The meniscus tear is not only one of the most common knee injuries , it also affects – in various forms – young and old, active and less active people. The meniscus tear as a result of acute injuries is typical, especially in sports. Such “traumatic” meniscus damage is common in young, active patients. The meniscus tear can be restored by minimally invasive, arthroscopic surgical procedures near Singapore Orthopaedic surgeon. Conservative approaches to treatment are also important, especially for post meniscus repair as well as treating mild cases.
The second, also widespread form of meniscus damage is the wear-related, “degenerative” meniscus tear. These usually do not occur as a result of an accident, but develop over time and are primarily diagnosed in the elderly. Such degenerative meniscus damage is often a concomitant symptom of knee osteoarthritis.
ANATOMY
The meniscus inner and outer meniscus is two small crescent-shaped cartilage discs in the middle of the joint space. They serve as shock absorbers to protect the cartilage between the thigh and lower leg and, according to more recent findings, also have stabilizing properties, especially for the anterior cruciate ligament. The meniscus is anatomically divided into three parts: anterior horn, pars intermedia and posterior horn. In addition, the meniscus zone is divided into red zones meniscus tissue near the capsule with blood vessels, relatively good blood flow and relatively good metabolism, red-white zone moderate blood flow and moderate metabolism and white zone meniscus tissue remote from the capsule without blood flow, low metabolism depending on its blood flow.
Cause of cracks
The cartilage has only a very weak metabolism, especially in adulthood, which is why damage to the cartilage no longer heals. The cartilage loses fluid and thus elasticity, so it becomes brittle degenerate. This also means that it loses its buffering property. If a degeneratively changed cartilage is excessively stressed, it can tear. An accident is not absolutely necessary for this. A previously damaged meniscus can tear even under everyday stress e.g. getting up from a deep crouch. Of course, a healthy meniscus can also tear if it comes under increased pressure or tension in the course of an accident e.g. twisting trauma during sports.
A distinction is made between the following forms of meniscus tears: longitudinal tears, transverse tears, horizontal tears and combinations of these three types of tears.
Since the inner meniscus is much more closely fused with the joint capsule and, in particular, with the inner ligament, it is less mobile and can therefore not evade greater loads as well. Inner meniscus injuries are 20 times more likely than tears in the outer meniscus