Knee injuries: meniscus problems

The knee is a diarthrodial type joint: highly mobile and made up of a multitude of components. It is a complex joint whose incidence in terms of injuries is increasing, since the number of people who play sports and end up affecting a joint of vital importance is growing.

The menisci have gone from being vestigial structures to being key to congruence, cartilage nutrition, weight bearing and load bearing, stability?

How do menisci get damaged?

Menisci are torn in rotational movements with support and semi-flexion together with abrupt movements of the axes, although the greatest number of tears occur in the workplace, at times when workers keep their knees flexed. One of the clearest examples would be that of laborers or workers on a construction site.

Can meniscus injury be prevented and can the area be strengthened?

When talking about prevention, it is necessary to mention the work to strengthen the knees, from strengthening work with weights or proprioceptive exercises.

At the same time, soft or bad ground should be avoided when practicing sports, although other factors such as the footwear or clothing used, diet, weight, general state of health, etc. should be controlled.

How are meniscal injuries treated?

One of the biggest failures of meniscal surgery has been to consider it as an easy surgery. In fact, of the more than 60,000 meniscectomies performed annually in Spain, only 5% are sutured.

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Almost any meniscal lesion implies or leads to a degenerative lesion. The treatment priority is to repair the lesions, i.e. to opt for the conservative approach, or to replace it.

New developments in the treatment of meniscal lesions

Among the latest developments, the following stand out:

  1. Posterior meniscal ramp injury: this is a lesion of the peripheral insertion of the posterior horn of the internal meniscus. It is difficult to carry out a diagnosis in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and by the classic arthroscopic portals. It is associated in 17% to rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and if it is not sutured it can cause the failure of the plasty.
  2. Meniscal extrusion: by rupture of the meniscus root that requires reanchoring.
  3. Degenerative tears in which arthroscopy can lead to osteonecrosis, so it will never be the first option, except in the case of a blockage without previous osteoarthritis.
  4. Meniscal transplants with a high rate of good results and collagen or polyurethane implants.

However, the future of sports injuries, and therefore meniscus injuries, lies in stem cell treatment. For more information on knee injuries and meniscus injuries, consult a Trauma Specialist.