It's a piece of cartilage in your knee. There are two menisci in each knee medial meniscus (the inner one) and lateral meniscus (the outer one).
It's a piece of cartilage in your knee. There are two menisci in each knee medial meniscus (the inner one) and lateral meniscus (the outer one). It is very important for normal functioning of your knee joint. Its fuctions are: • It acts as cushion • It stabilizes the joint • It protects the bones from wear and tear • Disperse the weight of the body and reduce friction during movement
Traumatic: All it takes is a good twist of the knee to tear the meniscus. Like from small fall to sports injury can cause meniscus tear. Degenerative:
Due to ongoing degeneration in your knee joint because of old age/ arthritis/ obesity reduces quality of menisci so suddensome cases, a piece of the shredded cartilage breaks loose and catches in the knee joint, causing it to lock up.
The most common type of tear to the meniscus is a radial tear. This type of tear occurs in the area of the knee that isn’t supplied with blood, so it cannot heal on its own.
Surgery may be required if the tear is severe. In the case of a radial tear, the surgeon will trim away the damaged part of the meniscus.
A horizontal meniscus tear is one of the easiest types of tears to repair in the knee. Rather than removing the portion of the meniscus that is damaged, the surgeon will try to sew together the circumferential fibers of the meniscus back together.
Location is key to meniscus repair. The more vascular sections of the meniscus, close to the outside edge, have a greater potential for healing than do areas that are more centrally located in the knee.
A flap tear also creates an unusual tear pattern. A patient who has a flap tear may experience a catching sensation in the knee. The flap of the meniscus causes that feeling, and that very small section of tissue can be removed in order to resolve the pain.
A bucket handle tear is similar to a horizontal tear, but this type of tear involves a larger portion of the meniscus. The knee becomes stuck, and the torn part of the meniscus blocks the normal motion of the knee. This type of tear often requires urgent surgery in order to restore the ability of the knee to bend.
An incomplete or intrasubstance tear may appear normal when the surgeon begins to perform surgery, but the tear is a signal that the meniscus tissue is in the early stages of degenerative changes. However, this injury doesn’t usually pose a problem.
These tears are considered stable injuries, and surgery is not required. The tear can be seen via an MRI scan.
A complex meniscus tear involves several tear patterns, often involving patterns that are signs of radial and horizontal tears. This injury isn’t usually treated with reparative surgery, although the meniscus can be removed.
Treatment for a torn meniscus often begins conservatively, depending on the type, size and location of your tear.
Tears associated with arthritis often improve over time with treatment of the arthritis, so surgery usually isn't indicated. Many other tears that aren't associated with locking or a block to knee motion will become less painful over time, so they also don't require surgery.
✓ Rest- Avoid activities that aggravate your knee pain, especially any activity that causes you to twist, rotate or pivot your knee. If your pain is severe, using crutches can take pressure off your knee and promote healing. ✓ Ice- Ice can reduce knee pain and swelling. Use a cold pack, a bag of frozen vegetables or a towel filled with ice cubes for about 15 minutes at a time, keeping your knee elevated. Do this every four to six hours the first day or two, and then as often as needed. ✓ Medication- pain relievers and anti-inflammatory medicines also can help ease knee pain.
Physical therapy can help you strengthen the muscles around your knee and in your legs to help stabilize and support the knee joint.
If your knee remains painful despite rehabilitative therapy or if your knee locks, your doctor might recommend surgery.
In some cases, your doctor might use an instrument known as an arthroscope to examine the inside of your knee. The arthroscope is inserted through a tiny incision near your knee.
The device contains a light and a small camera, which transmits an enlarged image of the inside of your knee onto a monitor. If necessary, surgical instruments can be inserted through the arthroscope or through additional small incisions in your knee to trim or repair the tear.
If the tear can't be repaired, the meniscus might be surgically trimmed, possibly through tiny incisions using an arthroscope. After surgery, you will need to do exercises to increase and maintain knee strength and stability.
" If you have advanced, degenerative arthritis, your doctor might recommend a Knee-Replacement Surgery "
