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A biographical insight about nineteenth century Scottish surgeon Thomas Annandale (1838-1907), describing his life and his milestone contribution to the orthopaedics field, particularly analysing the first meniscus repair in history, that Annandale performed in 1883 and documented in his original paper titled "An Operation for Displaced Semilunar Cartilage" (1885). The experience of Annandale marks a shift in the treatment of meniscal injuries, by introducing the practice of restoring and repairing the original status of the tissue.

The science and surgery of the meniscus have evolved significantly over time. Surgeons and scientists always enjoy looking forward to novel therapies. However, as part of the ongoing effort at optimizing interventions and outcomes, it may also be useful to reflect on important milestones from the past. The aim of the present manuscript was to explore the history of meniscal surgery across the ages, from ancient times to the twenty-first century. Herein, some of the investigations of the pioneers in orthopaedics are described, to underline how their work has influenced the management of the injured meniscus in modern times. Level of evidence V.

Abstractosteochondritis dissecans (oCD) is a rare yet fascinating disease affecting young, active patients. it remains a 'mysterious disease' whose etiopathology, still unclear, is the subject of ongoing studies aiming improving the knowledge of this condition and, therefore, treatment options, too. Even though the first descriptions of intra-articular loose bodies date back to very ancient times, it is only relatively recently that, thanks to the contribution of some very eminent physicians, it became recognized as a specific orthopaedic condition. the aim of the present manuscript is to trace the main steps in the journey that led to the acknowledgement of oCD as an autonomous clinical entity, and to recall the prominent figures involved.