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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