Damage to the meniscus of the knee takes the main place among injuries of this joint. Unfortunately, when injured, many untimely seek medical help. Because they do not suspect what the problem is, this is the meniscus of the knee, and it is damaged. And this, in turn, is fraught with serious consequences.
What is a knee meniscus?
A strong and at the same time flexible cartilaginous plate, which increases the correspondence of the articular surfaces of the tibia and femur, is called the meniscus. It is located inside the knee joint and has a crescent shape. The meniscus is necessary for depreciation and a measured distribution of load on the knee.
Each person in the knee joint has two meniscus - lateral (external) and medial (internal). For an ordinary person, this says little, but for doctors there is a difference. The inner meniscus of the knee is less mobile than the outside, so it is injured much more often. Almost 75% of both consist of collagen fibers, which, interwoven, form a tissue structure of increased strength.
Functions
The main purpose of menisci is considered to be to protect the components of the joint from injury and abrasion. They also reduce the likelihood of dislocations and limit the range of motion in the joint.
During sharp jumps, menisci soften the negative impact and help to cope with the load, evenly distributing it.
Causes
Damage to the meniscus of the knee occurs as a result of:
trauma that occurred during a sharp turn of the lower leg;
a powerful blow to the knee;
repeated injury;
when the kneecap falls on an object or surface;
with excessive extension of the knee from a bent position.
A serious danger to the knee is represented by systematic injuries, strong compression and an untreated meniscus rupture. As a result of such pathologies, the cartilage becomes thinner, their delamination occurs, and cracks and erosion occur. When the meniscus structure is destroyed, it ceases to fulfill its immediate functions. In addition, problems with the meniscus can occur due to overweight. As well as constant heavy physical labor and being in a standing position.
The risk of knee meniscus damage in those situations when a person is professionally involved in a sport, as a result of transferred arthritis, gout, with weak ligaments and overly movable joints, is increased.
Degenerative breaks can occur as a result of chronic joint diseases. Most often, these deviations are people over 45 years old. When the meniscus structure is weakened, even a slight load is enough to damage it.
When the first signs of a meniscus appear, it is necessary to immediately seek medical help, since without a qualified treatment, the cartilaginous plate may completely lose its function.
Symptoms
Everyone knows that the meniscus of the knee is a kind of buffer between the bone surfaces. His health should be treated with utmost care. To start treatment on time, it is important to know the signs that indicate abnormalities.
When injuring and developing meniscus pathologies, two periods are distinguished:
With a knee meniscus injury, the symptoms in the acute period are as follows:
If treatment has not been carried out or has been prescribed incorrectly, then after a few weeks the pathology becomes chronic. The following signs testify to this:
knee pain becomes more pronounced;
fluid is released from small blood vessels;
the knee joint becomes motionless;
atrophy of the muscles of the thigh and lower leg;
the joint increases in size;
when bending the knee, a click is noticed;
the temperature in the area of the damaged joint rises.
Knee meniscus problems are very difficult to diagnose. This is because the symptoms are similar to the manifestations of other diseases of this part of the leg. An accurate diagnosis in each individual case can only be done by a doctor.
Risk of damage
A rupture of the meniscus of the knee causes not only a lot of discomfort, but also mechanical instability. This condition requires immediate treatment. Otherwise, during movement, the joint may wedge and provoke a blockade.
A rupture of the meniscus leads to damage to the cartilage and deformation of the articular surface. And this is becoming a really serious problem. Unfortunately, not everyone knows that damage to the meniscus of the knee, even if it was treated, can provoke certain problems in the future. After this type of injury, people have a predisposition to the development of joint arthrosis.
Diagnostics
Diagnosis of meniscus disease is possible only after a comprehensive examination. According to its results, the doctor will be able to distinguish meniscus damage from other pathologies and choose the most effective treatment.
For diagnosis, the following studies are prescribed:
Ultrasound
CT
MRI
ECG;
laboratory research.
Based on the results of these tests, the doctor can accurately diagnose and select effective treatment.
First aid
When injured, not everyone will be able to accurately determine that this knee meniscus is damaged and its rupture has occurred. If a person has acute pain, which has such a severity that he cannot lean on his foot, he needs first aid. It is necessary to help the victim to get to bed, lay him and, having put a roll or pillow under his lower leg, raise his injured leg.
It is strictly forbidden to attempt to straighten a blocked joint. This can cause more complex damage. The joint must be fixed with a removable cuff or splint; you can apply an elastic bandage so that it does not squeeze the skin too much.
