[Epidemiology of damage of the meniscus in miners.]

The authors evaluated the health records of men treated by open arhtrotomy because of damage of the menisci of the knee joint in the Municipal Hospital in Ostrava in 1988-1989. The group was formed by miners working underground and a second group of patients who were not miners. The stratification of the two groups was made by age, circumstances under which the first symptoms developed, the surgical macroscopic and microscopic picture. The annual incidence in the miners' group was 25.6, while it was 6.2 in the comparable group. A significantly higher incidence was recorded in the group of 20 - 29 year olds in favour of the miners (36.7 % and 23.7 %, resp. P < 0.05). As the clause of damage 52.2 % of the miners mentioned an accident, as compared with 18.3 % non-miners (P < 0.05). In Trillat's evaluation of macroscopic findings a significant difference was found in the category of damage of the posterior horn in favour of the miners' group (65.4% and 33.3 %, resp. P < 0.05). In the category of bucket handle, circumferential ruptures, transverse fissures etc. no significant differences were found. Microscopic examination revealed a significantly higher ratio of severe dystrophic changes in miners (62.5 % vs. 29.4 %, P < 0.05). The authors do not evaluate treatment. Key words: damaged meniscus, incidence.