The lateral meniscus

We are proud to introduce this special series for Annals of Joint dedicated exclusively to the lateral meniscus, from its anatomy and biomechanics to its most complex surgical procedures. But why focus on a such restricted topic and not explore the whole meniscal knowledge? It is clear that the medial and the lateral meniscus are very different from each other, from anatomy to biomechanics, from lesion patterns to treatment outcomes. This is why we want to provide the reader with a special series with a very focused perspective, in order to make them aware of the great importance of the lateral meniscus for the overall knee health, and to present how to deal with all the possible pathologic scenarios: from the easiest one to the most complex. We have always been fascinated by the role of the lateral meniscus. Its peculiar biomechanic makes it a fundamental structure for the knee homeostasis. In fact, even the removal of a small amount of lateral meniscal tissue can have destructive effects on knee cartilage and subchondral bone and, at long term, can lead to osteoarthritis even in young patients. And we know that this is much more evident in the lateral side compared to the medial one.