Description
The Watanabe classification of discoid lateral meniscus is: (A) Incomplete, (B) Complete, and C) Wrisberg-ligament variant Normally, the meniscus is a thin crescent-shaped piece of cartilage that lies between the weight bearing joint surfaces of the femur and the tibia. It is attached to the lining of the knee joint along its periphery and serves to absorb about a third of the impact load that the joint cartilage surface sees and also provides some degree of stabilization for the knee. There are two menisci in the knee joint, the outside one being the lateral meniscus the inner one the medial meniscus. A discoid meniscus is a congenital anomaly of the knee found in 3% of the population. It typically affects the lateral meniscus and may be found bilaterally (20%). Instead of the narrow crescent shape, as seen in a normal meniscus above, a discoid meniscus is thickened, and has a fuller crescent shape. In addition, a discoid meniscus does not taper as much towards the center of the joint and is shaped like a disc. The thickness of the meniscus, its diminished vascular blood supply, and in some instances, weak capsular attachment, makes it more prone to tears compared to a normal meniscus. The anomaly in itself is asymptomatic, however, a tear of the meniscus can result in pain, swelling, and snapping of the affected knee. The orthopedic classification of discoid menisci includes: complete, incomplete or Wrisberg-ligament types as depicted here. Coverage of the lateral tibial plateau determines the designation of complete or incomplete. The Wrisberg-ligament type has an abnormal posterior attachment by attaching to part of the posterior cruciate ligament.
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