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Although it is difficult to name among the public, one of the most well-known diseases is Meniscus tear disease. This is because it affects many people. In this article, we will give detailed information about the meniscus treatments and meniscus disorders that we successfully carry out at MSM clinic.
- What is Meniscus Rupture Disease? Or What is Meniscus?
- What Causes Meniscus Tear?
- Symptoms of Meniscus Disease?
- How is Meniscus Diagnosed?
- Treatment of Meniscus Disease
- Meniscus Surgery
- Menisküs Ameliyat Sonrası İyileşme Süreci
- Menisküs Yırtıklarında Cerrahi Dışı Tedavi Seçenekleri Nelerdir?
- Menisküs Yırtığı Kendi Kendine Geçer Mi?
- Menisküs Yırtılması Bitkisel Tedavisi
- Menisküs Hangi Yaşlarda Görülür?
- Menisküs Kendini Yenileyebilir Mi?
- Menisküs Hastalıklarından Korunma Yolları Nelerdir?
What is Meniscus Rupture Disease? Or What is Meniscus?
Meniscus is a word of Latin origin and means the crescent of the moon. The reason why it got this name is that the menisci have a C-shaped shape. Their primary duty is to protect the bones that make up the knee joint. Femur, Tibia and Patella are the three main bones of the knee joint and the meniscus is the intra-articular soft tissue structure located medial (inside) and lateral (side). There are two menisci in each knee.
The functions of the meniscus include the tasks listed below;
- It acts as a buffer between the knee bones and enables load transfer.
- It helps stabilize the joints and affects the mobility of the knee joint.
- Helps the joints to be compatible
The meniscus, which consists mostly of water and collagen, has dozens of reasons for injury and tear.
What Causes Meniscus Tear?
Before discussing the causes of meniscus tears, it is useful to understand the structure and development of the meniscus. Because this is a very important factor in the treatment and formation of meniscus.
The meniscus begins to develop at birth. In the first 12 months, one third of it is formed, then it becomes a fully adult meniscus around the age of 8-10. Injuries to the meniscus until this age heal on their own very quickly and even return to their previous state. It is predicted that the meniscus will receive blood from the age of 10 and that it will remain stable until the age of 30, and that it will gradually decrease after the age of 30.
While the causes of meniscus tear are mainly sports accidents or injuries until the age of 30, it can occur spontaneously and due to various accidents due to the decrease in production between the ages of 30-50. After the age of 50, degenerative tears that occur with the use of aging are more common.
If we list the causes of meniscus tear in general:
- Performing sports activities that require sudden and fast movements. Such as football, basketball, handball, skiing, snowboarding.
- Gait disorders, knees turning inward or outward (Panatez leg and x leg)
- Bone resorption (Causes age-related degenerative tears.)
- Providing rapid return to active physical activity, especially after soft tissue or joint injuries in athletes, without completing the adequate strengthening and preparation process.
- Sliding or falling due to loss of balance. (It is more likely to occur together with other tissue injuries within the knee.)
- Load that cannot be distributed equally due to the difference in length or deformity between the extremities. (Leg shortness, leg curvature)
- Not positioning the knee correctly, especially when carrying heavy loads.
- Meniscus tears accompanying intra-knee fractures in traffic accidents.
Symptoms of Meniscus Disease?
Symptoms seen in most patients who apply to our MSM Clinic include getting stuck in the knee and difficulty opening it, difficulty in squatting and standing up, difficulty in walking, noises coming from the joints, locking of the knee and inability to move, a feeling of sudden discharge in the knee, and a feeling of rupture or emptiness in the knee. Apart from this, we also encounter patients who present with swelling that does not subside and increasing severe pain. Depending on the patient’s condition, sometimes one or more of the symptoms listed above may be seen together.
How is Meniscus Diagnosed?
What are the Procedures Performed in the Diagnosis Process of Meniscus Disease?
For our patients who apply to our clinic, our MSM Clinical Specialist Doctors first take a comprehensive anamnesis. In other words, our Specialist Doctors ask detailed questions to the patient or the patient’s relative in order to diagnose the disease and take the history. Anamnesis is one of the most important steps in diagnosing the disease.
During the meniscus physical examination, “Apley”, “Mc Murray” and “Thessaly” tests, also known as stress tests, are also applied by our Specialist Doctors. After history and physical examination, MRI and various imaging technologies are used in case of suspicion of meniscus tear. The reason for choosing such an approach is the presence of a secondary disease along with the meniscus tear or the desire to diagnose another disease. These procedures aim to reveal the condition of the meniscus and the treatment process is started by our specialist doctors.
Treatment of Meniscus Disease
After the diagnosis is made, the treatment method to be followed for Meniscus Treatment is shared with the patient in detail by our Msm Clinical Specialist Doctors. Action is taken according to the patient’s condition and findings. If there are acute symptoms, drug therapy and cold application are recommended to calm them down, and the patient is followed up. It is underlined that the patient should rest as much as possible during this process. After the acute period has passed, the patient is re-examined and it is decided what needs to be done for Meniscus Treatment. In cases where the recommended treatment method is deemed sufficient, medication and physical therapy can be performed, while surgical operations can be performed in cases of severe meniscus disease that are deemed necessary.
Meniscus Surgery
Meniscus surgery is a type of surgery with minimal side effects and a high success rate when performed in a good clinic or hospital under the right conditions. Typically, the most preferred method in meniscus surgery is the arthroscopy (closed) method. After appropriate anesthesia is performed according to the patient’s history, age and history of the disease, our Specialist Doctor sends an arthroscopic camera into the knee through a small incision to check the general condition of the knee. Along with the meniscus structures within the knee, the anterior cruciate ligament, posterior cruciate ligament, intra-knee cartilage structure and ligament balance are examined. Meniscus surgery is performed with different methods depending on the patient’s age, activity level, intra-knee calcification level, location, shape and size of the meniscus tear. Meniscus tissue is one of the basic structures that must be protected within the knee and the repair method is preferred whenever possible.
- The first preferred method is to repair the meniscus. The purpose of this method is to stitch the meniscus together to repair the tear. It is a treatment method that requires more care and compliance during the recovery process. After the surgery, the patient must receive physical therapy to strengthen the above-knee and knee muscles.
- The second method in meniscus surgery is partial meniscectomy. In this procedure, it is done by removing some of the damaged tissue of the meniscus.
- The third method is based on complete removal of the Meniscus. The aim here is to slowly remove the tissue that cannot be repaired with surgical instruments, without damaging the surrounding tissues and cartilage tissue.
- The last method is Meniscus transplantation. This method involves transplanting another meniscus instead of the completely removed meniscus. (Cadaver or biological imitation is used.)
As MSM Clinic, the most important questions asked to our Specialist Doctors regarding meniscus surgeries are possible surgical complications. Although the complication rate that may occur after meniscus surgery is very low, such a possibility exists. Although knee arthroscopy surgery is a type of surgery with the least complications, the advantage of working with a good surgeon and team is a faster recovery with a much more successful surgery.
