The Treatment of Knee Joint Tuberculosis with Preservation of Joint Motion / 대한정형외과학회잡지

In Korea, more than in most other countries, motions in hip and knee are extremely important because kneeling and squatting are conventional potures in the home and social activities. from this point of view, the preservation of mobility is a critical trial in the treatment of tubercuiosis of the knee joint. In 1974 we reported five cases of tuberculosis of the knee which were treated with preservation of the joint mobility. This is the report of another four cases of knee joint tuberculosis which were treated by synovectomy and curettage of the bony focus in an allempt to half the pathological process without sacrificing joint motion. All of the four cases have preserved their knee joint motion and have gained an average of 43.7 degrees of motion through joint exercise started five weeks post-operatively. Previously reported cases started their joint exercise eight weeks after operation and gained an average of only 26.7 degrees of motion. As chemotherapy provides more effectiveness in the treatment of joint tuberculosis, early joint motion postoperatively is important to gain more range of joint motion. In conclusion, tuberculosis of major weight bearing joints, notably the knee, may be successfully treated their joint motions preserved by surgical eradication of the lesion and chemotherapy.

The Clinical Study on the Discoid Semilunar Cartilage / 대한정형외과학회잡지

The first description on the discoid meniscus was made by Young in 1889 and was known as it affects only the lateral meniscus for a long time. However, Cave and Staples had reported the two cases of discoid changes on medial meniscus in 1941. Smillie(1948) had stated that the menisci exist as cartilagenous discs at an early stage of fetus and remain in discoid shape congenitally. Kaplan(1957) reported that the discoid meniscus is not caused by congenitally but acquired in relation of joint motion. A clinical analysis is made on the 22 discoid meniscus which were removed surgically and summarized as follows: 1. The click sound on walking, tenderness and positive McMurray test were important as diagnostic criteria and were present all of the cases. 2. The most of the discoid meniscus were found in first and second decade in 13 cases(76.5%) out of 22. The five cases were bilateral. 3. The discoid change of the meniscus had no sex defferences in their incidence but lateral involvement were far superior than in ten times. 4. The discoid meniscus shows degenerative change microscopically 17(77.3%). 5. The clinical result of surgical removal of discoid meniscus was satisfactory in resuming their full activities in six weeks.