Abstract
In the previous arthroscopic studies, the ratio of presence and type of plica was somewhat different. We arthroscopically investigated and classified suprapatellar plica and medial synovial plica in a Japanese population. Subjects and Methods: The anatomy of suprapatellar plica and medial synovial plica was studied arthroscopically in 130 knees. Original diagnosis of patients included in this study were 53 meniscal injuries, 51 ACL injuries, 17 osteoarthritis, 5 popliteal cysts, 3 osteochondritis dissecans, and 1 synovial osteochodromatosis. Results: The suprapatellar plica was present 73.8% and classified into 6 types which were arch type, medial type, lateral type, perforated type, pillar type and complete type. The medial synovial plica was present 62.3% and classified into 4 types which were narrow type, medium type, broad type and perforated type. No relationship between age and the pattern of the suprapatellar plica or medial synovial plica could be found. There was no trend to be correlation between the type of suprapatellar plica and medial synovial plica. Conclusion: We classified suprapatellar plica by only location and shape of plica and medial synovial plica by the size of plica.
Highlights
The synovial plica in the knee joint is recognized as a normal structure that represents remnants of synovial membrane in embryonic development of the knee
There was no significant correlation between the type of suprapatellar plica and gender by chi-square test or Fisher’s test
We have slightly modified Sakakibara’s classification and classified medial synovial plica into four types because Sakakibara’s Type A, which is a cord-like elevation in the synovial wall, is difficult to distinguish with no existence of this plica
Summary
The synovial plica in the knee joint is recognized as a normal structure that represents remnants of synovial membrane in embryonic development of the knee. In the fetal stage at 10 weeks, the developing knee joint consists of a single cavity with a synovial lining. At certain sites, such as at the medial part of the patella-femoral and infrapatellar regions, mesenchymal tissue remains. Three types of synovial plica are generally known; the suprapatellar plica, medial patellar plica, and infrapatellar plica. Because suprapatellar plica and medial synovial plica were classified by the open dissection, they were uncertain. We arthroscopically investigated and classified plica in a Japanese population
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