Simultaneous Meniscal Repair and Temporary Guided Growth Using a Tension Band Plate to Correct Alignment in Pediatric Discoid Lateral Meniscus Patients With Valgus Knee

Abstract

Meniscal stabilization with saucerization has recently been recommended for discoid lateral meniscus (DLM) to preserve the meniscus shape and prevent the progression of osteoarthritis. However, axial alignment of the lower limb causes a significant valgus change after arthroscopic partial meniscectomy and can lead to progressive lateral osteoarthritic changes. Thus, valgus knees in patients with DLM are a suspected predictive factor for poor outcomes after DLM surgery. Valgus malalignment in pediatric patients can be corrected by temporarily tethering one side of the open physis using implant-mediated guided growth to generate differential growth in the coronal plane. This Technical Note describes simultaneous arthroscopic meniscal surgery and temporary hemiepiphysiodesis to treat DLM with valgus deformities to reduce the risk of future chondral damage to the lateral knee compartment.