background image

The knee

 

dr.Mushtaq Talib Hussein

 

                                                                                               

F.I.B.M.S(Ortho.) C.A.B.O(Ortho.)

 

LESIONS OF THE MENISCI 
The menisci have an important role in (1) improving articular congruency and 
increasing the stability of the knee, (2) controlling the complex rolling and gliding 
actions of the joint and (3) distributing load during movement.

 
 

The  medial  meniscus  is  much  less  mobile  than  the  lateral,  and  it  cannot  as  easily 
accommodate  to  abnormal  stresses.  This  may  be  why  meniscal  lesions  are  more 
common on the medial side than on the lateral. 
 
TEARS OF THE MENISCUS 
The meniscus consists mainly of circumferential fibres held by a few radial strands. It 
is, therefore, more likely to tear along its length than across its width. 
Pathology 
The medial meniscus is affected far more frequently than the lateral, partly because its 
attachments to the capsule make it less mobile. Tears of both menisci may occur with 
severe ligament injuries. 
In 75 per cent of cases the split is vertical in the length of the meniscus. If the 
separated fragment remains attached front and back, the lesion is called a bucket-
handle tear.
 
Horizontal tears are usually ‘degenerative’ or due to repetitive minor trauma. Some 
are associated with meniscal cysts. 
Most of the meniscus is avascular and spontaneous repair does not occur unless the 
tear is in the outer third. 

Clinical features 

The patient is usually a young person who sustains a twisting injury to the knee on the 
sports field. Pain(usually on the medial side) is often severe and further activity is 
avoided; occasionally the knee is ‘locked’ in partial flexion. Almost invariably, 
swelling appears some hours later, or perhaps the following day. 
‘Locking’ – that is, the sudden inability to extend the knee fully – suggests a 
bucket-handle tear. 
On examination the joint may be held slightly flexed and there is often an effusion. In 
longstanding cases the quadriceps will be wasted. Tenderness is localized to the joint 
line, in the vast majority of cases on the medial side. 
The history is helpful, and McMurray’s test, Apley’s grinding test or the Thessaly 
test may be positive. 

 

 
McMurray’s test is performed at varying angles of flexion. 
 


background image

 

              (a)                                          (b)  
(a)The grinding test relaxes the ligaments but compresses the meniscus – it causes 
pain with meniscus lesions. 
(b)The distraction test releases the meniscus but stretches the ligaments and causes 
pain if these are injured. 

Investigations 

Plain x-rays are usually normal, but MRI is a reliable method of confirming the 
clinical diagnosis, and may even reveal tears that are missed by arthroscopy. 
Arthroscopy has the advantage that, if a lesion is identified, it can be treated at the 
same time. 

 

Treatment 

Dealing with the locked knee Usually the knee unlocks spontaneously; if not, gentle passive 
flexion and rotation may do the trick. 
 
Conservative treatment If the joint is not locked, it is reasonable to hope that the tear is 
peripheral and can therefore heal spontaneously. 
 
Operative treatment Surgery is indicated (1) if the joint cannot be unlocked and (2) if 
symptoms are recurrent. For practical purposes, the lesion is often dealt with as part of the 
‘diagnostic’ arthroscopy. 
Tears close to the periphery, which have the capacity to heal, can be sutured; at least one edge 
of the tear should be red (i.e. vascularized). 
Tears other than those in the peripheral third are dealt with by excising the torn portion (or the 
bucket handle).

 
 

 

 
 


background image

Recurrent dislocation of the Patella 

In 15–20 per cent of cases (mostly children) the first episode is followed by recurrent 
dislocation or subluxation after minimal stress. This is due, in some measure, to 
disruption or stretching of the ligamentous structures which normally stabilize the 
extensor mechanism. 
predisposing factors are: (1) generalized ligamentous laxity; (2) under - development 
of the lateral femoral condyle and flattening of the intercondylar groove; (3) 
maldevelopment of the patella, which may be too high or too small; (4) valgus 
deformity of the knee; (5) external tibial torsion; or (6) a primary muscle defect. 
Dislocation is almost always towards the lateral side. 

Clinical features 

Girls are affected more commonly than boys and the condition may be bilateral. 
Dislocation occurs unexpectedly when the quadriceps muscle is contracted with the 
knee in flexion. There is acute pain, the knee is stuck in flexion and the patient may 
fall to the ground. 

 

The apprehension test

 
More often the patella has reduced by the time the patient is seen. Tenderness and 
swelling may still be present and the apprehension test is positive: if the patella is 
pushed laterally with the knee slightly flexed, the patient resists and becomes anxious, 
fearing another dislocation. 
 
