MRI radiation images to predict cartilage injury secondary to posterior horn tear of the medial meniscus

To investigate the correlation between the duration of medial meniscus posterior horn tear (MMPHT) disease and medial meniscus extrusion (MME) to calculate the rate of progression of MME and to predict cartilage damage in the medial tibiofemoral joint. The differences in MME, MJSW, and MME/MMBW between the two MRI examinations were statistically significant (P < 0.001). Follow-up MRI showed increased cartilage damage grading of medial femoral condyle (MFC) and medial tibial plateau (MTP) from the first examination (P < 0.001). The incidence of grade 2–4 cartilage damage in patients increased by 15.0% and 11.7%, respectively.There was a significant correlation between the ΔMME and MRI examination interval (R2 = 0.868); the rate of MME progression showed an increase of 0.026 ± 0.034 mm per month. The cut-off values for predicting cartilage damage in the MTP and MFC were 0.012 and 0.008, respectively. The ΔMME gradually increases with the prolonged duration of MMPHT. MME progression rate can validly predict cartilage damage in the medial tibiofemoral joint. These findings suggest that monitoring the rate of MME progression in patients with MMPHT could be a useful predictor of cartilage damage, potentially aiding in early intervention and management strategies.