Meniscal Dimensions and its Clinical Implications- A Foetal Cadaveric Study

Introduction: The menisci are made up of fibrocartilage. The menisci are prone for injuries and treated by meniscal repair, meniscectomy and the meniscal allograft transplantation. The knowledge about the morphometry is necessary for orthopaedician, embryologist and morphologist. Aim: To analyse the morphometric parameters of medial and lateral menisci in the knee joint of foetuses. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the Department of Anatomy, PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India, during the year May 2015 to May 2017 in seven males and eight female foetuses with gestational age ranging from 20-37 weeks. After dissection, the morphometric parameters like peripheral and inner length, width and thickness of anterior 1/3rd, middle 1/3rd and posterior 1/3rd of the menisci was measured using digital vernier callipers. ANOVA and paired t-test was used to compare the parameters between gender and sides. Results: The morphometry was studied in 14 male and 16 female knee joints (30 medial and 30 lateral menisci). In the medial menisci width of anterior 1/3rd was significantly narrower than the middle and posterior 1/3rd. In lateral menisci, width of middle 1/3rd was greater than anterior and posterior 1/3rd which was statistically insignificant. There were no statistically significant morphometric differences between gender and sides. Conclusion: The part of the menisci which were narrower was less prone for injuries. The knowledge of the morphometric parameters in particular the width and thickness of the menisci determines the commonest area of injury. This study provides morphometric data of menisci in foetuses as it is scarce.