Life is movement, Movement is life

   Knee Meniscus Injury

 

         

 Meniscal  Injuries

The weight bearing surfaces of your knees are covered with articular cartilage. There are also two "shock absorbers" in your knee on either side of the joint. These two structures are called the medial meniscus and the lateral meniscus. The menisci are horseshoe-shaped pieces of cartilage that help to center the knee joint during activity and minimize the amount of stress on the articular cartilage. The combination of the menisci and the articular cartilage in your knee produces a nearly frictionless gliding surface.

Studies show that when the ACL is torn approximately 50% of patients also tear their meniscus at the same time. If a part of the meniscus is torn, it can cause a significant amount of pain. The lateral meniscus is more commonly injured than the medial meniscus. Some tears in the meniscus can heal themselves, others may require surgical treatment to help them heal, and some meniscal tears create fragments that need to be removed.

This illustrates the normal position of the menisci on the weight bearing surface of the tibial plateau. In the figure on the left, the medial and lateral menisci are seen on either side of the tibia. In the figure on right, there is a tear in the lateral meniscus.

Certain meniscal tears can be repaired. The ability to repair meniscal tears depends upon the type of tear, how long the meniscus has been torn, and how old the patient is. In general, younger patients with tears that are near to where the meniscus attaches to the capsule of the knee joint are better candidates for a meniscal repair than are older patients who have a tear that creates a free flap of meniscus. Meniscal tears can be repaired with either sutures, or special tacks that can be inserted arthroscopically.

Certain tears and certain patients are best treated with removal of the torn part of the meniscus. In this situation, special instruments are used to removed the damaged portion of the meniscus while preserving as much healthy tissue as possible.