Low prevalence of isolated medial meniscal tears in young females with stable knees.

The information regarding isolated tears of the meniscus in stable knees (ie, without cruciate ligament tears), specifically in a younger population, is scarce. Although surgical treatment is preferred for young patients with meniscal tears, the diagnosis at this age may be misled by other sources of knee pain. The purpose of this study was to report on the prevalence and sex variance of isolated meniscal tears in a younger population based on arthroscopic findings. From a database of 2425 arthroscopic knee surgeries performed over a period of 6 years, 591 patients (480 males and 111 females) younger than 40 years were included. Patients were divided into 5 age groups and subdivided according to their surgical findings. Measures included the prevalence of meniscal tears according to sex and age groups and also odds ratio calculations for the presence of meniscal tears. Of 591 arthroscopic surgeries in young patients with stable knees, only 6 females (vs 87 males) younger than 30 years had isolated medial meniscus tears. The number of stable knees without meniscal tear at arthroscopy in all age groups was relatively high. The odds ratio for having a medial meniscal tear was significantly higher in males. The results suggest a protective mechanism for isolated medial meniscal tears in younger females as opposed to other injuries of the knee. Isolated medial meniscus tears in stable knees are uncommon in females younger than 30 years; thus, young females with suspected tears should be reevaluated and treated conservatively before considering surgical solutions.