Meniscus Torn Treatment Singapore Sports Clinic. Knee is the one of most complex part of our body. Our knee is the largest joint in our body. Because it is made up of so many parts, many thing can go wrong and it is so prone to injury.
The meniscus is a circular piece of cartilage with its blood supply coming from the outer rim. In order for the meniscus repair to heal, the tear must be near this outer edge in an area of good blood supply (nutrients from the blood vessels are necessary for healing)
Meniscal torn are among the most common knee injuries. Athletes, particularly those who play contact sports, are at risk for meniscal tears. However, anyone at any age can tear a meniscus. When people talk about torn cartilage in the knee, they are usually referring to a torn meniscus.
Anatomy of Meniscus
Three bones meet to form your knee joint: your thighbone (femur), shinbone (tibia), and kneecap (patella).
Two wedge-shaped pieces of cartilage act as “shock absorbers” between your thighbone and shinbone. These are called meniscus.There are two menisci: one on the inside (“medial”) and another on the outside of the knee (“lateral”).They are tough and rubbery to help cushion the joint and keep it stable.
Symptoms of Meniscus Tear / Torn
According to our Knee Specialist Singapore at Singapore Sports Clinic, symptoms of knee meniscus torn are: Sharp pain usually on the inside or outside the knee, Stiffness and Swelling, Clicking sound, Twisting or squatting cause increased pain, “Locking” knee if there is a large meniscus tear, Knee gets stuck in a certain position that needs to “wiggled” to get it back into place. Unable to move the knee to the range of motion
Causes of Meniscus Tear
The meniscus can be torn in several ways. These are classified into two general categories:
Traumatic, such as getting hit from the side by another person in the knee. Sudden meniscal tears often happen during sportsInjuries to ligaments in the knee, such as the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) can also be associated with a mensicus tear.
Degenerative, as you age, so do your menisci. They become soft in the middle, like a jelly doughnut. Sometimes, even the most trivial trauma, like squatting, or a sudden twisting motion can cause the meniscus to tear once it has become soft. There are even times people don’t remember what caused the tear at all!
Meniscus Torn Treatment
Non- Surgical meniscus torn treatment
If your tear is small and on the outer edge of the meniscus, it may not require surgical repair. As long as your symptoms do not persist and your knee is stable, nonsurgical treatment may be all you need.
Initial treatment for a torn meniscus focuses on decreasing pain and swelling in the knee. Rest and anti-inflammatory medications can help decrease these symptoms. You may need to use crutches until you can walk without a limp.
Some patients may receive physical therapy treatments for meniscal problems. Therapists treat swelling and pain with the use of ice, electrical stimulation, and rest periods with your leg supported in elevation. Exercises are used to help you regain normal movement of joints and muscles.
RICE. The RICE protocol is effective for most sports-related injuries. RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.
Rest. Take a break from the activity that caused the injury. Your doctor may recommend that you use crutches to avoid putting weight on your leg.
Ice. Use cold packs for 20 minutes at a time, several times a day. Do not apply ice directly to the skin.
Compression. To prevent additional swelling and blood loss, wear an elastic compression bandage.
Elevation. To reduce swelling, recline when you rest, and put your leg up higher than your heart.
Surgical for meniscus torn treatment Singapore
If the knee keeps locking up and can’t be straightened out, surgery may be recommended as soon as reasonably possible to remove the torn part that is getting caught in the knee joint. But even a less severely torn meniscus may not heal on its own. If symptoms continue after nonsurgical treatment, surgery will probably be suggested to either remove or repair the torn portion of the meniscus. The name of procedure is knee arthroscopy and meniscus repair.
What will our knee surgeon Singapore during the knee arthroscopy for meniscus repair?
At Singapore Sports Clinic, our knee surgeon Singapore will insert an instrument called an arthroscope through a tiny incision near your knee. The arthroscope contains a light and a small camera, which projects an enlarged image of the inside of your knee onto a monitor. Surgical instruments can be inserted through the arthroscope or through additional small incisions in your knee.
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| Knee Arthroscopy | Close-up of meniscal repair |
Rehabilitation. After surgery, your doctor may put your knee in a cast or brace to keep it from moving.
Once the initial healing is complete, your doctor will prescribe rehabilitation exercises. Regular exercise to restore your knee mobility and strength is necessary. You will start with exercises to improve your range of motion. Strengthening exercises will gradually be added to your rehabilitation plan.
For the most part, rehabilitation can be carried out at home, although your doctor may recommend physical therapy.