| Category | Meniscal Injury |
About Meniscal
The knee joint consists of 2 semilunar-shaped menisci, known as medial meniscus and lateral meniscus. Their function is to dissipate the forces in the knee, act as cushions and also help in the nutrition of joint structures.
Meniscal Injury
Meniscal injuries happen due to twisting knee injuries, overuse in athletes, and due to degenerative changes in the knee. These injuries may occur as isolated injuries or in combination with an ACL injury.
Symptoms
Meniscal tears most commonly cause pain in the knee joint, particularly while squatting, running, jumping. The patient even complains of clicking, crepitus, catching of the knee. Locking of the knee can occur if the torn fragment displaces towards the center/notch of the knee joint. ( Bucket handle meniscal tear)
Diagnosis
Meniscal tears can be diagnosed clinically in a sports clinic. An MRI scan is needed to confirm the tear radiologically.MRI also helps to localize the site and determine the dimensions of the tear. Grade 3 tears are complete tears, while Grade 1/2 tears are partial tears.
Treatment
Partial tears (Grade 1/2 tears) can be managed non-operatively by adequate rest, precautions, and supervised rehabilitation.
Complete tears (Grade 3 tears) need to be operated, as the torn fragment can cause damage to the cartilage and promote early osteoarthritis of the knee. Small-sized, relatively fresh/acute, and simple tears located in the periphery of menisci in young patients can be repaired using a variety of specialized arthroscopic instruments and implants. ( Arthroscopic meniscal repair).
However, large, complex, chronic tears are not repairable and the torn portion of the meniscus needs to be trimmed out by arthroscopic surgery. (Arthroscopic meniscectomy)
Recovery
After an Arthroscopic meniscectomy, the patient can walk normally the next day after trimming a torn meniscus. A supervised physiotherapy regimen helps to return to play/normal routine quickly.
After a meniscal repair, weight-bearing and knee bending are delayed for a few days. Full weight-bearing and complete knee bending are allowed 5-6 weeks after surgery.
