The reasons for meniscus injury:
The meniscuses normally move simultaneously with the movement of the joint body, i.e. there is no entrapment between them and the two parts of the joint body which come in touch and would lead to their damaging. But there are some specific movements, especially in sport (80 percent of the injuries are of sport origin) i.e. such as football, when the meniscuses become entrapped. It happens in the lower leg region rotated towards the outside and half flexed. If in that moment, the body weight is on that leg and makes an extension of the leg, the pressured meniscuses can no longer avoid being pressed and eventually crushed between the joint bodies. Medial meniscus is less movable, so it is harder to get pulled and therefore it is injured. These described movements are the most common in footballers so a bigger part of the injuries are related with this sport.
The meniscuses normally move simultaneously with the movement of the joint body, i.e. there is no entrapment between them and the two parts of the joint body which come in touch and would lead to their damaging. But there are some specific movements, especially in sport (80 percent of the injuries are of sport origin) i.e. such as football, when the meniscuses become entrapped. It happens in the lower leg region rotated towards the outside and half flexed. If in that moment, the body weight is on that leg and makes an extension of the leg, the pressured meniscuses can no longer avoid being pressed and eventually crushed between the joint bodies. Medial meniscus is less movable, so it is harder to get pulled and therefore it is injured. These described movements are the most common in footballers so a bigger part of the injuries are related with this sport.
There are 4 types of meniscus injuries:
The diagnosis of meniscus injury is given on the base of anamnesis. The description of the appearance of the injury is also an important factor. Anamnesis, blood effusion and soreness after the trauma on the knee blockade, throws justifiable doubt on meniscal lesions. The painful sensitivity to the palpation on the medial side of the joint fracture is not a certain indication, since it is also present in the injury of the collateral medial ligament.
- Fresh injuries appear on a healthy meniscus, and are the most common case in sportsmen. They are usually the result from some pressure.
- Late meniscus injuries in which there is a traumatic injury of the meniscus from earlier.
- Late injuries with the looseness of the knees are a sign of pseudo primary degeneration change of the joint capsule.
- A spontaneous injure of the meniscus is based on a primary degeneration of the meniscus tissue and this is a common case in mountaineers.
The diagnosis of meniscus injury is given on the base of anamnesis. The description of the appearance of the injury is also an important factor. Anamnesis, blood effusion and soreness after the trauma on the knee blockade, throws justifiable doubt on meniscal lesions. The painful sensitivity to the palpation on the medial side of the joint fracture is not a certain indication, since it is also present in the injury of the collateral medial ligament.
Signs of a meniscus injury:
-Significant functional impairment
-Pain on the side of the injured meniscus
-A slight effluence in the knee, a common case of puncture
-Pain during palpation of the knee in the area of the joint crack
-X-ray findings
-Significant functional impairment
-Pain on the side of the injured meniscus
-A slight effluence in the knee, a common case of puncture
-Pain during palpation of the knee in the area of the joint crack
-X-ray findings
The signs of chronic injury of the meniscus are:
-Injury of the meniscus in the anamnesis
-Atrophy of the front muscles of the upper leg part especially m. vastus medialis
-The effluence is rarely swollen and usually serous
-X-rays
-Injury of the meniscus in the anamnesis
-Atrophy of the front muscles of the upper leg part especially m. vastus medialis
-The effluence is rarely swollen and usually serous
-X-rays
Healing process:
By rule, it begins with a conservative procedure, and in 15 percent it ends without any serious consequences. The fresh meniscus injury should be treated conservatively. The immobilization lasts for 6 to 8 months with an obligatory physiotherapeutic procedure. In entrapment cases which cannot be resolved, an operation should be done-the sooner, the better. If the meniscus diagnosis is confirmed, the operation should not be postponed, so that additional degeneration changes do not occur to the knee. The knee joint is a very complex joint which can be easily hurt, and very difficult to cure. One of the most common knee injuries is meniscus injury. More than half of all joint injuries are caused by meniscal lesions. The injury of the medial meniscus is 15 to 20 times more common than the injury of the lateral meniscus, which is a consequence of its weaker mobility in comparison to the lateral meniscus, due to its close connection with the medial collateral ligament.
By rule, it begins with a conservative procedure, and in 15 percent it ends without any serious consequences. The fresh meniscus injury should be treated conservatively. The immobilization lasts for 6 to 8 months with an obligatory physiotherapeutic procedure. In entrapment cases which cannot be resolved, an operation should be done-the sooner, the better. If the meniscus diagnosis is confirmed, the operation should not be postponed, so that additional degeneration changes do not occur to the knee. The knee joint is a very complex joint which can be easily hurt, and very difficult to cure. One of the most common knee injuries is meniscus injury. More than half of all joint injuries are caused by meniscal lesions. The injury of the medial meniscus is 15 to 20 times more common than the injury of the lateral meniscus, which is a consequence of its weaker mobility in comparison to the lateral meniscus, due to its close connection with the medial collateral ligament.
