Case Report
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Orthop. May 18, 2024; 15(5): 477-482
Published online May 18, 2024. doi: 10.5312/wjo.v15.i5.477
Congenital absence of the lateral meniscus: A case report
Hamad Ali Alkhunayfir, Abdulaziz Ali AlQahtani, Abdulrahman Jalwi Korkoman
Hamad Ali Alkhunayfir, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Prince Muhammed bin Abdulaziz Hospital, Riyadh 61422, Saudi Arabia
Abdulaziz Ali AlQahtani, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh 12233, Saudi Arabia
Abdulrahman Jalwi Korkoman, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Bisha, Bisha 67714, Saudi Arabia
Author contributions: Korkoman AJ, Alqahtani AA, and Alkhunayfir HL contributed equally to this work; Korkoman AJ, Alqahtani AA, and Alkhunayfir HL designed the research study; Korkoman AJ and Alkhunayfir HL performed the research; Alqahtani AA contributed new reagents and analytic tools; Korkoman AJ and Alkhunayfir HL analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript; all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Informed consent statement: The patient’s informed consent was obtained.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited, and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Abdulrahman Jalwi Korkoman, MBBS, Teaching Assistant, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Bisha, Alnakeel Neighborhood, Bisha 67714, Saudi Arabia. aj.mk8@hotmail.com
Received: January 3, 2024
Revised: January 24, 2024
Accepted: April 7, 2024
Published online: May 18, 2024
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Congenital absence of the menisci is a rare anatomical variation characterized by the absence or underdevelopment of one or both menisci in the knee joint. The menisci are crucial in load distribution, joint stability, and shock absorption. Understanding the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of this condition is important for optimal patient care.

CASE SUMMARY

A 27-year-old male with a long-standing history of knee pain underwent diagnostic arthroscopy, revealing a congenital absence of the meniscus. The patient's clinical findings, imaging results, surgical procedures, and pertinent images are detailed. This case presents a unique aspect with the congenital absence of the meniscus, contributing valuable insights to the literature on rare anatomical anomalies.

CONCLUSION

This case of congenital absence of the menisci highlights the diagnostic challenges posed by rare anomalies. The diagnostic arthroscopy played a crucial role in identifying the absence of the meniscus and providing an explanation for the patient's persistent knee pain. The case underscores the importance of individualized treatment approaches, including physical therapy, for optimal management of rare meniscal anomalies. Further research is warranted to explore effective management strategies for the aforementioned cases and to expand our knowledge of these rare conditions.

Keywords: Lateral meniscus, Arthroscopy, Knee joint, Menisci reformation, Magnetic resonance imaging, Case report

Core Tip: Congenital absence of the menisci is a rare anatomical variation characterized by the absence or underdevelopment of one or both menisci in the knee joint. We present a young male patient with a long-standing history of knee pain who underwent diagnostic arthroscopy, revealing the congenital absence of the lateral meniscus. The patient's clinical findings, imaging results, and surgical procedure are presented, along with relevant images. This case is notable for the congenital absence of the meniscus, a finding that contributes to the literature on such rare anomalies.