Medial And Lateral Gutters Of The Knee

The lateral gutter should be visualized and again a similar inspection to the medial gutter should be performed looking for synovitis loose bodies and marginal osteophytes.

Medial and lateral gutters of the knee.

Menisci injury may be innocuous and one may be able to walk after a tear but soon swelling and pain set in. The thickened synovium and fibrous tissue at the medial and lateral gutter are excised to increase intraarticular visualization and to increase knee flexion. With the initial hand still in place sweep the lateral gutter from distal to proximal and whilst doing this look closely at the medial gutter if you see a bulge this indicates a small joint effusion the patella tap test as above empty the suprapatellar pouch and with the other hand press firmly down an the patient s patella. Medial and lateral gutters these are also extensions of the joint like the cheek gutters in the mouth alongside the teeth and the medial and lateral gutters are synovial lined spaces on each side of the knee joint alongside the tibia and femur bones and their outer aspect is part of the capsule of the knee.

Below the articular surface is a rough convex non articular area the lower half of which gives attachment to the ligamentum patellae. Pouch medial gutter lateral gutter medial compart ment lateral compartment intercondylar notch and posterior medial and posterior lateral compartments. Additional débridement of the hard scarred tissue at the medial and lateral gutters is made as needed. There are two menisci in the knee the medial inner and the lateral outer.

Meniscus tears occur during sports often when the knee is twisted. 15 4 with the posterior horn of the medial meniscus usually larger than the anterior horn. Diagnostic arthroscopy is a crucial skill for diagnosing intra articular disorders of the knee including meniscal synovial ligamentous and articular cartilage pathology. The posterior surface presents above a smooth oval carti.

The medial and the lateral menisci should have two contiguous images of the body of the meniscus if 4 or 5 mm thick slices are obtained. With knee flexed to 90 move to medial compartment. Medial compartmental osteoarthritis is a type of osteoarthritis oa that affects only one part of the knee. Medial femoral condyle cartilage.

The popliteal hiatus should be identified in this area fig. Three or four sagittal images should be seen through the anterior and posterior horns of the menisci fig. When there is torn cartilage it means that the meniscus has been injured. Laginous area which is divided by a rounded vertical ridge into a larger lateral portion for articulation with the lateral condyle of the femur and a smaller medial portion for articulation with the medial condyle of the femur.

Medial tibial plateau cartilage. The three compartments that make up the knee are the.