Enhanced Detection, Using Deep Learning Technology, of Medial Meniscal Posterior Horn Ramp Lesions in Patients with ACL Injury.

Background: Meniscal ramp lesions can impact knee stability, particularly when associated with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. Although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the primary diagnostic tool, its diagnostic accuracy remains suboptimal. We aimed to determine whether deep learning technology could enhance MRI-based ramp lesion detection.

Methods: We reviewed the records of 236 patients who underwent arthroscopic procedures documenting ACL injuries and the status of the medial meniscal posterior horn. A deep learning model was developed using MRI data for ramp lesion detection. Ramp lesion risk factors among patients who underwent ACL reconstruction were analyzed using logistic regression, extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and random forest models and were integrated into a final prediction model using Swin Transformer Large architecture.

Results: The deep learning model using MRI data demonstrated superior overall diagnostic performance to the clinicians' assessment (accuracy of 73.3% compared with 68.1%, specificity of 78.0% compared with 62.9%, and sensitivity of 64.7% compared with 76.4%). Incorporating risk factors (age, posteromedial tibial bone marrow edema, and lateral meniscal tears) improved the model's accuracy to 80.7%, with a sensitivity of 81.8% and a specificity of 80.9%.

Conclusions: Integrating deep learning with MRI data and risk factors significantly enhanced diagnostic accuracy for ramp lesions, surpassing that of the model using MRI alone and that of clinicians. This study highlights the potential of artificial intelligence to provide clinicians with more accurate diagnostic tools for detecting ramp lesions, potentially enhancing treatment and patient outcomes.

Level Of Evidence: Diagnostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.