Pediatric meniscal injuries: Current concepts

Abstract

Meniscal pathology is widely prevalent in the adult population, secondary to acute trauma and chronic degeneration. It is less commonly seen in children, although its incidence is rising. The true prevalence in children remains unknown, as pathologies such as discoid menisci often go undiagnosed, or are found only incidentally. The rising incidence can be attributed to increased participation in sports at younger ages, both in intensity and frequency, with potentially year-round competition. Meniscal tears lead to pain and mechanical symptoms in the short to medium term, but more significantly, have been shown to lead to compartmental chondral degeneration and early arthritis in the long term. With advancing arthroscopic techniques, and children's propensity for better healing, osteoarthritis secondary to meniscal pathology is a potentially preventable problem. This article discusses meniscal injuries in children and adolescents and their management.

Keywords: Meniscus; discoid; meniscal injuries.

Figure 1.

Representation of all meniscal tear patterns.

Figure 2.

T2-weighted MRI demonstrating lateral discoid meniscus in coronal plane. Typical features including flattened lateral femoral condyle, widened lateral joint space, and cupping of lateral plateau.