Our meniscus can actually have a greater impact on the entire knee if it is injured. To can help you understand knee problems better, let’s look at familiarizing yourself with the anatomy of the knee joint. A joint is a structure in which two or more bones are attached to each other and to the surrounding structures. Articular cartilage, synovium, meniscus, ligaments, muscles and tendons are the main structures of the knee. The four major bones that meet and form the knee joint are the kneecap (patella), femur (thigh bone), fibula, tibia and shin (tibia). Articular cartilage: Covers the parts of the bones that are in contact with each other. This cartilage is a smooth substance that protects the bones from joint movement and bone friction. It allows the bones to move more freely against each other without pain or wear and tear. Synovium: is a thin layer of tissue that surrounds the entire knee joint. This membrane contains synovial fluid. The synovial fluid is a smooth fluid that bathes the joint and allows for greater freedom of movement. Meniscus: is a rubbery piece of cartilage. It is found in some highly active joints. One function of the meniscus is to absorb shock. The knee has two menisci located between the femur and tibia. Ligaments: are bands of tissue that connect and support the rope-like joints of the bones. Several ligaments come from the femur to the tibia and fibula. Tendons: are elastic tissues that connect muscles to bones. When a muscle contracts, it causes movement in the joint. Muscles and tendons also support each other. Meniscus Tear: A meniscus tear is a common injury in the knee. Tears can occur at any age. In younger people, the meniscus is still fairly tough and tears are usually caused by a very forceful twisting injury, such as when your foot twists while rotating or hitting a ball or squatting. In older people, the meniscus has developed to become weaker with age, so meniscus tears can occur from some very small injuries, such as squatting, with these simple exercises. But sports injuries are not the only cause of tears; tears can also occur in collisions. Symptoms and Determination What are the symptoms of a possible meniscus tear? Have you recently bumped your knee? Have you recently sprained your knee? Have you experienced any of the following symptoms? 1) Pain and pressure in your knee; 2) Swelling and inflammation in your knee; 3) Difficulty straightening your knee; 4) Tingling in the middle of your knee when you walk; 5) Instability in your knee; 6) Feeling of your knee catching and popping; 7) Pain when you try to rotate, straighten, or elevate your knee. If so, it’s time for you to see a doctor because you may have a torn meniscus. A torn meniscus can lead to long-term problems. The constant friction of a torn meniscus in the articular cartilage can cause wear and tear on the cartilage surface, leading to osteoarthritis of the knee as well as possible replacement of the knee joint! Examination A plain x-ray will not show a torn meniscus because the tissue is not dense enough. X-rays are mainly used to find the bone in question. MRI scans (Magnetic Resonance Imaging scanners) are very good at showing if the meniscus is torn. If the medical history and scanner strongly suggest that you have a torn meniscus, then a repeat arthroscopy can be performed to confirm the diagnosis and repair the problem at the same time. Treatment 1. Ice packs Immediate treatment for meniscus tears are all about reducing pain and swelling in the knee. So rest, tight compression and ice packs are the first treatments. 1, to protect the joint from further injury; 2, to allow other tissues that allow the injury to heal; 3, ice or cold therapy to reduce pain and swelling, which is the sooner the better; 4, compression will help reduce swelling. Professional athletes physical therapy immediately before applying a compression bandage immediately applied to limit swelling. 2, Rest If the tear is located in the lateral 1/3 of the meniscus fluid surface, the tear may heal itself because there is a good blood supply. Surgery The inner 2/3 of the meniscus does not have a good blood supply to repair it, so surgery may be necessary if the tear is in this area. If symptoms persist and the tear interferes with daily activities, surgery will be needed either to remove the torn portion of the meniscus or to repair the tear and prevent further deterioration and damage to the knee. Most meniscus surgery is done using an arthroscope. The orthopedic surgeon will make a smaller incision in the knee joint to allow for the insertion of a small TV camera. Then through another small incision, a specialized instrument is used to remove the torn portion of the meniscus while the arthroscope is used to see what has happened. Tip: It is not recommended to remove the meniscus completely, removing it is the same as bone rubbing on bone, because as mentioned above the meniscus is meant to absorb shock, removing it means the shock absorber is gone, which in turn increases the chances of subsequent surgeries and makes you more susceptible to arthritis. Moreover, the removal is irreversible, once removed, it cannot be restored!