The knee joint of a man is very complex. Inside it there are two cartilaginous formations, which are called menisci of the knee cap. They perform the function of peculiar shock absorbers during walking, reducing friction inside the joint and reducing its excess mobility. The internal cartilage is called medial cartilage, and the outer cartilage is lateral. Very often the cause of pain in the knee is just the meniscus tear of the knee joint.
Causes of problems with meniscuses
Meniscus can break or break completely - it happens under the influence of a strong sliding impact on the cup, which often happens with athletes. Damage to the cartilaginous formations in the calyx also occurs during a sharp turn of the tibia inwards / outwards. A typical injury of the knee joint is the tearing of the meniscus due to a knee-dip on the corner of the stair.
The following types of rupture are distinguished by the type of damage:
- incomplete;
- full;
- transverse;
- crushed;
- flap-like;
- longitudinal.
The latter type of injury is also called the "handle of the watering can".
Signs of trauma
A damaged knee joint meniscus requires treatment, and the symptoms characterizing the trauma may be of different severity. As a rule, patients complain about:
- sharp pain in the knee - permanent or appearing with certain movements of the foot;
- a click accompanying the bending of the knee;
- difficulties in climbing / descending the stairs;
- pain during exercise, playing sports;
- swelling of the joint.
Sometimes for such trauma blood accumulation in a joint - a hemarthrosis is characteristic.
Often, a damaged knee joint meniscus does not make itself felt, and the above-described signs of rupture are absent. However, with such a trauma, there is always pain in the knee of varying intensity and localization - it is the first alarm signal that requires immediate treatment to the trauma clinic.
Diagnostics
Independently to establish, that became the reason of blockade of a knee joint it is impossible. It can be caused not only by the rupture of the meniscus, but also by the injury of the anterior cruciate ligament, or by the presence in the joint of the splinter cartilage, which is characteristic of König disease. Other possible diagnoses are osteochondral fracture, plica syndrome, and the like.
To confirm the cause of blockade of the knee joint, doctors perform magnetic resonance imaging - this method makes it possible to clearly examine the menisci and establish the type of rupture. In some hospitals, instead of MRI, ultrasound examination of the joint is used, but it gives a less objective view of the injury. But the X-ray in the diagnosis of such damage is completely useless.
Treatment of the knee joint meniscus
Before you begin to treat an injured knee joint meniscus, the patient must provide first aid. Apply a cold compress on the joint, pull the knee with an elastic bandage.
After diagnosis, based on the results of the severity of the injury, the doctor prescribes conservative or surgical treatment. The first, as a rule, is shown at displacement of a meniscus, accompanied by blockade of a joint. After repositioning for about 3 weeks, gypsum is applied and non-steroid preparations prescribed: Diclofenac, Ibuprofen, etc. Often appointed and chondroprotectors , designed to strengthen the restoration of cartilaginous tissue.
Operation on knee joint meniscus
With serious ruptures of menisci, arthroscopy is indicated. During this operation, only two small incisions of about 1 cm in length are made. Through them, the surgeon removes the part of the meniscus that is torn off (already incapable of performing its functions, and therefore unnecessary), and the remainder of the cartilage aligns. Immediately after arthroscopy, you can walk, but it takes a few days or even weeks to fully restore the knee.