What Are LMORTs, What Do They Have to Do With ACL Tears?

Background: The lateral meniscal oblique radial tear (LMORT) is biomechanically significant and often associated with acute anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. If left untreated, these tears can cause instability and accelerated osteoarthritis. Objective: To assess the utility of MRI in distinguishing LMORT from other posterolateral meniscal tears using arthroscopy as the reference standard and to see whether there are other imaging features predictive of these lesions. Design: Retrospective study. Methods: Data from 568 patients who had ACL reconstruction performed between December 2022 and December 2023 were included. Of these, 140 patients with lateral meniscus posterior horn or root tears were found. An orthopedic surgeon was blinded to the original reports and reviewed arthroscopic images to identify and classify LMORT lesions. Three musculoskeletal radiologists reviewed the preoperative MRIs of these patients and indicated presence of LMORT, lesion type, meniscal extrusion more...