Complete lateral discoid meniscus in a South Indian fetus: a case report and review of literature

The discoid lateral meniscus (DLM) was first described by Young in 1889 in a dissected cadaver specimen [1], but it was not until 1910 that Kroiss [2] attributed the snapping knee syndrome to the anomaly. The discoid menisci have been the object of many studies, because they are frequently the source of symptoms [3,4]. The incidence is estimated to be 3% to 5% in the general population and slightly higher in Asian populations [5]. The lesion initially was considered to be atavistic [3], but most authors currently believe that the discoid meniscus must be of congenital origin [6] and it might be symptomatic or not. In this study we report a DLM, which was found in a female fetus of South Indian origin. Only a very few reports of this were found in the literature. The objectives of this report is to discuss the embryological basis, anatomical features, etiological factors and clinical implications of this variant.