Knee A to Z

A discoid meniscus is an unusual variant of the meniscus shock absorber of the knee, and is wider than the normal crescentic shape. Page updated September 2023 by Dr Sheila Strover (Clinical Editor)

A dislocation of the knee is a serious injury where most or all of the ligaments of the knee become disrupted and the thighbone (femur) dislocates from the shinbone (tibia).

Dislocation of the patella is when the kneecap (patella) comes right out of the groove in the thighbone (femoral groove) in which it normally rides. Page updated July 2023 by Dr Sheila Strover (Clinical Editor)

Distal is a positional word, meaning the lower end of a structure such as a bone.

A distal femoral osteotomy is a surgical procedure to cut and realign the lower end of the femur bone, in order to change the forces going through the one side of the joint.

The surgical procedure of distalisation of the tibial tubercle involves cutting the bony tibial tubercle below the kneecap and fixing it in a lower position. Page updated July 2023 by Dr Sheila Strover (Clinical Editor)

Distal realignment procedures are those surgical procedures performed below the kneecap in an attempt to better align it with the groove of the underlying femur bone. Page updated May 2024 by Dr Sheila Strover (Clinical Editor)

A donor meniscus is knee meniscus donated for transplant from a deceased person.

A donut brace is a knee brace with a hole cut out of the centre to accommodate the kneecap.

The dorsum of a structure is the back of that structure.