It is possible to eliminate pain and stop inflammatory edema with the help of ice, a package with which, wrapped in thick tissue, is recommended to be applied to the injured place for 10 minutes every hour. As painkillers, you can use Diclofenac, Ketorol, Nurofen, or Nise.
Treatment
If during injury, after diagnosis, it was determined that this knee meniscus was damaged, then treatment should be started immediately. The main thing is not on your own! Squeezed between the cartilages of the knee joint, the meniscus should be released only by a qualified doctor. As practice shows, several procedures are enough to restore normal joint mobility.
If the situation is complicated, then the patient is assigned a joint extension. After the damage is repaired, the patient is selected for therapeutic treatment. He is given injections of anti-inflammatory drugs and corticosteroids. With the help of physical therapy, chondroprotectors and injections of hyaluronic acid, cartilage tissue is restored.
With a torn meniscus in the knee, the treatment method is determined individually in each case, depending on the severity of the rupture, the degree of wear of the joint, the age of the victim and his state of health. When choosing a treatment tactic, the doctor tries to avoid surgical intervention in every possible way.
With a rupture of the meniscus of the knee, an operation is performed only in the most serious cases, when there can be no other option for the development of events.
Non-surgical treatment
If it is possible to avoid surgery, then conservative treatment is preferred. The patient undergoes a puncture of the knee joint and the accumulated blood is cleaned. After that, the damaged joint is fixed, and the patient is prescribed bed rest and the complete exclusion of physical activity for two weeks. Also prescribed massage courses, physiotherapy exercises and warming up. If after the treatment it is not possible to achieve a therapeutic effect, then surgery is prescribed.
Surgical intervention
A large pain in the meniscus rupture, which causes blockage of the knee joint, requires immediate surgical intervention. In this case, arthroscopy of the joint is prescribed. The main purpose of the operation is to preserve the meniscus body.
The essence of arthroscopy is to treat a rupture through small surgical openings. Such treatment lasts for several hours, at which time the doctor introduces a special surgical instrument and a video camera into the joint cavity in order to see the joint from the inside. The main advantage of joint arthroscopy is the absence of the need to wear a plaster cast after carrying out, the possibility of manipulation on an outpatient basis and a rapid rehabilitation period.
After surgery, on the second day, the patient is allowed to move in a dosed manner, relying on crutches or a cane. Throughout the month, you should be careful about the damaged limb and, if possible, do not stand on it. During this time, it is recommended to use the meniscus knee taping. This device effectively immobilizes and protects the joint, and also fixes the muscles.
Unfortunately, often doctors have to deal with chronic meniscus injuries. Many patients receiving knee injuries prefer not to immediately seek medical help and are self-medicating. According to statistics, most patients go to the hospital a year after the injury. During this period, destructive processes provoke severe complications. In such cases, meniscus removal is prescribed.
The operation is performed under anesthesia by an open method or arthroscopy is performed. The open method is considered more traumatic and has a long rehabilitation period. In addition, with such surgical intervention, a large percentage of the development of complications.
Arthroscopic meniscus removal is more gentle and productive. The patient is in the hospital for a minimum amount of time. After removing the meniscus, the knee is quickly restored, and no coarse scars remain on the limb, and the punctures are almost invisible.
Possible complications
Partial or complete removal of the meniscus does not exclude certain adverse consequences, although they occur quite rarely. According to statistics, about 90% of operations end in success and pass without complications. In other situations, certain problems arise, but, fortunately, they are not difficult.
Possible complications include:
the appearance of blood clots;
the occurrence of bleeding;
the development of arthrosis;
trauma to nerve endings;
introduction of infections.
Doctors clearly understand where the meniscus is located in the knee, therefore, surgical intervention is carried out extremely carefully and carefully. They also try to restore all the functions of the leg. Therefore, in most cases, a partial meniscectomy is performed, the meniscus is completely removed only in the most complex and advanced cases. It is such a responsible and careful approach that helps to avoid the development of complications.
Prevention
The best prevention of meniscus damage is the exclusion of traumatic situations. It is recommended to use elastic knee pads during sports training, which help to reliably protect the knee during bumps and falls, while not limiting its mobility.
If even slight signs and pain in the knee appear, you should immediately contact a medical institution. When diagnosing a degenerative-dystrophic disease, it is required to closely observe all the recommendations of the attending physician and in no case self-medicate.