Villalobos GFE, Pérez SA, Torres MJL, Carbajal CR, Axotla BVM, Pérez RA

Language: Spanish
References: 17
Page: 79-84
PDF size: 290.49 Kb.

ABSTRACT

Objective. Correlationship between clinical and transoperative arthroscopic diagnosis of symptomatic medial patelar synovial plica is the main objective of present paper. Material and methods. Out of a whole 340 arthroscopic operative procedures for the knee performed between January 1996 and December 2000, 52 were as a result of clinical suspect of medial synovial plica. Trauma was present in 66% of the cases. More frequent symptoms were: crepitus, spring, inflammation and pain. An additional comparison was made between those patients diagnosed before surgery by orthopaedic surgeons and by residents. Results. Out of the 52 cases with clinical suspicion of plica, only 27 were confirmed by arthroscopy (52%). Symptoms in the remaining 25 had been produced by other injuries of the knee that mimic synovial plica such as: either medial or lateral meniscal tears and patelar chondromalatia. Out from the 27 cases referred above, only 12 (42%) had been properly diagnosed before surgery. From those 12 cases, preoperative diagnosis was appropriate only in 4 out from 8 patients examined by orthopaedic surgeons (50%), while 8 out of 19 reviewed by residents were well diagnosed (42%), which meant no significant difference. Conclusion. Medial synovial plica of the knee is not a common condition to be beared in mind as a first intention clinical diagnosis since it has been demonstrated in this trial that a low rate of suspicion between surgeons and residents is the rule. Although most cases can be resolved by arthroscopy, an accurate examination should improve clinical diagnosis.

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