Substantive molecular and histological changes within the meniscus with tears

Table 3 Criteria and scores of modified Pauli’s microscopic grading system within meniscus

	Score
I Surface of inner border
A. Smooth	0
B. Slight fibrillation or slightly undulating	1
C. Moderate fibrillation or markedly undulating	2
D. Severe fibrillation or disruption	3
II Cellularity
A. Normal	0
B. Diffuse hypercellularity or hypocellularity	1
C. Vacuoloid changes or cell clusters	2
D. Vacuoloid changes and cell clusters	3
III Collagen organisation/alignment and fibre organisation
A. Collagen fibres organised and homogenous eosinophilic staining of extracellular matrix	0
B. Fewer collagen fibres unorganised or diffuse foci of hyaline or mucinous degeneration	1
C. Most collagen fibres unorganised or confluent foci or bands of hyaline or mucinous degeneration.	2
D. Collagen fibres unorganised and fibrocartilaginous separation (oedema, cyst formation).	3

The range of possible total scores was 0–9, which was then converted into 4 grades: G1 0–1, G2 2–4, G3 5–7, and G4 8–9. Grade 1 represents normal tissue, Grade 2 is mild degeneration, Grade 3 is moderate degeneration, and Grade 4 is severe degeneration

ISSN: 1471-2474