Association Between Posterior Horn Dimensions of the Medial Meniscus and Posterior Horn Tears in Young Individuals: An MRI-Based Study

Authors

  • Shaafiya Ashraf Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Government Medical College, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India.
  • Arshed Hussain Parry Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Government Medical College, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5079-3430
  • Sheetal Sharma Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Government Medical College, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0103-4918
  • Arshad Bashir Department of Orthopaedics, Government Medical College, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India.
  • Adnan Zahoor Department of Orthopaedics, Shifa Medical Center, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India.
  • Anil Sharma Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Government Medical College, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2391-2390

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59667//sjoranm.v31i1.16

Keywords:

Medial meniscus, posterior horn tear, size of posterior horn, dimensions of posterior horn, MRI

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the association between medial meniscus posterior horn dimensions and posterior horn tears on MRI in young individuals and to derive a candidate size threshold within the study cohort.

Material and Methods: This retrospective study included 554 patients aged 15–40 years, divided into tear and non-tear groups based on MRI findings. Meniscal size was assessed by measuring the anteroposterior (AP) diameter of the medial meniscus posterior horn on sagittal MRI images and the transverse diameter on coronal images. Measurements were compared between groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed using the Youden Index to determine optimal cut-off values. Multivariable logistic regression analysis including posterior horn dimensions, age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) was performed to evaluate independent association with posterior horn tears. Interobserver reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).

Results: The tear group demonstrated a significantly larger AP diameter of the medial meniscus posterior horn (18.77 ± 2.29 mm) compared with the non-tear group (14.36 ± 1.64 mm, p < 0.001). Similarly, the transverse diameter was significantly greater in the tear group (19.48 ± 2.75 mm) than in the non-tear group (14.45 ± 1.63 mm, p < 0.001). A cut-off value of ≥17 mm for AP diameter showed a sensitivity of 85.7%, specificity of 90.7%, and AUC of 0.943, while the same cut-off for transverse diameter demonstrated a sensitivity of 92.3%, specificity of 90.7%, and AUC of 0.955. Multivariable logistic regression confirmed that both AP and transverse diameters were independently associated with posterior horn tears after adjustment for age, sex, and BMI. Interobserver reliability showed excellent agreement for both AP (ICC = 0.91) and transverse (ICC = 0.92) measurements.

Conclusion: Larger medial meniscus posterior horn dimensions were associated with MRI-defined posterior horn tears in this retrospective cohort. A threshold of ≥17 mm was derived and evaluated in the same study cohort. It should be regarded as an exploratory morphometric marker rather than an independently validated clinical decision threshold. These findings do not establish that larger dimensions precede or cause tears.

References

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Published

2026-06-23

Data Availability Statement

Data is available with first three authors.

Issue

Vol. 31 No. 1 (2026)

Section

Research Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Shaafiya Ashraf, Arshed Hussain Parry, Sheetal Sharma, Arshad Bashir, Adnan Zahoor, Anil Sharma

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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How to Cite

Ashraf, S., Parry, A. H., Sharma, S., Bashir, A., Zahoor, A., & Sharma, A. (2026). Association Between Posterior Horn Dimensions of the Medial Meniscus and Posterior Horn Tears in Young Individuals: An MRI-Based Study. Swiss Journal of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, 31(1), 12-23. https://doi.org/10.59667//sjoranm.v31i1.16

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