Selective Unique Signs of Meniscus Tears as Visualized by Magnetic Resonance Imaging

The meniscus is an organized collection of fibrocartilaginous tissue that is located between the femoral condyles and the tibial plateau of the knee which primarily assists with load transmission. The complex composition of articulating soft-tissue structures in the knee causes the menisci to become a common source of injury, especially in the realm of athletic trauma. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become the imaging modality of choice for evaluating patients with suspected meniscal pathology because of its numerous advantages over plain radiographs. Most forms of meniscal tears have classic MRI findings and are used in correlation with physical examination findings to confirm or rule out a diagnosis. These imaging findings are referred to as signs and have been well studied, and the associated eponyms for each sign are well published throughout the literature. This article will review and describe a unique selection of meniscal pathology as visualized by MRI that is more commonly published in musculoskeletal radiology literature when compared with orthopedics and sports medicine literature.