Orthopaedic Knee Conditions Flashcards
What are the bony structures that form the knee?
Femur: medial and lateral condyles
Tibia: tibial plateau
Patella: sesamoid bone
What are the collateral ligaments of the knee? Where does each attach?
lateral collateral ligament: tip of fibula to the lateral condyle of the femur
Medial collateral ligament: originates from tibia and inserts on proximal portion of the medial condyle of the femur
Which of the collateral ligaments is attached to its corresponding meniscus?
The medial collateral ligament is attached to the medial meniscus
The LCL and lateral meniscus aren’t attached
What are the cruciate ligaments of the knee? Where does each attach?
ACL: originates at intercondylar eminence of the tibia and inserts on the medial aspect of the lateral femoral condyle
PCL: originates on the medial femoral condyle and inserts onto the posterior tibia
Describe the structure of the meniscii
C-shaped cartilage
- Triangular in cross-section: medial side thin, lateral edge wide. Results in more stability on flat tibial plateau
coronary ligaments on both meniscii (attach meniscii to joint capsule of the knee)
What are the common causes of meniscal tears? Which meniscii is more vulnerable to being torn?
Acute: twisting of knee esp. during flexion (< 40yrs)
Degenerative: osteoarthritis (60+)
Medial meniscus tears more common, probably due to more fixed shape / position
What are the symptoms of a meniscal tear?
- Pain
- Clicking
- Locking
- Intermittent swelling
What are some clinical signs on examination that are suggestive of a meniscal tear?
- Mechanical block to movement
- McMurrays test positive: bend knee and rotate foot, clicking / pain?
- Thassaly’s test positive: partially bent knee standing on that leg, rotate knee internally & externally. Pain should be on rotation to side of injured meniscus
- Patient fails to deep squat
Investigations for suspected meniscal tear?
- X-Ray: exclude arthritis / fracture
- MRI: white line within meniscus indicates tearing, high false positive rate but good sensitivity
How does the location of a meniscal tear influence its ability to heal?
The meniscus is separated into a lateral 1/3 (red zone) that is quite well perfused, and a medial 2/3 (white zone) that has limited blood supply
If the tear is more lateral, it is more likely to heal due to better perfusion
Non-operative options for meniscal tear treatment?
- Rest
- NSAIDs
- Physiotherapy (quad & hamstrings strengthening)
What type of surgery is done to repair meniscal tears?
Arthroscopy (repair / resection)
How does osteoarthritis of the knee tend to present?
Progressive pain and stiffness of the affected joint
What are some non-operative treatment options for osteoarthritis of the knee?
- Weight loss
- Analgesics
- Activity modification
- Braces / walking aids
- Visco-supplementation (hyaluronic acid)
- Steroid injections
Types of knee surgery that can be used to treat osteoarthritis?
Total Knee Replacement: (90%)
- cruciate retaining total knee replacement (retains the PCL)
- Cruciate sacrificing TKR
Uni-compartmental surgery:
- medial condyle (most common)
- Lateral
- Patello-femoral