Plica syndrome is a collection of symptoms commonly experienced together when a fold of joint lining called a plica is irritated, thickened and intermittently catches in the joint.
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| Discomfort is typically felt on the inner aspect of the knee. A medial plica may be palpable as a tender cord-like structure on the lower inner quadrant of the knee. | This medial plica is being nipped between patella and femur during joint movement. Above the knee the suprapatellar plica may become nipped between the femur and the quadriceps tendon. | Such trauma can cause the tissue fold to become inflamed and thickened, and then nippling (catching) can occur more often. |
Treatment of Plica syndrome
Different plicae can cause different symptoms - the common problematic plica is located on the medial (inner) aspect of the knee and it can become traumatised between the bones.
Treatment may includes anti-inflammatory medication, local steroid injection, physiotherapy to strengthen the quadriceps and hamstrings muscles and arthroscopic surgery to remove the structure entirely.
CLINICAL PUBLICATIONS
Synovial Plica Syndrome of the Knee: A Commonly Overlooked Cause of Anterior Knee Pain. Lee PYF, Nixion A, Chandratreya A and Murray JM. Surg J (N Y). 2017 Jan; 3(1): e9–e16.
Medial plica irritation: diagnosis and treatment. Griffith CJ and LaPrade RF. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2008 Mar; 1(1): 53–60.
Anatomy and MR Imaging Appearances of Synovial Plicae of the Knee. García-Valtuille R, Abascal F, Cerezal L, García-Valtuille A, Pereda T, Canga A, Cruz A. RadioGraphicsVol. 22, No. 4.
See also:
eBook - Common Knee Symptoms - ebook
An easy-to-follow discussion of the more common symptoms experienced in the knee.
eBook - An overview of plica problems in the knee
An expert look at the various plical folds of the knee and the problems that can be caused by a troublesome plica.