The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Vol 77, Issue 4 596-601, Copyright © 1995 by Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc
Osteonecrosis of the medial part of the tibial plateau
ML Ecker and PA Lotke
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104, USA.
Fifteen elderly patients (sixteen knees) were seen because of acute pain in
the knee and tenderness to palpation over the medial aspect of the tibial
plateau. Initially, plain roentgenograms showed a radiolucent area at the
site of the tenderness in only nine of the sixteen knees. However,
radionuclide bone scans showed focal increased uptake at the site of the
tenderness in four of the seven remaining knees, and magnetic resonance
images showed discrete areas of low signal intensity at the same site in
the other three knees. Plain roentgenograms eventually showed the typical
lesion in all knees. Progression of the symptoms led to a total knee
arthroplasty in nine knees and to a unicompartmental replacement in three;
a satisfactory result was obtained in all twelve knees. An operation was
recommended for two other knees, but it was refused by the patients. The
symptoms resolved spontaneously in the remaining two knees. A degenerative
tear in the medial meniscus, which is a common finding in this age-group,
was noted at the time of a later operation in the three knees that had not
had a radiolucent area on the initial plain roentgenograms but that had had
an area of low signal intensity on the magnetic resonance images. If
osteonecrosis of the tibial plateau is not considered as a potential cause
of pain in the knee, symptoms may be attributed to a tear in the meniscus
and an unnecessary and unproductive arthroscopy may be performed.