Presence of meniscal ossicle in femorotibial joint of domestic cats (Felis catus, Linnaeus, 1758)

• Autor(a) principal: Prieto, Wiliam da Silva
• Data de Publicação: 2020
• Outros Autores: Carvalho, Ana Carolina Fornari Borges de, Silva, Luana Célia Stunitz da
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Biotemas (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/biotemas/article/view/2175-7925.2020.e71297

The femorotibial articulation is a complex joint, that, on top of being related to the patella, may, in some animal species, present an oval-shaped radiopaque structure on radiographic examination, located between the femoral and tibial bones, in a mediolateral projection, called the meniscal ossicle. Although commonly related in different species, including humans, little is known about their function and frequency, and their occurrence in large felids is well reported. The present study aims to perform a radiographic analysis of the femorotibial articulation of 40 domestic cats (Felis catus, Linnaeus, 1758) in mediolateral and craniocaudal projections, and to evaluate the presence or absence of the meniscal bone and its frequency. From the radiographs taken, 15% (n = 6) of ossicle frequency were obtained, with higher frequency observed in males and unilaterally, the left knee being the one with the highest incidence of the structure. Because it is a common find reported in several wild felids species, the presence of the meniscal ossicle should be considered and included as a differential diagnosis when performing radiographs of domestic cats and visualizing intra-articular opacity in mediolateral radiographic projections of the femorotibial articulation.