| The word "meniscus" means crescent shaped | | | | meniscus tear require professional medical |
| structure and owes its origin to Greek. The | | | | attention: |
| C-shaped meniscus made of tough cartilage is | | | | * inability to move your knee |
| wedged between the cartilage surfaces covering | | | | * loss of balance when trying to stand |
| the three bones that form our knee joint. | | | | * locking, clicking, or popping within the knee |
| Meniscus aids the function of the joint by | | | | * extreme difficulty in straightening the knee |
| distributing weight and improving its stability. The | | | | * piercing sensation in the inner and outer edges |
| function of meniscus is of grave importance for | | | | of the knee |
| the general health of the knee. Meniscus tear or | | | | Clinical Testing of Symptoms |
| torn cartilage can severely impair the mobility of | | | | The symptoms can be clinically tested by a |
| the knee joint. | | | | physician to determine if the pain is caused |
| Meniscus tear is one of the most common knee | | | | because of a torn meniscus. The McMurray test is |
| injuries that results in severe pain in the joint. It is | | | | conducted to examine the swelling by pressing on |
| especially common among athletes and sportsmen | | | | the joint line on the affected side of the knee |
| who play contact sports such as football, boxing, | | | | while stressing the meniscus to determine if it has |
| and hockey. There are two chief causes for | | | | produced tenderness that is typical of a torn |
| meniscus tear ñ It can be due to traumatic | | | | meniscus. Steinmann test and Appley test are |
| injury, primarily seen in athletes or due to | | | | similar tests where the patient is sitting in the |
| degenerative processes that are seen in older | | | | former and the latter involves a grinding motion |
| patients who have more brittle cartilages. Sudden | | | | while the patient lies flat with the knee bent at |
| twisting and turning or bending the knee joint is | | | | 90∞. Squatting and bending the knee can be |
| sometimes responsible for torn meniscus. Rotating | | | | quite painful especially with a meniscus tear since |
| the knee while slightly bent can cause meniscus | | | | the movement of the joint if the meniscus is torn |
| tear. | | | | is often restricted. Cooperís sign, which is |
| Symptoms and Signs of Meniscus Tear Mishap | | | | a symptom of pain in the affected knee that is |
| The primary symptoms of a meniscus tear are | | | | usually felt when turning over in bed, is present in |
| usually that of pain and swelling in the knee that | | | | over 92% of tears. The twisting motion of the |
| makes it worse for the knee to bear more | | | | knee affected by meniscal tear results in the |
| weight while doing activities such as running, or | | | | capsular attachment getting stretched and the |
| jogging. Joint locking or incapacity to completely | | | | meniscal fragment getting strained that causes |
| straighten the joint is another common complaint | | | | the pain. |
| that is especially painful while trying to get out of | | | | Meniscus Tear Treatment |
| the car. These are the signs to look out for when | | | | Nonsurgical treatment involves adequate rest, |
| in doubt about the possibility of suffering from a | | | | administration of ice pack to the affected area, |
| torn meniscus: | | | | compression, knee elevation, physical therapy, and |
| * sharp pain in the knee caused by even a minor | | | | even wearing a temporary knee brace. Surgical |
| movement | | | | repair is to sew the tear together. Partial |
| * swelling of the knee | | | | meniscectomy removes the torn section while |
| * stiffness of the knee | | | | total meniscectomy removes the entire meniscus. |
| * obvious presence of fluid in the knee | | | | The last option is general avoided as it increases |
| While these signs can be rectified without medical | | | | the risk of osteoarthritis in the knee. |
| intervention, the following severe symptoms of | | | | |