Fig. 1

A series of 135 knee arthroscopies has been reviewed to determine the accuracy of detection of meniscal lesions. Arthroscopy and double-contrast arthography achieved similar accuracy (84 per cent and 86 per cent) in the diagnostically more difficult knees of the series. The combined accuracy of both examinations was 98 per cent. Arthroscopic difficulty in seeing the posterior third ofthe medial meniscus, and consequently tears in this region, is emphasised and discussed. Arthroscopy and arthrography are complementary in the diagnosis of difficult meniscal problems.

"Spiking", "sharpening" or "peaking" of the tubercles of the intercondylar eminence of the tibial plateau has been described as an early sign of osteoarthritis of the knee joint, but there are no reports confirming this association. The radiographs of 55 patients with established osteoarthritis of the knee joint and 36 controls were reviewed. Measurements were made of the angulation of the tips of the medial and lateral tubercles, and the ratio of the tubercle height to the width of the tibial plateau was calculated. There was a significant difference in both these parameters between the two groups, confirming that lengthening and sharpening of the angles of the tubercles are features of osteoarthritis of the knee joint.

should be deprived of benefit from their husbands' war service. Interest at 3-50o compound, without tax relief, payable to secure war service pension compares very unfavourably with the miserable 210O simple-taxable-paid since 1948 on our compensation for loss of goodwill. A colleague of mine with six years of war service recently wrote to the appropriate department of the Ministry of Defence seeking confirmation of the dates of his war service. I understand th'at the reply was to the effect that "they had never heard of him." Reverting to the increase of pension of practitioners who retired between January 1969 and March 1972, I wrote to the Superannuation Department which deals with my pension in March 1975 and even at that late date they denied any knowledge of the proposed increase. Why are we waiting? K