The meniscus is one of the most common joint injuries. Meniscus tears in young people usually occur in sports accidents. These untreated tears can negatively affect the careers of athletes, especially. In the elderly, menisci, which occur due to the wear and tear of the body, can be treated with various methods. While diagnosing the meniscus, examination, MRI or diagnostic arthroscopy are used.
What is the meniscus?
Although the meniscus is known as a disease among the people, it actually represents an important structure that protects the cartilage in the knee region. This structure provides ease of movement in the knees, which is one of the busiest joints in the body. The meniscus, which functions as a hinge between the shin and thigh bones, consists of two parts in the form of O and C. Each knee has one set of these pieces.
The O-shaped structure is called the external meniscus, and the C-shaped structure is called the internal meniscus. The meniscus, which increases the contact surface of the shin and thigh bones with each other, allows the body weight on the bones to be distributed in a balanced way.
Also, as a result of a sudden impact, the knee Absorbing the shock force that occurs in the region of the knee and allowing the intra-knee fluid to spread to the joint cartilages are among the disorders caused by the meniscus.
How Does Meniscus Injury Occur?
Meniscus tear, which is one of the problems frequently encountered by athletes, can also happen to many people in daily life. Those who carry heavy loads, those who are constantly standing, housewives who are busy with housework and the elderly may face meniscus tear. This type of injury, which usually occurs when the body weight is given to one side, can sometimes occur even with simple movements such as kneeling, squatting and lifting heavy loads. When the tears and injuries in the meniscus are handled under a few main headings, these headings are listed as follows:
- Direct Injuries: Includes injuries that occur as a result of direct blows to the knee. Falling on the knee, traffic accidents, kicks to the knee cause these types of injuries. this type In these cases, while the foot is fixed on the ground, the body performs the rotational movement on the knee. While tears in football matches and skiing are considered as indirect injuries, loss of balance and uncontrolled rotation of the body on the knee can also cause indirect injuries.
- Degenerative Injuries: Injuries caused by deformations in the body due to old age. is considered. In such cases, especially in the elderly, even the slightest blow to the knee prepares the environment for the rupture of the intact meniscus.
What are the Meniscus Symptoms?
Pain in the knees Swelling and stiffness in the knees locking
The first complaints of patients in meniscus tears are usually pain, swelling and stiffness in the knees. Pain in the knees when going up and down stairs, sitting up or going up and down hills is the first signal of damage to the meniscus. This type of pain and swelling, which is ignored in daily life, can lead to more serious problems in the future. In the next stage, patients face the problem of locking in addition to pain in the knees. Stuttering in the knees while sitting and getting up causes the knee to lock in a certain position and then a feeling of discharge in the knees. Meniscus treatment, which is noticed in the first stages, can be performed without the need for surgery. However, in the later stages, it may become mandatory for patients to have meniscus surgery.
How is Meniscus Treatment Performed?
The treatment method applied to the patients varies according to the size of the injuries and tears in question. In acute cases, ice compression on the meniscus, keeping the knee in a higher position than the body, and rest play an important role in the treatment. Pain and stiffness in the knees make the daily life of patients very difficult. For this reason, as soon as the complaints occur, the patient should be diagnosed and appropriate treatment should be started without losing any time.
Otherwise, along with daily activities, the sports activities of the patients are also interrupted. In addition, untreated tears cause wear on the joints and bones, causing knee calcification called "gonarthrosis" at an early age. Treatment used to prevent these problems methods are discussed under two main headings as exercise and drug therapy and surgical treatment.
Exercise and Medication Therapy
After examination and diagnosis in low-grade tears, medications and exercises recommended by the doctor and damage can be repaired. In addition to these exercises and medications, patients need to rest for a certain period of time. When the meniscus can be healed with physical therapy, sticking to the exercise program given by the doctor is of great importance in the healing process. Otherwise, low-grade tears may progress and require surgical treatment. For physical therapy to be effective, an exercise plan of at least 1.5 months may be needed.
Arthroscopy Replaced Open Surgery!
A new era is beginning with the developing technology in meniscus surgeries. With a special technique called arthroscopy, very small holes are made in the knees of the patients, and an optical device with a camera is inserted through these holes. The area displayed by the device is reflected on the screen, and the damaged area can be seen clearly.
Removal of the torn part of the meniscus is sufficient for treatment. In arthroscopy, which replaces the open surgeries used in the past, scars and stains do not occur. In addition, this technological method allows the patient to stand up in a short time and return to daily activities without wasting time. After the procedures without incision, the patients do not have to worry about dressing. The vast majority of patients recover without the need for physical therapy after surgery.
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