Meniscal ramp lesions - Skillful neglect or routine repair?

Background: Meniscal ramp lesions are injuries of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus at the meniscocapsular junction or the meniscotibial ligament and are frequently associated with concomitant anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

Objective: To review the current literature on meniscal ramp lesion management to better define the indications for and outcomes of repair.

Methods: A narrative literature review was performed using PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases. Studies of all evidence levels (I-V) pertaining to meniscal ramp lesions were reviewed and included.

Results: The incidence of ramp lesions has been reported between 16% and 42%. Arthroscopy remains the diagnostic gold standard as magnetic resonance imaging has limited sensitivity. Biomechanically, ramp lesions are known to increase anterior tibial translation and rotational laxity. Clinical investigations regarding optimal management are largely limited to studies of low evidence levels. While case series have demonstrated that repair is safe and efficacious, comparative studies have failed to suggest that repair of stable lesions results in superior outcomes when compared to conservative treatment approaches. However, repair may be warranted in unstable ramp lesion injuries despite the increased risk for revision surgery.

Conclusion: While there is evidence to suggest that ramp lesion repair can restore joint kinematics, the current body of clinical literature fails to suggest that outcomes following repair are superior to injuries managed conservatively. The current body of clinical literature is limited, and further robust, long-term study is warranted to better guide injury diagnosis and management protocol.