Underside lesions of the meniscus

A total of 180 menisectomies were performed with special attention to lesions located only on the underside of the menisci. Thirty-six lesions (20 per cent) were found with this location, all in the posterior part of the menisci. Half of these were atypical horizontal cleavage lesions. The clinical features of these lesions were compared with normal meniscal lesions and no differences could be demonstrated. The subjective results after meniscectomy for 35 underside lesions were 94 per cent good or excellent after an average follow-up period of 22.3 months. Meniscectomy is the treatment of choice for these lesions. It is emphasized that careful examination of the underside of the meniscus is necessary if a patient presents a clinical picture of meniscal lesion and no other lesions can be found.