Meniscal Ramp Lesions: What the Radiologist Needs to Know

Acad Radiol. 2022 Apr;29(4):619-626. doi: 10.1016/j.acra.2021.02.005. Epub 2021 Mar 2.

Abstract

Meniscal ramp lesions are a special type of injury that affects the periphery of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus (PHMM) and/or its meniscocapsular attachments. They are strongly associated with acute and chronic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears. These lesions have gained much prominence in recent years, due to a significant increase in their diagnosis and their important biomechanical involvement in the knee. It is known that their presence in ACL-deficient knees is related to instability and if they are not repaired during ACL reconstruction, they can ultimately cause the failure of the graft. Since this type of injury is often underdiagnosed due to its localization at the "blind" point of arthroscopic vision, it is crucial to make an accurate preoperative diagnosis of them with MRI. The objective of this article is to review the recent literature regarding meniscal ramp lesions and to summarize the anatomical, biomechanical and fundamentally diagnostic aspects, emphasizing the radiological findings described until now.

Keywords: Knee instability; Magnetic resonance imaging; Meniscocapsular ligament; Meniscotibial ligament; Ramp lesion.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries* / diagnostic imaging
  • Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries* / surgery
  • Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction*
  • Humans
  • Knee Joint / pathology
  • Menisci, Tibial / diagnostic imaging
  • Menisci, Tibial / surgery
  • Radiologists