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Meniscus Injuries of the Knee

Meniscus Injuries of the Knee

Description Of The Injury: Within the knee joint lies pieces of cartilage on either side of the joint known as the meniscus. These are small pieces of 'c' shaped cartilage that rest in between the femur and the tibia bone. Tears to the meniscus usually occur in sports that require a forceful twisting movement while the feet remain planted on the ground. This type of movement creates heavy stress on the joint, tearing the meniscus.

Injury Symptoms: Meniscus damage will be evident by inflammation and pain at the outside or inside of the knee area. If the damage is more moderate or severe, the knee may be more swollen stiff, may include popping or locking sensations and may feel very unstable.

Additional Information

Home Treatments:

If the meniscus damage is minor, it can usually be treated at home. The affected knee should be rested in an elevated position higher than chest level. The area should also be compressed with an elastic bandage and ice should be administered 20 minutes a time, 2-3 times per day for the first couple of days. This will help reduce the inflammation and promote recovery. A non steroidal anti inflammatory drug may also prove beneficial.

Professional Medical Treatments:

Moderate or severe meniscus tears will require surgical intervention. This may start with an exploratory surgery to identify the extent of the injury. From there, if the damage is moderate a partial meniscectomy may be required to remove the torn pieces of cartilage. Severe cases will require a total meniscectomy to remove the entire cartilage. This will be followed up by the use of a brace and physical therapy

Physical Therapy and Exercises:

Most meniscus injuries will require exercises to rehabilitate strength and range of motion. This will begin with stretches such as heel raises, shallow knee bends, quad stretches and leg raises that extend throughout all of the knee's range of motion. Step ups, and activity specific motions like walking and jogging will advance the recovery.

Exercise Techniques to Prevent Injury:

In order to prevent damage to the meniscus, forceful twisting motions should be prevented. Additionally, general knee, leg and thigh flexibility should be maintained. This can be done by performing regular stretches a couple of times a day. These stretches may include the standing quad stretch, the butterfly, the hamstring hold, the wall slide, hip bridges and standing leg raises. ?????? ??????????? ? ??????? ?????? ??????????? ? ??????? ?????? ? ????????? 1 ???