Morphological study of the menisci of the knee joint in human cadaver in Jharkhand population

Abstract

Introduction: Sports are the leading cause of joint injuries, particularly in the knees. Knee menisci are an important functional unit that aids in load distribution and hence reduces stress on the knee joint. Meniscal morphology provides information on exact size and shape, which is important for meniscal transplantation in cases of meniscal damage. The study's goal is to determine the morphological variation in the shape of menisci, as well as the width and thickness of menisci.

Method: This study was conducted at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) Ranchi, Department of Anatomy. In this study, 100 menisci were taken from 50 adult cadaver knee joints available in the dissection hall.

Result: Six morphological kinds of menisci were identified after a morphological and morphometric study of 100 menisci. The most common crescent-shaped menisci (96%) were found in 50 medial menisci (MM), while the most common C-shaped menisci were found in 50 lateral menisci (LM, 94%). There was no statistically significant difference in thickness between the anterior, middle, and posterior thirds of the MM in the morphometric analysis. The thickest section of the lateral meniscus (LM) was in the middle third. There was no significant variation in the width of the LM among the different thirds in the current study. The posterior portion of the medial meniscus (MM), on the other hand, was the widest.

Conclusion: The findings of this study support meniscal anatomy in terms of surgical technique and arthroscopy of the knee joint, as well as contributing to a better understanding of meniscal architecture and meniscal transplantation. As a result, health workers who treat meniscal injuries should be aware of the probable anatomical differences.

Keywords: Knee joint; meniscal anatomy; meniscal injuries.

Figure 1

Photograph showing digital vernier caliper

Figure 2

Diagram showing the various shapes of the menisci (source of classification- Kale et al.,2006) (a) Crescent- shaped, (b) Sickle- shaped, (c) C- shaped, (d) Sided U- shaped, (e) Sided V- shaped (f) Incomplete discoid, (g) Complete discoid (A- anterior &P-posterior)

Figure 3

Picture representing the three points of morphometric analysis of menisci in the anterior, middle and posterior thirds

Figure 4

Photograph showing C-shapped lateral meniscus

Figure 5

Photograph showing sided V-shaped medial meniscus

Figure 6

Photograph showing cresent shaped medial meniscus and sided U-shaped lateral meniscus, (m- Medial meniscus, L-lateral meniscus, A – anterior meniscus, P- Posterior meniscus)

Figure 7

Photograph showing incomplete discoid shaped lateral meniscus

Figure 8

Photograph showing the method of measurement of the thickness of the meniscus using vernier caliper

Figure 9

Photograph showing the method of measurement of width of the meniscus using vernier caliper

Figure 10

Thickness of medial & lateral meniscus

Figure 11

Width of medial & lateral meniscus

Figure 12

Pie diagram showing the incidence of different shapes of lateral meniscus

Figure 13

Pie diagram showing the incidence of different shapes of lateral meniscus