The torn meniscus, the torn anterior cruciate ligament, and their relationship to degenerative joint disease.

A retrospective review of 350 knees was carried out to determine the effect, if any, of a torn meniscus and a torn anterior cruciate ligament on the articular surfaces of the knee. There were no professional or college athletes in this group, although a few were enthusiastic sandlot-type players. The time interval between injury and surgery was known, as was the state of the articular surfaces, which were graded from 1 to 4. As the time interval between injury and surgery increased, so did the incidence of lesions of the articular surfaces, although in most cases these lesions were quite minor. On the basis of this and other studies, it was concluded that the torn meniscus does not pose a significant threat to the integrity of the articular cartilage; this was also true in those patients in whom the anterior cruciate ligament was torn.