Relationship between bone bruise volume and the presence of meniscal tears in acute anterior cruciate ligament rupture.

PURPOSE: To determine whether there is a relationship between the size of the bone bruise volume after an acute anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture and the presence of meniscal tears in the medial and lateral compartment.

METHODS: Following Institutional Review Board approval, 50 patients with an acute ACL rupture and MRI imaging within 30 days of injury were identified. Two musculoskeletal radiologists evaluated the lateral and medial menisci and graded them as one of the following: no meniscal tear, tear of one meniscus (medial or lateral) or tear of both menisci (medial and lateral). Sagittal T2 fat-suppressed images were used to calculate bone bruise volume. The relationship between bone bruise volume and the presence of a meniscus tear was calculated.

RESULTS: Forty-three (86%) patients had a bone bruise, 16 (32%) patients had no tear, 7 (14%) patients had lateral meniscus tear, 13 (26%) patients had medial tear and 14 (28%) patients had medial and lateral tears. There was a statistically significant difference in femoral bone bruise volume when comparing no meniscal tear to medial and lateral tears as well as when comparing medial or lateral tears to medial and lateral tears.

CONCLUSION: There is a statistically significant relationship between femoral bone bruise volume and the presence of meniscal tears in ACL injury, especially in the setting of medial and lateral pathology.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Retrospective cohort study, Level III.