What is the cyst of the internal meniscus of the knee joint and the external, treatment options for this disease, the reasons for which it develops, the existing modern methods of diagnosis and treatment - you can read about all this in our article.
We draw your attention to the fact that this review is not of a recommendatory nature.
What is a cyst of the meniscus of the knee joint
This is a pathological neoplasm of a benign nature. Most often, people of working age face this trouble; men are much more likely than women.
The disease begins with the formation of a peculiar cavity filled with liquid inside the meniscus cartilage. The development of the cyst is preceded by a number of adverse factors, as a result of the meniscus cells begin to secrete specific substances, which over time stretch the cartilage and form a kind of capsule.
Increasing in size, the cystic neoplasm presses on the surrounding tissues and nerve endings, which causes severe pain, inflammation and swelling. In severe cases, even ordinary walking becomes painful for the patient.
Types of meniscus cyst
A pathological change - a cyst in the meniscus - can be bilateral or unilateral. Also, a cyst is defined as medial or lateral, depending on which meniscus it is in: internal (medial) or external (lateral).
The medial cyst of the meniscus of the knee joint develops much less frequently than the lateral cyst, due to the anatomical features of the structure of the knee.
If the cystic formation captures not only the subcapsular region in the joint itself, but also the ligamentous apparatus, this condition is classified as a parameniscal cyst. This is a severe pathology characteristic of the advanced stage of degeneration of meniscus tissue; it is easily diagnosed, but it can be eliminated only by operational means.
Symptoms
The cyst of the lateral meniscus of the knee joint develops very slowly. The same can be said about the neoplasm in the body of the medial meniscus. Unfortunately, at the very beginning, the disease is almost asymptomatic, so when a person realizes that he needs medical attention, the pathological process has already reached the stage where immediate serious medical or even surgical treatment is required.
In general, the development of the meniscus cyst of the knee joint is divided into 3 stages:
- 1st stage. At this stage, the patient may feel subtle discomfort in the knee, and upon palpation may detect slight swelling. At this stage, it is possible to diagnose a cyst only with the help of ultrasound or MRI.
- 2 stage. The pain syndrome becomes more severe. If you straighten the leg, you can see a characteristic protrusion in the knee, which disappears if the leg is bent. At this stage, the cyst captures not only the meniscus, but also nearby tissues.
- 3 stage. Here the pains are already very strong, and the motor function of the knee is limited. The protrusion of the cyst is visible even in a bent position. It captures the entire area around the capsule (soft tissues, ligaments).
Attention! If you have found any of the listed symptoms of a meniscus cyst of the knee joint, do not in any case make a diagnosis yourself and do not start self-medication. Try to visit a doctor as soon as possible and undergo a differential examination.
Diagnostics
An experienced doctor can usually diagnose a meniscus cyst at the first examination. Nevertheless, in some cases, under the guise of an ordinary cyst, a malignant tumor or other neoplasm may develop. To be completely sure of the diagnosis, the doctor after examination can give the patient a referral to the following procedures:
- Ultrasound
- arthroscopy;
- puncture of the contents of the cyst with subsequent histological examination;
- CT or MRI;
- thermography.
The arthroscopy procedure, in which several punctures are made to access the cavity of the joint bag, is performed under local anesthesia.
Thanks to the data obtained, the specialist accurately determines the location of the capsule and its size, and can also find out how actively the inflammatory process is developing, what is the degree of damage to the tissues surrounding the cyst, and some other parameters of the pathological process.
Causes
A meniscus cyst of the knee joint cannot occur on its own. Any of the following factors necessarily contributes to its appearance:
- knee injury;
- large physical exertion for a long time affecting the joint;
- some diseases (gonarthrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.);
- genetic predisposition.
In addition, there are some sports, the employment of which is associated with constant high overload of the knees. These include: hockey, football, as well as skiing. The meniscus is often injured by dancers.
According to the observations of doctors, most often a meniscus cyst is formed in representatives of the stronger sex, as well as in children. The latter can be explained by the fact that in childhood, increased joint elasticity is adjacent to the fragile musculoskeletal system.
Which doctor should i contact if a meniscus cyst is suspected
The treatment for this disease is managed by an orthopedic trauma surgeon or orthopedic surgeon. Referral to these specialists can be given by a general practitioner who takes in a clinic at the place of residence.
Treatment options
If the doctor diagnosed a cyst of the meniscus of the knee joint, then there are only two treatment options: conservative (helps only in the first two stages of the disease) and operative (if the process has gone too far and reached stage 3).
If the examination shows that the cause of the cyst is arthrosis or arthritis, then therapeutic measures will be simultaneously directed against these diseases.
Important! Without medical help, the pathological process can lead to serious complications, as a result of which it may be necessary to remove the meniscus.
Conservative treatment
As already mentioned, in the first two stages you can do without surgery. Treatment of cysts of the meniscus of the knee joint is multifaceted and complex. The treatment regimen may be different and depends on the overall clinical picture and the revealed degree of damage to the joint tissues. Here is a general description of the sequence of treatment procedures:
- Limbs for the period of treatment shown complete rest. This is achieved by wearing a special orthosis or bandage.
- The patient is prescribed modern strong anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs both in tablets and in injections (“Meloxicam”, “Movalis”, etc.).
