Before answering the question of what is a meniscus tear, it is necessary to understand what the meniscus is.
Menisci are cartilaginous structures located inside the knee joint to reduce the friction between the thigh and shin bones and to transfer the body load into the knee. They resemble the letter C in shape; There are two of them inside the knee joint, one on the inside and one on the outside.
Tearing of the meniscus occurs in two different ways. In the younger group, rupture may occur after a trauma, that is, a blow. In the elderly group, simple twists and sprains may occur as a result of the weakening and aging of the structures of the menisci, just as the structures in our entire body wear out. increases. The meniscus, which has already lost its structural properties, can be torn with very simple blows.
What are the symptoms of meniscus tears?
When meniscus tears occur, patients usually experience sudden pain or stinging pain. They also feel tearing. Depending on which meniscus is torn, the pain is more pronounced on the inner or outer part of the knee. Within a few hours, swelling occurs in the knee joint due to fluid or blood accumulation in the knee. It is usually possible to step on the injured knee, but there is limping and athletes often have to quit the sport. If the injury is severe, meniscus tears may also be accompanied by ruptures of the cruciate or lateral ligaments of the knee joint. In this case, symptoms such as insecurity and feeling of emptiness in the knee may also occur. Sometimes the torn meniscus piece gets stuck between the bones forming the knee joint and prevents knee movement. In this case, known as locked knee, early surgical treatment is required.
As time passes, the widespread pain in the knee decreases and becomes a point on the relevant meniscus. Pain occurs especially during sudden turns and squatting. Torn meniscus pieces can get between the joint surfaces and cause symptoms such as catching and locking in the knee. This may also cause crunching-like sounds that were not present in the knee before
Injury of the meniscus How are meniscus tears diagnosed?
In order for your doctor to reach a diagnosis of meniscus tear, he will first ask you to explain how the event occurred. He or she will then examine your knee and look for signs of a meniscus tear. Meanwhile, he also examines your lateral and cruciate ligaments. The diagnosis of meniscus tear is largely made after a good history and physical examination. Your doctor may order x-rays to evaluate the amount of wear and tear on your knee and to understand whether there are any other problems with the bone structures. In recent years, the most reliable method to confirm the diagnosis of meniscus tears is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the knee joint.
The accuracy rate of MRI in detecting meniscus tears is over 95% if it is performed properly and evaluated in experienced hands. However, MRI is not the only determinant in deciding on treatment. In some cases, an image may be obtained as if there was a tear even though there was no tear (false positive result), or on the contrary, it may not be detected on MRI even though there is a tear (false negative result). Its share increases greatly and more advanced diagnostic methods may be required. Therefore, when deciding on your treatment, your doctor takes into account not only MRI findings, but also your history and physical examination findings. In some cases, all of these diagnostic methods may be inadequate.
What are the treatment options for meniscus tears?
The treatment of meniscus tears in young people is mostly surgical. Except for some very rare and small tears that are not full thickness, the menisci do not have the ability to heal on their own. In patients with significant complaints, meniscus tears are attempted to be repaired with surgical intervention; if the tear is not suitable for repair, the torn part is removed.
In older patients, meniscus tears are usually accompanied by arthrosis (wear, tear, calcification) in the knee. In this case, simply intervening in the meniscus tear may not completely solve the problem. In this case, your doctor will decide on suppressing the symptoms with medication, intra-articular injections, arthroscopic surgery, or one of the bone corrective surgeries combined with arthroscopy.
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