A New Classifcation and Treatment of the Torn Discoid Meniscus of the Knee Joint

Sixty-eight discoid meniscus in sixty-seven patients confirmed by arthroscope have been analysed and operated upon at Kyung Hee University Hospital between 1976 and 1984. It is the purpose of this paper to study the clinical characteristics of the discoid meniscus and classify the type of tom discoid meniscus for the accurate diagnosis and the effective treatment. The types of torn discoid meniscus could be classified into 6 types, which had specific clinical, arthrographic and arthroscopic findings, respectively. The type Vwas most common. Of 52. 2% of cases of the discoid meniscus, the patients were in the second decade of life at the time of operation, varying in age from 7 years to 53 years. In the 55. 2% of cases of the torn discoid meniscus, there were no history of specific trauma. The clinical diagnostic accuracy was 61.8% and the diagnostic accuracy of arthrography was 86%. Partial and total meniscectomy through arthroscope showed better results in follow-up study.