- NSAID treatment is supplemented by a number of physiotherapeutic procedures: electrophoresis, infrared pulses, phonophoresis. Physiotherapy activates the movement of lymph and blood, and also reduces inflammation and pain, while stimulating the formation of healthy cartilage and connective tissue in the joint bag.
- The doctor may be prescribed special gymnastic exercises that facilitate the resorption of the cyst.
- After the acute period of the disease is left behind, the patient is shown massage procedures.
Surgery for a cyst of the meniscus of the knee joint
During surgical treatment, the doctor performs the following actions:
- dissection of the capsule shell in order to ensure the outflow of its contents;
- complete removal of the cyst;
- removal of the part of the meniscus that is destroyed by the cyst;
- complete removal of the meniscus.
If possible, doctors prefer to perform endoscopic surgery as less traumatic for the patient. In some cases, the surgeon may consider it possible to limit the pumping of the contents of the cyst with a puncture.
Delete or not
Sometimes, the prospect of removing a meniscus cyst of the knee joint causes unreasonable fear in patients. They believe that it would be possible to do with a one-time aspiration (pumping out using a puncture) of the contents of the cyst.
But the fact is that such a procedure does not guarantee that the exudate will not begin to accumulate again in the meniscus cavity. Therefore, radical surgery and removal of the capsule of the cyst with all its contents is considered more preferable.
Forecasts
Treatment without cystic surgery of the meniscus of the knee joint of the first and second stage is usually successful. After completing the full therapeutic course, the functional activity of the knee joint is restored in most cases in full.
Complications
If the patient for any reason for a long time does not receive timely qualified medical care, the disease progresses. The result of this can be complications consisting in rupture of a cyst of the meniscus of the knee joint, severe degenerative changes in the articular apparatus, its severe deformation and arthrosis of the knee.
Prevention
It has already been noted that large loads on the joint lead to the development of meniscus cysts. Young people who are active in skiing or playing football are at greater risk than those who maintain their health through swimming, walking or cycling.
If a person begins to feel any discomfort in the joints, even if minimal, it makes sense to limit physical activity - this will be the best prevention.
There are habits that can also provoke subtle microtrauma of cartilage and tendons. For example, frequent squatting or low squats during physical breaks. But a reasonable motor activity will serve to strengthen the joints of the legs.
Alternative treatment methods
Before sharing the recipes of traditional medicine, we want to warn our readers that these methods of treating meniscus cysts of the knee joint can be used exclusively as additional tools and only after consulting a specialist.
- Honey compress with alcohol or vodka. Effective warming agent. Thanks to this compress, recovery processes in diseased tissues are accelerated and inflammation is suppressed. The recipe is simple: take the same amount of honey and alcohol (the recommended amount is 2 tbsp. L each), put a container of ingredients in a water bath to dissolve honey. Stir, spread the gauze with a mixture and apply a compress to the affected area. Cover with soft oilcloth from above, insulate with a thick layer of cotton wool or a scarf made of wool and fasten everything with a bandage. Keep the compress for at least 2 hours. Repeat 2 times a day. The course is 1 month.
- Treatment with burdock leaves. This can be called a classic folk recipe for problems with joints. All you need is a fresh, freshly cut burdock leaf. It must be washed with water, thoroughly wiped off moisture, applied to the inflamed joint, tied with a woolen cloth, fasten everything with a bandage and hold for 3 or 4 hours. You can leave burdock on your knee and all night. Traditional healers believe that in winter it is permissible to use not only fresh leaves of the plant, but also dried ones. The dry leaf prepared in the summer in this case is first steamed in hot water and applied to the knee all night. Compresses from burdock cope well with pain, draw excess salts from the joint and shorten the recovery period.
- Garlic grind. First you need to chop several heads of peeled garlic as finely as possible, put the resulting raw materials into a vessel (necessarily from dark glass) and pour in 500 ml of apple cider vinegar (6%). After a week, the drug will infuse, and it will be possible to begin treatment. The knee is rubbed with garlic tincture 2 times a day. This grind perfectly retains its healing properties for 8-9 months.
- Wormwood infusion. 2 spoons of wormwood herb (chopped) are laid out in a vessel, then 2 cups of boiling water are poured there. All infused under the lid for an hour. Then the infusion is used to make a compress. Daily apply a compress to the knee for half an hour, repeat the procedure often: 4-5 times a day.
- Treatment with essential oils. Buy menthol oil from the pharmacy, as well as eucalyptus oil, cloves, camphor, and winter hams. Mix the fragrant ingredients in equal proportions and add freshly squeezed aloe juice to the mixture. Gently rub the resulting medicine into a sore spot, and then wrap the knee warmer for a couple of hours. The procedure can be repeated up to 3 times a day.
Final word
The hackneyed phrase that it is better to prevent the disease than to treat it later was so fed up with everyone that most of them no longer even listen and do not try to understand the essence of this saying. We often do not value our own health and only catch up when we begin to experience pain.
Our joints are created by nature strong and perfect, able to withstand heavy loads throughout life, however, they can wear out quickly, and they can often not be restored even by modern medicine. Take care to avoid disability and maintain physical activity for as long as possible!