Effect of Traditional Korean Medicine Treatments on the Discoid Meniscus of Knee Joint: Two Clinical Cases

Abstract

The discoid meniscus is an innate modified form of the meniscus, characterized by middle hypertrophy and a larger than the regular diameter, leading to an absence of the characteristic "C" arrangement. Previously, no study has reported the traditional Korean medicine treatment of knee pain mainly due to discoid meniscus. Here, we report two cases of a discoid meniscus of the knee as the cause of knee pain. Patients were diagnosed with magnetic resonance imaging for discoid meniscus and received traditional Korean medicine treatments, including pharmacopuncture, acupuncture, herbal medicine, and chuna. The pain was alleviated when assessed by patient-reported pain scale scores, and the general knee condition was improved. Thus, traditional Korean medicine treatments could be effective for patients who had discoid meniscus of the knee joint in this case report.