•  
  •  
 

Abstract

Background A 21-year-old collegiate football player suffered an injury in a scrimmage, presented with posterolateral knee pain and light swelling. The patient had no previous history of knee injuries. Upon MRI the patient was diagnosed with a meniscal tear and a cyst. Differential Diagnosis Meniscal pathology, muscle weakness, stiffness. Treatment Diagnosis of the injury was MRI, revealing a tear in the posterior horn of the lateral meniscus. After being informed of the risks, benefits, etc of the procedure, the patient underwent surgery to remove the torn part of the meniscus and cysts. Procedure included arthroscopy and partial meniscectomy (15%). The parameniscal cyst was found in the intercondylar notch between ACL and PCL which was disrupted and evacuated with a blunt trocar. Uniqueness The uniqueness of this case is the presence of the cyst. Meniscal cysts are rare and usually paired with a meniscal tear. The area of the patients’ cysts also appeared in an unusual region. Another aspect of this case that was unique was that there was a removal of both the meniscus and the cysts, usually the meniscus is repaired. Conclusion There is a low prevalence of meniscal cysts in patients, yet it is common for them to be paired with a tear. Treatment usually involves repair of the tear and the drainage of the cysts. It is important for athletic trainers to learn the best standard for these types of injuries so that athletes can perform at a high level and continue their lives after the sport.

Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.