# Prediction of the Medial Meniscal Size Using Radiograph Measurement of the Medial Proximal Surface of the Tibia in Dogs

## TL;DR

This study shows how to predict the size of a dog's medial meniscus using radiographic measurements of the tibia, which can help in surgical planning.

## Contribution

A novel method for predicting medial meniscus size in dogs using radiographic tibial measurements is introduced.

## Key findings

- Radiographic measurements of the tibial plateau and condyle can predict medial meniscus dimensions with high accuracy.
- Linear regression equations were developed to estimate meniscus size based on radiographic data.
- Strong agreement was found between actual meniscus size and radiographic measurements after contrast application.

## Abstract

Using radiographic measurements to predict meniscus size can enhance presurgical meniscus transplantation planning. Therefore, we aimed to predict the size of the medial meniscus through radiographic measurement of the medial proximal surface of the tibia. Twenty‐four pelvic limbs from medium and large breed dog cadavers had radiographs, and measurements were made from the tibial plateau length in mediolateral 90° and 135° stifle positions (TPL ML90 and TPL ML135) and medial tibial condyle width in the craniocaudal position (MTCW CrCd). The menisci were brushed with a positive contrast mixture, and radiographs were repeated at the same positions. The radiographic brushed meniscus was measured for each length position (CMML ML90, CMML ML135) and width position (CMMW CrCd). The anatomic size (the actual meniscus) was measured for the width (AMW) and the length (AML) and was compared with the radiograph after contrast was added to the meniscus. The ratio (%) of the positive contrast meniscus and conventional radiographic measurements in all positions were ML90 = 83.4 ± 6.9%, ML135 = 85.3 ± 8.11%, and CrCd = 97.9 ± 5.1%. Linear regression analysis equations based on the radiographs measurement values predicted (p ≤ .01) the size of the meniscus (CMML ML90 = 9.7+0.433×TPL ML90; CMML ML135 = 11.7+0.371×TPL ML135; and CMMW CrCd = 2.9+0.775×MTCW CrCd). The intraclass correlation coefficient was used to quantify the agreement between AMW and AML with contrasted radiograph measurements [0.89 for CMMW CrCd (p < .01), 0.91 for CMML ML90 (p < .001), and 0.89 for CMML ML135 (p < .001)]. In conclusion, the width and length of the medial meniscus can be predicted based on the radiographic tibial plateau and medial tibial condyles measurements.