Thirty-six patients with locked knees due to torn menisci were investigated retrospectively. Thirteen patients had medial meniscal tears and twenty-three had lateral meniscal tears (involving 11 torn discoid menisci). Associated anterior cruciate ligament injury was found in seven cases.
Torn discoid menisci were found in a younger age group compared with semilunar type. Discoid menisci were totally resected in all 11 cases. Longitudinal tears were found in 18 semilunar menisci and 11 meniscal tears were sutured. Meniscal repair was performed in most cases without body degeneration. On the contrary, only 44% of the torn menisci with body degeneration could be repaired. We speculate that the longterm locked knee leads to degeneration of torn menisci.
In conclusion:
1) Discoid minisci's tears were found in younger patients.
2) Meniscal repair was performed in 61% of longitudinal tears.
3) Meniscal repair rate with body degeneration was lower than without it.