The way meniscus tears occur is different in young people and older individuals. In young people, a very serious trauma is required for the meniscus to tear. This usually occurs during a rolling motion on a fixed foot. Tears that occur in sports such as football, basketball and skiing are examples of this.
Over the years, meniscus loses its strength and flexibility and "degenerates". Degenerated menisci can tear much more easily. Meniscus tears may occur in older individuals by simply squatting or tripping on the carpet.
The outer meniscus is more mobile than the inner meniscus, so inner meniscus tears are more common. Although rare, there may be congenital deformities in the meniscus. This type of meniscus is more prone to tearing and may cause symptoms even in childhood.
What are the symptoms of meniscus tears?
When meniscus tears occur, patients usually experience sudden pain or stinging pain. They 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 sticking and locking in the knee. This may also cause crunching-like sounds that were not present in the knee before.
How are meniscus tears diagnosed?
In order for your doctor to reach a diagnosis of meniscus tear, he must first understand the occurrence of the event. your telling� � will want. 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.
Image of internal meniscus tear on MRI
The accuracy rate of MRI in detecting meniscus tears If it is drawn properly and evaluated in experienced hands, it is over 95%. 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 was a tear (false negative result).
Especially beforehand. If surgical treatment has been performed for the meniscus, the margin of error increases significantly 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. In this case, the diagnosis is confirmed by arthroscopy.
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 caused by arthrosis (wear, tear, calcification) in the knee. ) is accompanied. In this case, simply intervening in the meniscus tear may not completely solve the problem. In this case, your doctor may recommend suppressing the symptoms with medication, intra-articular injections, arthroscopic surgery or arthroscopy. will decide on one of the bone corrective surgeries
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