This case series from a single high-volume knee surgeon prospectively catalogued 71 arthroscopically confirmed meniscal root tears in 67 patients to develop the first standardized morphologic classification system — addressing the gap that no agreed-upon framework existed for describing or comparing these injuries across centers.
When you identify a meniscal root tear arthroscopically, use this classification to guide treatment: type 2 complete radial tears (the vast majority) within 9 mm of the attachment are candidates for transtibial pull-out repair, while type 1 partial stable tears and patients with advanced arthrosis are better served by debridement — and always check posterior lateral tears for intact meniscofemoral ligaments, which may stabilize the tear and alter your repair urgency.
This case series from a single high-volume knee surgeon prospectively catalogued 71 arthroscopically confirmed meniscal root tears in 67 patients to develop the first standardized morphologic classification system — addressing the gap that no agreed-upon framework existed for describing or comparing these injuries across centers.
When you identify a meniscal root tear arthroscopically, use this classification to guide treatment: type 2 complete radial tears (the vast majority) within 9 mm of the attachment are candidates for transtibial pull-out repair, while type 1 partial stable tears and patients with advanced arthrosis are better served by debridement — and always check posterior lateral tears for intact meniscofemoral ligaments, which may stabilize the tear and alter your repair urgency.