Effect of the volume of resected discoid lateral meniscus on the contact stress of the tibiofemoral joint: A finite element analysis.

BACKGROUND: Partial meniscectomy is commonly performed for symptomatic patients with discoid lateral meniscus (DLM) if conservative treatment fails. However, the development of knee osteoarthritis and osteochondral lesion are detrimental postoperative complications. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the volume of resected DLM on the contact stress of the tibiofemoral joint using a finite element analysis.

METHODS: Subject-specific finite-element models of the knee joint of a patient with DLM were developed from computed tomographic and magnetic resonance images. To evaluate the effect of partial meniscectomy on the contact stress in the lateral tibiofemoral joint, six knee models were created in the study (the native DLM, and five partially meniscectomized DLMs (according to the preserved width of the meniscus: 12 mm, 10 mm, 8 mm, 6 mm, and 4 mm)).

RESULTS: As the volume of resected DLM increased, higher contact stress was applied to the lateral tibiofemoral joint. Greater contact stress was applied to the preserved lateral meniscus than to the native DLM.

CONCLUSIONS: From a biomechanical viewpoint, the native DLM was the most protective against lateral tibiofemoral contact stress in comparison to partially meniscectomized DLMs.