Micro RNA in meniscal ailments: current concepts.

INTRODUCTION: Micro RNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs that act primarily in posttranscriptional gene silencing, and are attracting increasing interest in musculoskeletal conditions.

SOURCE OF DATA: Current scientific literature published in PubMed, Google Scholar, Embase and Web of Science databases.

AREAS OF AGREEMENT: Recently, the potential of miRNAs as biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment of meniscal injuries has been postulated.

AREAS OF CONTROVERSY: Evaluation of the role of miRNAs in patients with meniscal tears is still controversial.

GROWING POINTS: A systematic review was conducted to investigate the potential of miRNA in the diagnosis and management of meniscal damage.

AREAS TIMELY FOR DEVELOPING RESEARCH: Intra-articular injection of microRNA-210 in vivo may represent a potential innovative methodology for the management of meniscal injuries. Characterization of the miRNAs expression in the synovial fluid could lead to the development of better early diagnosis and management strategies for meniscal tears.