GROSS AND MORPHOMETRIC ANATOMY OF MENISCI IN PRE AND POSTNATAL STAGES OF BUFFALO (BUBALUS BUBALIS)

Two menisci from 24 stifle joint from different age groups of buffalo were collected and morphometric measurements were recorded and ANOVA analysis was done from SPSS 17 programme. Grossly age related changes like in Group I menisci was quite reddish and fleshy in nature, Group II and III were whitish whereas Group IV was yellowish. The length and width of lateral menisci increased significantly from Group I (5.10 +/- 0.66 cm and 0.74 +/- 0.17 cm) to Group IV (11.96 +/- 0.31 and 2.02 +/- 0.15 cm) contrary to medial meniscus significant increase in length seen only from Group I (4.72 +/- 0.62 cm) to Group II (9.32 +/- 0.47 cm). Significant increase thickness of lateral meniscus at three different regions in two phases from Group I (5.49 +/- 1.97, 6.78 +/- 1.37 and 5.79 +/- 2.71 mm) to Group II (13.3 +/- 0.89, 17.22 +/- 1.03 and 12.78 +/- 0.78 mm) and Group III (14.21 +/- 0.25, 17.86 +/- 1.15, 13.23 +/- 0.60) to Group IV (16.95 +/- 0.39, 21.78 +/- 0.85 and 14.20 +/- 0.59 mm) in case of medial meniscus increase in thickness from Group I (4.46 +/- 0.86, 5.11 +/- 1.40 and 4.04 +/- 0.71 mm) to Group II (11.39 +/- 0.60, 12.09 +/- 0.35 and 11.08 +/- 0.33 mm) only.