What does discoid lateral meniscus mean?

A discoid lateral meniscus is an abnormally shaped meniscus within the knee joint. The meniscus is a C-shaped wedge of cartilage that helps support and cushion the knee joint. In each knee there are two menisci, one on the inside (medial) and one on the outside (lateral) of the knee joint.

What is discoid morphology of the lateral meniscus?

Description. In many cases, a discoid meniscus is shaped like a half moon or complete circle, rather than a crescent moon. It most often occurs on the lateral side (outside) of the knee, and can sometimes be found in both knees.

What is discoid meniscus of knee?

The discoid meniscus is a rare congenital disorder where the lateral meniscus remains around instead of its usual cupped shape leading to instability of the lateral compartment. This condition is usually asymptomatic but may become symptomatic if a meniscal tear occurs.

Is discoid meniscus bilateral?

A discoid medial meniscus is a very rare anomaly, and even more rare is to diagnose a bilateral discoid medial meniscus although the real prevalence of this situation is unknown because not all the discoid medial menisci are symptomatic and if the contralateral knee is not symptomatic then it is not usually studied.

How common is a discoid lateral meniscus?

The incidence of discoid lateral meniscus is estimated to be 0.4% to 17%, whereas the discoid medial meniscus is extremely rare (0.1% to 0.3%)3–6). It has been reported that about 20% of cases are bilateral5,7,8).

Can a discoid meniscus heal on its own?

Wrisberg-Ligament Meniscus. Their abnormal shape and thickness make discoid menisci more prone to injury and tearing. The meniscus tissue is often not capable of healing itself due to its limited blood supply, which is required for tissue healing.

Is a discoid meniscus rare?

Discoid meniscus is a rare human anatomic variant that usually affects the lateral meniscus of the knee. Usually a person with this anomaly has no complaints; however, it may present as pain, swelling, or a snapping sound heard from the affected knee.

How is discoid meniscus diagnosis?

On MRI, a discoid meniscus can be diagnosed when the ratio of the minimal meniscal width to the maximal tibial width is more than 20% on the coronal image, and the ratio of sum of the width of both lateral horns to the maximal meniscal diameter on the sagittal image is more than 75%42).

Does discoid meniscus cause pain?

When a discoid meniscus tears or begins to cause problems, you may experience: Pain in the knee, most often on the outer or front side. Sharp pain with running, jumping, cutting, or deep squatting.

How common are discoid meniscus?

How common is discoid medial meniscus?

Introduction. Discoid medial meniscus is a rare abnormality, with incidence estimated at 0.12%.