According to a recently conducted research at the Chiba University, Japan, the presence of enlarged meniscal longitudinal diameter (LD) at the baseline aggravates the knee osteoarthritis problem after two years. This is the first report that illustrates the characteristics of the meniscal shape leading to the longitudinal development of knee OA (osteoarthritis) following 2 years.

Data for the study was extracted from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) database and outlined into the two sets of subjects. First set comprised 455 knees of patients whose OA grade on the Kellgren Lawrence (KL) scale proceeded in 2 years from baseline and second set comprised 455 knees without any progression. Further, the first set was sub-categorized into three classes; OA severe change group (KL2 and KL3 knees that progressed to KL4), mild change group (KL2 knees that progressed to KL3), and change group (KL1 and KL0 knees that progressed to KL3 and KL2). The other group also categorized into three classes whose OA grade remained unaltered. Magnetic resonance imaging data were utilized and manually estimated extrusion from the coronal slice and seven items; anterior wedge width, posterior wedge angle, longitudinal diameter [LD], posterior wedge width, anterior wedge angle, anterior wedge thickness, posterior wedge thickness from the sagittal slice. Then, both with and without OA progression groups were compared for these measurements.

Mild change group and OA change group found to have larger anterior and posterior wedge widths and the extrusion, whereas smaller anterior and the posterior wedge angles. The severe change group showed LD and the extrusion considerably larger. No uniform likelihood for the correlation coefficient of the parameters was found in the groups. As per these findings, patients with larger meniscal LD at the baseline, smaller meniscal angle, and larger meniscal width exhibited progression of knee OA after two years.