Avascular necrosis of the talus causing meniscoid lesions in the ankle joint: a case report

BACKGROUND: Meniscoid lesions have been reported in patients with chronic ankle injuries, especially in soccer athletes, and such lesions cause soft-tissue impingement and pain. To our knowledge, we are the first to report a meniscoid lesion in the ankle joint presenting as a long-term sequela of avascular necrosis of the talus that developed in childhood. CASE PRESENTATION: In this paper, we describe a 55-year-old Caucasian male patient who presented with a 1-year history of intermittent locking, “giving way,” weight-bearing pain, and swelling over the anterior aspect of the ankle joint. Imaging showed a rare case of avascular necrosis of the talus associated with an unstable plica-like lesion that was removed arthroscopically after unsuccessful conservative treatment. CONCLUSION: We demonstrate that unstable meniscoid lesions of the ankle joint can be treated successfully with arthroscopic debridement. We obtained satisfactory short-term clinical results at the 2-year follow-up, even though advanced osteoarthritis was present.