involvement in the nonskiers than in the skiers. While there was no difference in the zone or region of tear between the two groups, the skier group was more likely to have a longitudinal tear of the posterior horn of the lateral meniscus. In both groups, lateral meniscal tears were more likely to require conservative treatment or partial meniscectomy while medial meniscal tears were more likely to be repaired than excised.