Medial meniscal posterior root tear – A current concept review

Menisci are crucial structures in the knee joint for the adequate distribution of hoop stresses. Their significance in preventing early knee osteoarthritis has been acknowledged due to the rapid progression of osteoarthritis in knees following meniscectomy. The anatomy of menisci has been studied in detail with an increased understanding of the importance of meniscal root attachments. This review aims to provide an evaluated summary of the anatomical, biochemical, and functional aspects that are relevant in the clinical context of meniscus root attachments, alongside contemporary strategies for accurately diagnosing and treating common injuries affecting these attachments. We also propose an algorithm for managing medial meniscus root tears which may be beneficial for the readers. We did an up-to-date literature search on PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar database, using the keywords ‘meniscus’, ‘meniscal root’, ‘sports injury’, and ‘arthroscopy’ in April 2024 and filtered out the relevant literature for this review on the articles that were published in English. The management of root tears requires a high level of suspicion which is crucial for diagnosis, identifying subtle signs on radiology, and employing specific methods for root repair. The tears or avulsions within one centimeter of the tibial attachment of the medial meniscus posterior root are called medial meniscus posterior root tears. These injuries cause a functional meniscal deficiency, resulting in knee problems unfavorable to biomechanics. Numerous methods have been created to tackle meniscus root tears., with many demonstrating promising outcomes in terms of complete healing.