Lateral Capsular Meniscal Tear in a Cross-country Runner

Tears of the meniscal capsular junction present unique diagnostic and treatment challenges for practitioners because they are rich in blood supply yet often not visualized on magnetic resonance imaging. The authors report the case of a young man with a meniscal capsular junction tear, difficulties related to his diagnosis, and his short-term outcomes following surgical treatment. An 18-year-old male cross-country runner presented to the authors for nonradiating lateral right knee pain after a failed course of physical therapy. This tear was only definitively diagnosed after inconclusive magnetic resonance imaging, an ultrasound-guided cortisone injection, and a direct arthroscopic visualization. He underwent an uncomplicated repair of his meniscal capsular junction tear with injection into the repair of bone marrow aspirate concentration taken from his iliac crest. At his 6-month follow-up visit, he had returned to cross-country running, achieved satisfactory Knee Outcome Scores, and reported minimal pain per the visual analog scale. This case is unique in that meniscal capsular junction tears often occur at the posteromedial portion. Given the rarity of these injuries, future studies should focus on longer-term outcomes following surgical repair of meniscal capsular junction tears and which techniques may portend to superior outcomes. [Orthopedics. 2016; 39(6):e1201-e1204.].