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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Knee Meniscus Injury
