Magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of knee joint meniscal tears in a selected diagnostic centre in Kano state, Nigeria

Meniscal tears are a common cause of knee pain and disability. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the principal noninvasive modality used to evaluate suspected meniscal tears, but its reported diagnostic performance and tear patterns vary across settings, and musculoskeletal MRI evidence from northern Nigeria remains limited. To describe the pattern, location, and associated findings of MRI-diagnosed meniscal tears among patients referred for suspected meniscal pathology at a diagnostic centre in Kano State, Nigeria. This descriptive, retrospective cross-sectional study reviewed archived MRI images and radiology reports of 50 patients who underwent knee MRI for suspected meniscal tear at Medserve Kano Diagnostic Centre, Kano, Nigeria, using a 1.5-T Siemens scanner, between July 2025 and February 2026. Data were analysed in SPSS 26.0 using descriptive statistics, with exploratory Fisher’s exact tests used for selected categorical comparisons. Ethical approval was obtained from the Kano State Ministry of Health Research Ethics Committee. The study included 43 (86.0%) male and 7 (14.0%) female participants. Complex tears were the most frequently observed tear pattern 34.0%, followed by horizontal tears 26.0% and bucket-handle tears 14.0%. Among participants with recorded meniscal horn locations, posterior horn involvement was the most frequently recorded single location in both the medial (63.0%) and lateral (37.9%) menisci. . Nine participants (18.0%) had no definable tear pattern and no MRI-verified medial or lateral meniscal tear despite referral for suspected meniscal injury; however, other associated MRI findings were recorded in these participants. Exploratory Fisher’s exact analyses did not provide evidence of associations between age group and tear complexity, sex and tear complexity, or ACL injury status and meniscal location. Associated MRI findings included ACL injury, bone bruise, osteoarthritis-related changes, and joint effusion. This study provides a descriptive baseline of MRI-detected meniscal tear patterns and associated MRI findings in a Nigerian diagnostic setting. Complex tears and posterior horn involvement were commonly observed. The exploratory analyses should be interpreted cautiously due to the limited sample size and wide confidence intervals. Further multicenter studies with larger samples and arthroscopic correlation are recommended to validate these findings.