Treatment 
If the patella is still dislocated, it is pushed back into place while the knee is gently 
extended. The only indications for immediate surgery are (1) inability to reduce the 
patella (e.g. with a rare ‘intra-articular’ dislocation), and (2) the presence of a 
large, displaced osteochondral fragment. 
A plaster cylinder or splint is applied and retained for 2–3 weeks; 
Operative treatment 
The principles of operative treatment are (a) to repair or strengthen the medial patello-
femoral ligaments, and (b) to realign the extensor mechanism so as to produce a 
mechanically more favorable angle of pull. 
 

LOOSE BODIES 

The knee – relatively capacious, with large synovial folds – is a common haven for 
loose bodies. These may be produced by: (1) injury (a chip of bone or

 

cartilage); (2) 

osteochondritis dissecans (which may produce one or two fragments); (3) 
osteoarthritis (pieces of cartilage or osteophyte); (4) Charcot’s disease (large 
osteocartilaginous bodies); and (5) synovial chondromatosis (cartilage metaplasia in 
the synovium, sometimes producing hundreds of loose bodies). 
 
 


background image

Loose bodies may be symptomless. The usual complaint is attacks of sudden locking 
without injury. 
X-ray Most loose bodies are radio-opaque. The films also show an underlying joint 
abnormality. 
Treatment 
A loose body causing symptoms should be removed unless the joint is severely 
osteoarthritic. This can usually be done through the arthroscope 

 

 
A                                                     b                                                c 

Lumps around the knee 

In front:

 (a) 

prepatellar bursa; 

(b) 

infrapatellar bursa;

 (c) 

Osgood

–Schlatter disease. 

 

 

D                                e                               f

 

On either side: (d) cyst of lateral meniscus; (e) cyst of medial meniscus; (f) 
cartilagecapped exostosis. 

 

 
G                                               h                                                     i 
 
Behind: (g) semimembranosus bursa; (h) arthrogram of popliteal cyst; (i) leaking cyst. 
 
OSTEOARTHRITIS 
The knee is the commonest of the large joints to be affected by osteoarthritis , often 
there is a predisposing factor: injury to the articular surface, a torn meniscus, 
ligamentous instability or preexisting deformity of the hip or knee, to mention a few. 
However, in many cases no obvious cause can be found. 
Osteoarthritis is often bilateral and in these cases there is a strong association with 
Heberden’s nodes and generalized osteoarthritis. 
 
Clinical features 
Patients are usually over 50 years old; they tend to be overweight and may have 
longstanding bow-leg deformity. 
Pain is the leading symptom, worse after use, or (if the patello-femoral joint is 
affected) on stairs. After rest, the joint feels stiff and it hurts to ‘get going’ after 


background image

sitting for any length of time. Swelling is common, and giving way or locking may 
occur. 
On examination there may be an obvious deformity(usually varus) or the scar of a 
previous operation. The quadriceps muscle is usually wasted. 
The natural history of osteoarthritis is one of alternating‘bad spells’ and ‘good 
spells’. 
X-ray 
The anteroposterior x-ray must be obtained with the patient standing and bearing 
weight 
The tibio-femoral joint space is diminished(often only in one compartment) and there 
is subchondral sclerosis. Osteophytes and subchondral cysts are usually present and 
sometimes there is soft-tissue calcification in the suprapatellar region or in the joint 
itself (chondrocalcinosis). 
Treatment 
If symptoms are not severe, treatment is conservative. Joint loading is lessened by 
using a walking stick. 
Quadriceps exercises are important. Analgesics are prescribed for pain, and warmth 
(e.g. radiant heat or shortwave diathermy) is soothing. 
Operative treatment 
Persistent pain unresponsive to conservative treatment, progressive deformity and 
instability are the usual indications for operative treatment. 
Arthroscopic washouts 
Patellectomy 
is indicated only in those rare cases where osteoarthritis is strictly 
confined to the patellofemoral joint. 
Realignment osteotomy is often successful in relieving symptoms and staving off the 
need for ‘end-stage’ surgery. The ideal indication is a ‘young’ patient (under 50 
years) with a varus knee and osteoarthritis confined to the medial compartment. 
Replacement arthroplasty is indicated in older patients with progressive joint 
destruction. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 




رفعت المحاضرة من قبل: Ahmed monther Aljial
المشاهدات: لقد قام 4 أعضاء و 161 زائراً بقراءة هذه المحاضرة








تسجيل دخول

أو
عبر الحساب الاعتيادي
الرجاء كتابة البريد الالكتروني بشكل صحيح
الرجاء كتابة كلمة المرور
لست عضواً في موقع محاضراتي؟
اضغط هنا للتسجيل