반월상 연골판 손상
What is a meniscus injury?
The meniscus is a crescent-shaped cartilage structure between the knee bones. Its main role is to cushion the impact transmitted to the knee joint, and it also provides joint stability, lubrication and proprioception. When the meniscus is injured, swelling and severe pain are common in the acute stage. A meniscus injury should also be suspected when the knee loses strength and gives way, when there is pain or a catching sensation while bending and straightening the knee, or when there is noise and instability in the knee.
Causes
Cartilage is generally damaged by excessive impact or rotation. Knee cartilage can be injured during very ordinary movements: turning the body to hit a tennis ball, or pivoting around an opponent while dribbling in basketball.
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A sudden strong impact on the meniscus causes a tear
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The meniscus weakens with age and tears easily
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A congenitally malformed meniscus tears more easily than normal
Diagnosis
Because the meniscus cannot be seen on X-ray, accurate history taking, physical examination and X-ray are required, and if injury is suspected, MRI is performed to decide the treatment plan.
Treatment
A meniscus injury is unlikely to heal on its own with conservative treatment, but if the symptoms are mild, improvement can be expected by improving exercise and lifestyle habits together with conservative treatment such as DNA injection therapy and manual therapy. However, MRI is used to judge whether the torn meniscus is able to heal, and taking into account the location and extent of the tear, any accompanying ligament injury of the knee joint and the presence of arthritis, surgery with joint endoscopy is carefully considered if the cartilage is extensively damaged or if pain and limited motion restrict daily life.