INTERNAL DERANGEMENTS AND FRACTURES INVOLVING THE KNEE

Results of One Hundred and Fifty Consecutive Arthrotomies Performed at a Station Hospital

¹ Medical Corps, Army of the United States

In 150 consecutive knee arthrotomies, 105 cases showed injury only to the menisci, ligaments, or fat pad. Eighty-six torn medial menisci and fifteen torn lateral menisci were removed. Two cases showed tearing of both menisci. Fifty-four bucket-handle, twenty anterior, ten posterior, and three minimal tears (loose anterior attachments) are recorded. In the remaining cases, no accurate description of the portion of the meniscus injured is recorded. In this group of patients, ninety-seven returned to some type of duty.

In twenty-four cases, disorders of the bone and articular cartilage were shown. of nine patients with osteochondritis dissecans, eight are believed at duty, while of eleven patients with chondromalacia of the patella, eight are probably still in Service.

Only five patients with severe arthritis were operated upon, and none of them are believed to be in the Army at present.

Nine patients with recent or old fractures involving the patella, tibial spine, or tibial Plateau were operated upon. Five of these men have been returned to duty. Three men with fractures of the tibial plateau have been discharged for disability. The last man of the group was discharged for an ankle disability.

Of the remaining patients in the series, those operated upon primarily for diagnosis have shown poor results, the final diagnosis in most cases being psychoneurosis. Three unusual cases were found, and have been described in detail.

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