Although meniscus injury is a common condition, its timely and proper treatment should never be neglected, otherwise the best time for treatment will be lost, producing undesirable results that both doctors and patients do not want to see. My wife had to have one side of her meniscus removed because she did not see a doctor early enough.
From what I know about the current treatment concepts of meniscal injuries in China and Germany, the most important common points are
1. The earlier the treatment, the better
2. If it can be sutured, it should be sutured
3. If it cannot be sutured, preserve as much as possible
4. If you can leave a little, leave a little
5, must be early enough to find professional doctors with sufficient experience to consult, neither too much trouble not to consult, nor should just find a doctor to see
In addition, meniscal transplantation is not yet a routine treatment internationally, and has its own strict indications and contraindications for surgery. During my stay in Heidelberg, I attended on average 2-3 meniscus transplants per month. However, the results are not yet satisfactory for everyone. I think the most important thing is to use this technique rationally and responsibly and not to cause unnecessary problems for the patient!
Below, I will briefly give you a few facts about meniscus injuries.
I would like to remind everyone here: it is very important for a patient to know the relevant medical knowledge!
I. Anatomical structure
1.The medial meniscus (MM) is widely spaced at both ends and is “C”-shaped, with the edges connected to the joint capsule and the deep layer of the medial collateral ligament.
2. The lateral meniscus (LM) is “O” shaped, with the N tendon separating the meniscus from the joint capsule in the middle and posterior 1/3, forming a gap, and the lateral meniscus is separate from the lateral collateral ligament.
II. Blood supply.
1. There is blood supply at the anterior and posterior horn attachments and at the edge connected to the joint capsule (the area with darkened staining)
2, the central 2/3 has no blood supply, nutrition comes from joint fluid. Therefore, once this part is injured, it is not suitable for suturing, because it is difficult to heal without sufficient blood supply
III. Mechanics and histological structure.
1.The meniscus is a half-moon shaped disc of fibrocartilage with a triangular cut surface
2, concave on the top and flat on the bottom
3, the surface is covered with a thin layer of fibrocartilage, the interior is mixed with a large number of elastic fibers of dense collagen fibers
4, the circumferential fibers of the restraint role (barrel hoop role)