The Knee Learning Resource
Debridement means surgically removing excess or damaged soft tissue within the knee joint piece by piece.
Deep vein thrombosis is a serious condition in which a clot occurs in the deep veins of the leg, usually following either leg injury or a period of enforced immobilisation.
A surgical procedure to improve the position of the patella when it has become too low.
This procedure implies that the surgeon looked into the knee via small incisions, using arthroscopic equipment, but did not actually perform a surgical procedure on the internal problem.
A test for the integrity of the posterolateral corner, where the patient lies on their tummy, knees bent to 90 degrees, and the surgeon 'dials' the feet outwards.
A disability is a physical or mental impairment that prevents a person from achieving to full potential.
A discoid meniscus is a meniscus that is 'O' shaped, rather than 'C-shaped'.
Dislocation of the knee is one of the catastrophic injuries of the knee - not to be confused with dislocation of the patella (kneecap). Dislocation of the knee is when most or all of the ligaments of the knee become disrupted and the thighbone (femur) dislocates from the shinbone (tibia).
This is when the kneecap (patella) comes right out of the groove in the thighbone (femoral groove) in which it normally rides.
The upper surface.
Varus alignment of tibia and femur associated with deficiency of the lateral collateral ligament and abnormal lateral joint opening.
The normal ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) is anatomically composed of two bundles, named for their location - a longer antero-medial bundle and a shorter postero-lateral bundle.
When the surgeon is looking towards the back of the meniscus via the arthroscope, instead of it being difficult there is a big space where he can 'drive thru' with the arthroscope to easily visualise the back of the knee joint.
A drop-out cast is a splint for improving knee extension.
Abbreviation for deep vein thrombosis.
Dysplasia means 'abnormal formation' so that a body part is abnormal in shape as a consequence. In the knee world it most commonly refers to the groove in which the kneecap rides ('trochlear dysplasia') but may be used in relation to other structures.
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