Injury To The Meniscus
March 29, 2011 by Dr. Marc Darrow, M.D.
Filed under Knee Pain
The meniscus or menisci are the thick, strong cartilage-like shock absorbers that cushion and pad the knee between the thigh (femur) and shin (tibia) bones. Shaped like the letter “C,” the meniscus of each knee provides stability in carrying the weight of the body or in gliding through the knee’s many range of motions.
The meniscus can become problematic either through traumatic injury, or age and wear and tear.
Wear and tear can occur in runners, people who have jobs that require a lot of physical activity where stresses to the knees are applied, or in older people where the degeneration of the cartilage causes tearing in the meniscus.
Meniscus injuries in sports are often caused by impact or in sharp cutting or turning when the meniscus can becomes trapped between the femur and the tibia. Typically an injury to the meniscus will occur in combination with ligament injuries, especially the MCL (medial collateral ligament). One of the worst injuries “O’Donahue’s Triad” occurs when the knee is struck from the outside with enough impact to tear the meniscus and rupture the Anterior Cruciate Ligament and medial collateral ligament.
In simplest terms, the meniscus is a cushion that protect the knee from the daily grind and from sports related impacts. When torn, the damaged area is often removed surgically.
Common sense tells us that when we remove padding, there is less cushion. When you take any padding away from the knee, there is more impact, and knee degeneration may be accelerated. This can lead to future surgeries and knee replacement.
Since the meniscus is involved in knee stability, removing part of it will make the knee less stable.
