Articles » Injuries » Injuries of the lower limbs » Meniscal Tear

Meniscal Tear (Knee Cartilage Tear)

What it Effects

• The menisci of the knee which are semi-circular in shape and increase the congruency of the knee joint and act as shock absorbers

Who it Effects

• Common in football players

Mechanism of Injury

• The menisci can be injured if a rotational/twisting force is applied to the knee whilst weight bearing

Signs and Symptoms

• Pain but this does not originate from the menisci as it doesn’t have a nerve supply, pain comes from other structures damaged during the rotational force, most commonly the medial collateral ligament and coronary ligaments
• Swelling
• Clunk within the knee on flexion and extension
• Joint locking
• Knee giving way especially when walking down a flight of stairs
• Joint line pain

Treatment

• Surgery common; especially in sportsmen / women

Additional Information

• The menisci don’t have a good blood supply therefore they don’t have a good ability to heal. Therefore surgery is often needed especially when a tear interferes with joint mechanics

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