Menisci are C-shaped pads situated inside the knee and acts as a cushion between your shin bone (tibia) and thigh bone (femur). The medial meniscus sits inside of the knee and the lateral meniscus sits on the outside of the knee.
Like a lot of knee injuries, a meniscus tear is very painful and debilitating. Unfortunately, it is one of the most frequent injuries of the knee. They are common in sports and physical activities. They can also happen when a person changes direction suddenly while running. All it takes is a good twist of the knee to tear the meniscus.
Meniscus Tears
Symptoms
The most common cause of chronic knee pain and disability is arthritis. Although there are many types of arthritis, most knee pain is caused by just three types: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and post-traumatic arthritis.
- Pain
- Swelling
- Popping sensation during the injury
- Difficulty in movements of knee. Sometimes the knee gets “stuck/lock” in some position and needs effort to open up.
Diagnosis
On examination you may have swelling of the knee and joint line tenderness
Although x-rays do not show meniscus tears they show other causes of knee pain that is aggravating your symptoms.
MRI confirms the tear. It also gives additional information regarding the tear necessary for deciding the treatment.
Treatment
Treatment depends on the size and location of the tear. Initial treatment consists of RICE protocol. RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation.
Rest – Take a break from physical activities and give some rest to your knee. Ice – Apply cold packs 15 minutes a time, several times a day.
Compression – Wear an elastic compression bandage to prevent further swelling and blood loss inside your knee.
Elevation – When you rest keep your leg at a higher level to reduce swelling.
Surgical Treatment
If your symptoms persist, your doctor may recommend Arthroscopic surgery.
Meniscus Repair – Some meniscus tears can be repaired by suturing the torn ends together. The success of the repair depends on the age of the patient, condition of the knee, condition of the meniscus, location and type of meniscus tear. Recovery is longer as it takes time for the meniscus to heal.
Partial Menisectomy – In most of the patients the meniscus tear is not repairable. In these patients, the torn meniscus is trimmed. Recovery is very fast.
- Maintain body flexibility
- Strengthen your thigh and back muscles with exercises.
- Wear properly fitting shoes.
- Warm up with light activities before exercise.
- Never abruptly increase the intensity of your workouts.
- Take rest between workouts.
Prevention
Dr. Abhishek Jain
Arthroscopy, Joint Replacement and Trauma surgeon
Jain Hospital, Gurgaon
