[Clinical use of meniscus sonography].

We report on the sonography of the meniscus as a new non-invasive imaging technique for diagnosis of traumatic lesions of the menisci of the knee joint. Using an efficient ultrasound equipment with a 7.5 MHz sectorscanner, the sonographic imaging of all parts of the medial and the lateral meniscus is regularly successful. During 10 months more than 200 patients with symptoms of a traumatic meniscal lesion got a sonographic examination in our hospital. The results show that in 86% there is an identity with the operative findings. By sonographic imaging there can be seen longitudinal and transversal ruptures, 'fishmouth' - and 'bucket - handle' lesions and complete detachment of the meniscus. Decisive for the diagnosis is a hyperechogenic zone running through the homogeneous gray meniscus. With ultrasound, it is regularly possible to get information about the locality and the extension, but not about the kind of lesion.