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Plica syndrome
constellation of signs & symptoms that occur secondary to injury or overuse of the knee
Pathology:
- persistence of embryonal synovial remnants
- inflammation from repetitive stress, a single blunt trauma, joint mice, osteochondritis dissecans, meniscal tears
Clinical manifestations:
- onset of symptoms usually delayed until adolescence
- not all synonvial plicae are symptomatic
- anterior knee pain, may be episodic
- clicking; high-pitched snapping
- knee buckling, knee locking
- aggravation of symptoms by activity, stair climbing, prolonged standing, squatting, or sitting
Radiology:
- radiograph of knee to rule out other pathology
Complications:
- common comorbidities include:
- meniscal tears
- patellar tendonitis
- Osgood-Schlatter disease
- Sinding-Larsen-Johansson disease
- patellar instability
Management:
- stretching & strengthening exercises often leads to some improvement
- patellar knee sleeve worn during sporting activities may be helpful
- NSAIDs
General
syndrome
joint disease; articular disease; arthropathy
References
- Wikipedia: Plica syndrome
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plica_syndrome
- Bigelow TL and CJ Lavernia
Medscape (eMedicine): Plica Syndrome
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1252011-overview