Unhappy Triad

The English term unhappy triad ( dt, unhappy triad ' ) describes the combination of a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament (Latin anterior cruciate ligament ), the medial meniscus ( medial meniscus ) and the medial collateral ligament ( medial collateral ligament ) ( tibial collateral ligament ). The pattern of injury was described in 1950 by O'Donoghue and referred to by him in 1964 as unhappy triad.

The causes are often called " flexion -valgus external rotation injury " was adopted. This means that the knee slightly bent, in the knock-knee position and is rotated at a standstill lower leg outwards. Among the "classics " among the Verletzungshergängen include ski accidents in which the patient gets stuck with a ski and thereby triggers the mechanism described.

In recent years, however, repeatedly questioned the combination described above were loud. In several series of patients the lateral meniscus was in the accident above mechanism much more frequently affected than the medial meniscus. This is therefore probably in the unhappy triad is a not so common injury patterns.