When you stand up or walk, your knees bear the weight. When you suffer knee injuries, it is painful, debilitating, and even crippling at times. Meniscus tear is one such knee injury. The meniscus is a cartilage in the knee. It develops a cushion around the joint and protects it from wear and tear. As the name suggests, a tear in this cartilage is called a meniscus tear. So, what causes a meniscus tear? What are the symptoms? What is the treatment for this knee injury? And how can it be prevented in the first place? For answers to these questions, Onlymyhealth spoke to Dr. Harish Ghoota, Additional Director & HOD - Orthopedics, Fortis Escorts Hospital, Faridabad.
What Is Meniscus Tear?
The meniscus is a soft tissue that cushions the knee joint, the doctor explained. This tissue helps to evenly distribute weight in the joint. As the name suggests, a meniscus tear is a tear in the substance of the meniscus. It can be either complete or not. In medical parlance, it can be longitudinal, redial, horizontal, root tear, or a complex one, Dr. Ghoota said.
Cause Behind Meniscus Tear
“The most common cause of meniscus tear is a traumatic injury in young patients,” Dr. Ghoota said. “It can be significant or trivial trauma,” he added. A sudden twist or squatting can cause a meniscus tear, the doctor explained.
Symptoms Of Meniscus Tear
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When suffering from a meniscus tear, you might experience the following symptoms:
- Acute joint pain
- Swelling in the knee
- Pain while squatting, climbing stairs, or jogging
Also read: How Being Overweight Hurts Your Knees
Meniscus Tear Treatment
Firstly, the patient is diagnosed with a meniscus tear with the help of an MRI scan. Once that is done, treatment is planned based on symptoms, the severity of the tear, and its type. Both operative and conservative treatment options are available to treat a meniscus tear.
Conservative Treatment Options For Meniscus Tear
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These include:
- Physiotherapy
- Medications
These are intended to reduce the pain, swelling, and inflammation caused by the tear.
Operative Treatment Options For Meniscus Tear
In this:
- Keyhole surgery may be required.
- If the torn meniscus is badly damaged, it is removed through surgery.
- Through some innovative procedures, the torn meniscus is repaired. It is done with the help of sutures.
Also read: From Sendha Namak To Haldi, Here Are 8 Home Remedies To Combat Knee Pain
How To Prevent A Meniscus Tear?
There are ways you can prevent a meniscus tear. Here are some of them:
- Keep your thigh muscles strong. Exercising regularly targeting those muscles is crucial for this.
- If you play sports or work out, do warm-up exercises before that.
- Do not increase the intensity of your workout abruptly.
- Wear good, comfortable, properly-fitted shoes is also crucial to prevent a meniscus tear.
As you saw, a meniscus tear can be a painful knee injury. If you experience any symptoms, get yourself checked. Following the diagnosis, follow up the expert’s treatment, which can be both operative and conservative. However, you must take steps to prevent that in the first place. Hence, wear proper shoes, warm up before exercising, and exercise to keep your thigh muscles strong.
(With inputs from Dr. Harish Ghoota, Additional Director & HOD - Orthopedics, Fortis Escorts Hospital, Faridabad)
Photo Credit: Freepik