Abstract
Objective To evaluate the incidence and epidemiological profile of meniscal ramp lesions in
patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery, and to
determine the related risk factors.
Methods In total, 824 patients undergoing ACL reconstruction surgery were retrospectively
analyzed. Patients who presented medial meniscal instability were submitted to evaluation
of the posteromedial compartment of the knee. In case of injury, surgical repair was
performed. Potential risk factors associated with the lesions were analyzed.
Results The overall incidence of ramp lesions in the population studied was of 10.6% (87
lesions in 824 patients). The multivariate analysis through the Chi-squared test showed
that the presence of meniscal ramp lesions was significantly associated with the following
risk factors: right laterality and chronic lesions. Gender, age and sports activity
were not statistically significant. Soccer was the most frequent cause of ramp injuries
related to sport, with 78.2% of the cases. However, it was not shown to be a risk
factor. The annual incidence from 2014 to 2019 ranged from 4.0% to 20.6%.
Conclusion The incidence of meniscal ramp lesions was of 10.6% in ACL reconstruction surgeries,
being more frequent among patients with chronic lesions. The increasing annual incidence
ranged from 4.0% in 2014 to 20.6% in 2019.
Keywords
arthroscopy - epidemiology - knee - suture
