October 29, 2023

Much interest has been on rapid progressive osteoarthritis as such patients/joints are likely to benefit most from disease modifying approaches. However, irreversible biomechanical disturbance may hinder therapeutic effects and thus, are commonly excluded from clinical trials. Posterior meniscal root tears markedly increase risk of rapid progression. A. Coronal fat suppressed PD-weighted image shows marked extrusion of the medial meniscal body due to a root tear (arrow). There is superficial cartilage damage at the central femur (arrowhead). B. 18 months later, there is further increase in extrusion (short arrow) and extensive full-thickness cartilage damage at the femur and tibia (arrowheads). Note marked increase in size of femoral osteophyte (long arrow).