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Case Reports
. 2023 Dec;13(12):21-25.
doi: 10.13107/jocr.2023.v13.i12.4062.

Permanent Subluxation of the Lateral Meniscus in a 10-year-old Boy: A Case Report with Short Literature Review

Deven R Kuruwa  1 , Renato Andrade  2   3   4 , João Espregueira-Mendes  2   3   5   6   7
Affiliations
Case Reports

Permanent Subluxation of the Lateral Meniscus in a 10-year-old Boy: A Case Report with Short Literature Review

Deven R Kuruwa et al. J Orthop Case Rep. 2023 Dec.

Abstract

Introduction: Locking of the knee attributed to non-discoid lateral meniscus in an atraumatic setting is a rare phenomenon. One such cause is permanent subluxation of lateral meniscus (PSLM). In the entire literature, there is only one documented case of a 37-year-old female.

Case report: We present a case of a 10-year-old boy who suffered two episodes of knee locking reported radiologically as a bucket handle tear of the lateral meniscus. No tear was found during arthroscopy. The lateral meniscus was malformed with meniscocapsular discontinuity and irreducibly subluxated into the intercondylar space. No salvage procedure was possible. We ended up performing a subtotal meniscectomy.

Conclusion: This is the first case of PSLM reported in the pediatric age group and second overall. Management options are limited. Further genetic and fetal studies are needed in this area to determine the exact causality.

Keywords: Permanent subluxation of lateral meniscus; irreducible non-discoid lateral meniscus; lateral meniscus malformation; meniscocapsular discontinuity.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: Nil

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
MRI of the right knee. (a) T2-weighted coronal plane image shows the displaced middle and posterior segment of lateral meniscus in the intercondylar space (white arrow) with subchondral lesion in the lateral femoral condyle (arrow). (b) T2-weighted sagittal plane image confirming intact anterior horn, absent body, and a part of the posterior horn with the overlying subchondral defect (arrow).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Arthroscopy findings. (a) Subluxated lateral meniscus (asterisk) which was irreducible and appearing to originate from the anterior horn (double asterisk). (b) Inner and outer surfaces of the subluxated lateral meniscus (asterisk) in continuity with the anterior horn of lateral meniscus (double asterisk). (c) Complete meniscocapsular discontinuity (arrows).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Meniscus mobilization attempt. (a) Subluxated lateral meniscus (asterisk) being mobilized by partial release of its posterior attachment on the posterior horn. (b) Inability to reduce the lateral meniscus back to the meniscocapsular junction laterally.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Post-subtotal meniscectomy (a) Remnant of posterior horn of lateral meniscus (double asterisk). (b) Intercondylar space after surgery.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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