Introduction
It is the name given to the abnormally shaped meniscus in the knee joint and is more prone to injury than the normal meniscus. Patients with discoid meniscus may not encounter any clinical problems throughout their lives. Generally, discoid meniscus is a problematic condition and clinical complaints begin in childhood.
Anatomy
The knee joint consists of three bones. Tibia (Tibial Bone), Patella (Knee Cap) and Femur (Thigh Bone).
Between the Thigh and Shin bones, there are two crescent-shaped cartilaginous structures called meniscus, which serve as shock absorbers. Menisci have a hard and rubbery structure.
Definition
Discoid meniscus is usually seen in the outer meniscus. The normal outer meniscus is crescent shaped. However, the discoid meniscus has a full or round meniscus rather than a half moon.
In 20% of patients, discoid menisci are seen in both knees.
Discoid menisci are thick, abnormally shaped and therefore prone to tear. Pain and locking occur as a result of the tear.
It is a congenital disorder and its cause is not exactly known.
Clinical Findings
When your meniscus is torn, there is a "pop" sound. You can take. Many people continue to walk and live their daily lives with their injured knees. Some athletes continue to play with their torn meniscus, and on the second or third day the knee will become stiff, stuck and swollen.
The most common symptoms of meniscus tears are;
- Pain
- Swelling and Stiffness
- Insecurity in the Knee
- Limitation or locking in knee movements
If left untreated, the torn piece will be dragged between the knee, causing locking or slipping.
Physical Examination and Patient History
After taking the clinical symptoms and patient history, your doctor will examine your knee. Tenderness will be checked at the knee joint line. This is often a signal for a tear.
The main examination for the meniscus is the McMurray test. Your doctor will first bend your knee and then rotate it while straightening it. If you have a meniscus tear, a clicking sound or sensitivity may occur during this movement. Some different knee problems may also cause the same findings. Therefore, your doctor may request X-rays and MRIs for differential diagnosis and diagnosis.
strong>Treatment
Sometimes, your doctor detects a discoid meniscus in the knee due to a different problem. In such cases, if there is no clinical complaint, no special treatment may be necessary.
However, if there are pain, locking and other complaints, your orthopedic physician will recommend the most common and popular arthroscopic surgery.
Surgery procedure; This surgery is performed closed with the help of a camera. The knee does not open and there is no bleeding. Meniscus tears are repaired or cleaned with advanced special hand tools. The patient is usually discharged on the same day. Anesthesia is often not general, but regional anesthesia. However, if it is a child, it is generally preferred.
The most effective treatment is to remove the discoid meniscus piece. It is schematized in the picture below.
Rehabilitation
After the surgery, your knee may need to remain immobile in a knee brace for a short time.
Once the recovery is completed, healing exercises will be given. Exercises will be given to initiate and then strengthen joint range of motion.
Your doctor may recommend physical therapy, but exercises given at home are usually sufficient
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