Relationship of meniscal damage, meniscal extrusion, malalignment, and joint laxity to subsequent cartilage loss in osteoarthritic knees

Using quantitative cartilage loss assessment, local factors that independently predicted tibial and femoral loss included medial meniscal damage and varus malalignment (medially) and lateral meniscal damage (laterally). A measurement of quantitative outcome was more sensitive at revealing these relationships than a qualitative approach.