J Korean Orthop Assoc.  1969 Dec;4(4):45-49. 10.4055/jkoa.1969.4.4.45.

Clinical Study of Meniscus Tears in Koreans

• Ha KI

• KMID: 2464760
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4055/jkoa.1969.4.4.45

Abstract

Tears of the medial meniscus are roughly five to seven times more frequent than those of the lateral in Western countries. The author reviewed 19 cases of meniscus tears of the knee treated at the Orthopedic Department of Seoul National University Hospital, from 1960 up to the time of this writing. He studied the incidence and the mechanism of injury of meniscus tear and attempted to clnrify the reasons for the prevalence of tear of the lateral meniscus among Koreans. 1. Of nineteen cases, twelve were lateral meniscus tear and seven were medial. 2. Of twelve cases of lateral meniscus tear, four were male and eight were female, and of seven cases of medial, four were male and three were female. 3. As to the ratio of the left, to the right ten were in the left knee and nine in the right. 4. There were no evident history of trauma in ten cases. 5. Tears of the posterior horn was found in ten cases, of which seven were in the lateral meniscus. 6. It seems reasonably certain that the habit of exaggerated flexion of the knee in Koreans is an important factor in the production of the lesion, combined possibly with medial rotation of the tibia, for subsequent episodes of the exaggerated flexion enlarge the rent until the popliteus attachment and all peripheral attachments behind the hiatus are torn away, and the posterior half of the lateral meniscus is released from control.