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A tear of a meniscus is a rupturing of one or more of the fibrocartilage strips in the knee called menisci. When doctors and patients refer to "torn cartilage" in the knee, they actually may be referring to an injury to a meniscus at the top of one of the tibiae. Menisci can be torn during innocuous activities such as walking or squatting.
Each meniscus has an outer vascular zone (red-red zone), which has a good blood supply and healing potential as well as a central avascular zone (white-white zone), which has limited healing capability. [2] The medial meniscus is more prone to injury due to its firm attachment to the joint capsule and limited mobility.
The meniscus is a C-shaped piece of fibrocartilage located at the peripheral aspect of the knee joint that offers lubrication and nutrition to the joint. Each knee has two menisci, medial and lateral, whose purpose is to provide space between the tibia and the femur, preventing friction and allowing for the diffusion of articular cartilage.
Grade I injuries have no instability clinically and are associated with tenderness only, representing a mild sprain. Grade II injuries have broad tenderness over the medial knee and have some gapping with a firm end-point during valgus testing; this represents a partial tear of the ligaments. Grade III injuries have a complete ligamentous tear.
If a tear is detected, treatment depends on the type and size of the tear. Small tears can be treated conservatively, with rest, ice, and pain medications until the pain is under control, then exercise may be started with gradually increasing intensity, to improve range of motion and decrease swelling. More severe tears of the lateral meniscus ...
An injury to a ligament is called a sprain. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons defines ACL injury in terms of severity and classifies them as Grade 1, 2, or 3 sprains. [1] Grade 1 sprains occur when the ligament is stretched slightly but the stability of the knee joint is not affected. Grade 2 sprains occur when the ligament is ...
The RICE method is an effective procedure used in the initial treatment of a soft tissue injury. [6] Rest It is suggested that the patient take a break from the activity that caused the injury in order to give the injury time to heal. Ice The injury should be iced on and off in 20 minute intervals, avoiding direct contact of the ice with the skin.