The discoid meniscus

Moshe Yaniv,Nehemia Blumberg

doi:10.1007/s11832-007-0029-1

Moshe Yaniv, Nehemia Blumberg

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11832-007-0029-1

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Abstract

Discoid lateral meniscus is an intra-articular knee disorder typically presented in the young population and during adolescence. Different types of meniscal disorders and varied forms of presentation have been reported. The natural history depends on the type of anomaly and the presence of symptoms. Management of the disorder should be directed toward the resolution of the symptoms while preserving meniscal tissue and function. Modern surgical techniques enable suturing and preservation of meniscal tissue. The clinical manifestations, diagnostic modalities and criteria, accompanying conditions and practical management considerations are reviewed.

Highlights

Discoid lateral and medial menisci were first described in cadaver specimens by Young in 1889 [1] and WatsonJones in 1930 [2], respectively
The overall accuracy of clinical examination ranges from 29% to 93% when compared with knee arthroscopy findings—being dependent on the examiner’s experience in dealing with sports injuries of children and young adolescents [31,32,33,34,35,36]
The most accurate criteria for the diagnosis of discoid meniscus on Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are a ratio of the minimal meniscal width to maximal tibial width of more than 20% and a ratio of the sum of the width of both lateral horns to the meniscal diameter of more than 75%

Summary

Introduction

Discoid lateral and medial menisci were first described in cadaver specimens by Young in 1889 [1] and WatsonJones in 1930 [2], respectively. Descriptions of the anatomy, development and clinical manifestation of this anomaly soon followed, classifications of its various forms. N. Blumberg Department of Orthopedic Surgery ‘‘B’’, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel were proposed, and treatment protocols were established. This review describes the origin and nature of the pathology and outlines the current knowledge of this knee disorder

Embryology and anatomy

Clinical presentation

Findings

Treatment outcome