Functional outcomes of patients with discoid meniscus undergoing surgery in a children’s orthopedic clinic

Abstract

Introduction: The discoid meniscus is a meniscal malformation that can generate symptoms in children and adolescents. Arthroscopic techniques have been developed achieving improved functionality in the vast majority of patients with discoid meniscus and associated lesions. The objective is to show the clinical and functional results of patients operated by arthroscopy in a reference center in pediatric orthopedics during a period of 3 years.
Materials and methods: The results of a retrospective cohort of patients under 18 years of age treated surgically for symptomatic discoid meniscus over a 3-year period were analyzed by reviewing medical records and evaluating clinical outcomes using the Tegner-Lysholm scale.
Results: Twenty-five knees were operated on in 21 patients with an average age of 8.9 years. The average follow-up time was 8.3 months, 60% of the knees had peripheral rim instability. Ninety-two percent of the patients had an excellent score (>90) on the Tegner-Lysholm scale and the remaining 8% had a good score. Eighty-eight percent of the cases had no postoperative pain and 12% had mild pain. Return to sport occurred within the first 4 months in 19 patients.
Conclusion: Arthroscopic treatment of symptomatic discoid meniscus with meniscal remodeling and stabilization of the peripheral rim has good functional results in the short and medium term, allowing patients to return to their activities in a short period of time.