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Patient Education

Meniscus Issues


Meniscus tears are very common in the human knee. This torn knee cartilage can be asymptomatic or severely painful and limiting. Just having a meniscus tear doesn't necessarily determine whether or not the treatment should include knee surgery or invasive care. The treatment decision for medial or lateral meniscus tears is based on several factors, including, but not limited to:


  1. age of the tear, ie acute or chronic (blood supply, inflammation, cyst formation, etc.)
  2. type of tear: oblique, horizontal, vertical, peripheral, undersurface, complex, radial, flap, bucket-handle, discoid, displaced, degenerative. etc.
  3. location of the tear: posterior horn, anterior horn, middle third, inner zones, menisco capsular junction
  4. age of the patient: younger ages do better with meniscus repair or meniscal repair
  5. presence of other structural problems in the knee: Baker's cyst, plica, meniscal cyst, ACL tear, malalignment
  6. presence of other medical diseases or issues: gout, pseudogout, arthritis, AVN avascular necrosis
  7. physical demands, sports activities and patient expectations
  8. previous treatments

 

image Different types of meniscus tears
Different types of meniscus tears
  
image Blood inside acts as a fibrin glue for healing
Blood inside acts as a fibrin glue for healing

image Vertical tear posterior horn
Vertical tear posterior horn
  
image Dissolvable meniscus sutures
Dissolvable meniscus sutures

A Great General Reference Powered by eOrthopod on

Meniscus Injuries    Meniscus Surgery

image Blood supply for healing only at extreme edge
Blood supply for healing only at extreme edge
  
image Inner edge tears don't heal (no blood supply)
Inner edge tears don't heal (no blood supply)

image Bird's eye view normal meniscus
Bird's eye view normal meniscus


 

All about Meniscus Replacement or Meniscal Transplantation

Torn Meniscus Surgery, Meniscectomy or Menisus Repair Surgery Videos


image meniscus tear on MRI
meniscus tear on MRI
   

image MRI image of a torn medial meniscus
MRI image of a torn medial meniscus



General Information about Meniscus Tears and Meniscus Surgery

image arthroscopy pictures of menisci
arthroscopy pictures of menisci
  
image Arthroscopy tools can shave or suture
Arthroscopy tools can shave or suture

image Shredded and degenerative tear
Shredded and degenerative tear
  
image Calcium or crystals built up on meniscus
Calcium or crystals built up on meniscus



 


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