First-Time Meniscal Surgeries Reveal Age-Linked Rise in Medial Tears and Sex-Based Injury Difference

Background and Objectives: Although gender and age are high-profile risk factors for meniscal injuries, their interplay is not yet fully understood. Little information is available about patients undergoing first-time meniscus surgery and the epidemiology of meniscus tears in Eastern Europe. This study investigated sex- and age-related trends in meniscal injuries (medial and/or lateral, with or without co-occurring knee chondropathy) in a substantial cohort of patients undergoing first-time meniscus surgery at a high-volume medical center in western Romania. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 488 patients of different ages. Logistic regression was applied across the age continuum, followed by analyses stratified by age quartiles to investigate age-related variations. Results: Increasing age was significantly associated with increased odds of having medial meniscus tears (O.R. = 1.04 (1.01–1.07)) and associated knee chondropathy (O.R. = 1.03 (1.00–1.05)). Women displayed significant, twofold lower odds of having lateral meniscus damage (O.R. = 0.54 (0.31–0.96)). Men tended to have a higher prevalence of associated knee chondropathy (O.R. = 1.71 (0.96–3.04)). The frequency of medial meniscus tears and patellar damage rose significantly, starting from the third age quartile (33–42 years) and the second quartile (23–32 years), respectively. Significant positive associations between medial and lateral meniscal damage were found across all age quartiles (rs ≥ 0.42), with their magnitude increasing with age. Medial damage also correlated significantly with patellar damage, but weaker and only from the third quartile onward (rs ≥ 0.30). Conclusions: Increasing age was linked to a higher risk of medial meniscal injuries and knee chondropathy, with the latter tending to occur earlier. Male sex was associated with a higher likelihood of lateral meniscal damage. These findings highlight the importance of considering age and sex in the diagnosis and management of meniscal injuries and provide valuable data for an Eastern European population.