What is the Meniscus?
- The menisci are two pads of cartilaginous tissue which serve to disperse friction in the knee joint between the lower leg (tibia) and the thigh (femur).
- The knee contains a lateral meniscus and a medial meniscus.
- Both are cartilaginous tissues that provide structural integrity to the knee when it undergoes tension and torsion.
What Does It Do?
- Shock Absorption
- The menisci act to disperse the weight of the body and reduce friction during movement.
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- Since the ends of the thigh bone and shin bone meet at one point (which changes during flexion and extension), the menisci spread the load of the body’s weight.
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- This protects the integrity of the articular cartilage of the knee joint.
Meniscus Tears
- Torn or worn away from overuse, age, or injury.
- Common in sports such as soccer & basketball.
- Commonly related to anterior cruciate ligament injuries of the knee.
- The knee will be in pain when in use.
- But when there is no load, the pain goes away.
- Some meniscal tears can cause jamming or locking of the knee.
Treatment
- Observation / physiotherapy
- Arthroscopic menisectomy
- Partial or total
- Arthroscopic meniscus repair
Observation
- Suitable for partial thickness tears
- Small tears close to capsule
- possible to heal on its own
All Services and Treatments
ABOUT DR HC CHANG
- 16 years of experience in surgical and non-surgical procedures in sports injuries as a Sports Orthopaedic Specialist in Singapore.
- Received multiple awards and accolades in the Orthopaedic field.
- He is a USA Sports Medicine Fellowship trained Orthopaedic Surgeon and is a member of the Arthroscopy Association of North America as well as the International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine.
- Published many acclaimed articles on Sports Medicine. If you are experiencing one or more of the symptoms mentioned above, it is important to get a prompt and accurate diagnosis to determine the severity of your injury and get proper treatment immediately.
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