Ramp Lesions with ACL Injuries Between MRI and Arthroscopic Evaluation

Abstract

Objective: To compare the accuracy of arthroscopy with MRI in diagnosing ramp lesions associated with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries.

Design: Prospective observational study. Material and Methods: We included 100 patients with complete ACL tear.

Exclusion criteria: 1) Partial ACL tear, 2) ACL revision surgery or previous knee surgery, 3) Multi-ligamentous knee injury, 4) Extensive medial meniscus tear. Results: Nine patients were diagnosed with ACL-associated ramp lesions. All nine had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signs, but these were not statistically significant ( 2=1.884, FEp=0.348). Mean medial meniscal slope for patients with ramp lesions was 2.88 +- 0.46, without was 2.47 +- 0.55 (T=2.146, P=0.034), implying statistical significance as visualized by arthroscopy. Arthroscopy is superior in diagnosing ramp lesions.

Conclusion: Arthroscopy is superior in diagnosing ramp lesions due to cost-effectiveness, direct visualization, and immediate treatment capability. The absence of specific MRI signs for ramp lesions further supports this conclusion.

Keywords: ACL; MRI; arthroscopy; knee; meniscus; ramplesion.