Dislocated double-layered lateral meniscus mimicking the bucket-handle tear

Various shapes of congenital abnormalities of the meniscus have been reported. Among them, the double-layered meniscus is rare. This article describes a 22-year-old man with a double-layered lateral meniscus who reported right knee pain with no history of trauma. The double-layered lateral meniscus included both the upper and lower meniscus. The anterior and posterior edge of the upper meniscus was attached to the lower lateral meniscus, and its periphery was not connected to the capsule and the lower meniscus. In addition, the upper meniscus was dislocated into the intercondylar notch, mimicking a bucket-handle tear. However, the lower meniscus was normal in appearance, so a bucket-handle or horizontal tear of the meniscus was ruled out of the differential diagnosis. Although this is a rare case, clinicians should be aware of this anomaly due to the potential for a double-layered meniscus to contribute to a bucket-handle or horizontal tear of the lower meniscus. Therefore, early diagnosis and proper treatment of a double-layered meniscus are needed before an additional injury occurs to a normal meniscus.