Meniscus lesions, specifically extrusions, were a risk factor for neuropathic pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), results of a pilot study suggested.

The presence of meniscal extrusion on MRI, in both medial (P=0.006) and lateral (P=0.023) compartments, was significantly associated with increasing neuropathic pain (NP) pain scores in knee OA patients, according to Camille Roubille, MD, of the University of Montreal Hospital Research Center in Quebec, and colleagues.

“Our finding of an association between NP and lateral meniscal tear is somewhat unexpected as literature indicates that meniscal tears are not usually associated with symptoms,” the authors wrote.

The multicenter, cross-sectional, observational study included 50…