[Congenital and acquired deformities of knee joint menisci in children]

Children with congenital and acquired pathology of the menisci account for 7.2% of all patients with internal pathological conditions of the knee joint. The clinical manifestations are due to instability of the joint. In rupture of normally developed menisci the instability is acute or subacute and is displayed by general unspecific reactive symptomatology. The clinical signs of instability are revealed in children with anomalous development of the menisci due to decompensation of the defence-adaptational mechanisms and are evidence of a chronic pathological condition. A precise topical diagnosis of pathology of the menisci may be established only by means of special examination methods among which arthropneumography plays the principal role. The studies made it possible to distinguish and describe a previously unknown pathological condition--abnormal attachment of the menisci to the transverse ligament of the knee. Paracapsular resection of the ruptured or discoid meniscus through a wide parapatellar approach is the optimal surgical policy. Rational postoperative management consisting in early and prolonged kinesitherapy with exclusion of an axial load on the limb and a system of active medical follow-up restore the stability of the knee joint and its full function in 95% of patients and maintain it for postoperative periods of up to 10 years.