Definition of Medial Meniscus

The definition of medial meniscus is incomplete without an understanding of the way in which the knee works and what are the major components that assist in a trouble free motion. Basically, the knee is a joint where two bones meet and this joint is extremely important for the motion of a person. The ambulatory system of the body is heavily dependent on the knee and the menisci form a major part of the knee’s function. Basically, there are two menisci in the knee, lateral and medial, and both of them are quite important. The medial meniscus acts as a shock absorber of the knee and helps the body in balancing the weight during motion. Here are some major features and problems that are associated with the medial meniscus.

medial meniscus

Medial Meniscus Tear

The medial meniscus tear happens due to some major causes that can be distributed into two categories. The first category is that of trauma and this signifies any kind of problem that the knee has faced. Accidents, stress, injuries etc. are some of the common example of trauma to the knee and these can lead to the development of problems in the medial meniscus. The second category is more reserved for older people and this is brought about due to regular degeneration of the medial meniscus in the body. With time, the medial meniscus is unable to take the weight of the body and tends to tear apart. The most common symptom of a medial meniscus is medial meniscus pain, which can be really excruciating sometimes. Apart from the medial meniscus, the other symptoms include improper function of the knee and problems while walking. There are several ways through which a medial meniscus tear can be fixed, and one of them is described below.

Medial Meniscus Surgery

There are several types of medial meniscus surgery options available and your doctor can help you in selecting one of them. There are several factors which play a role in the selection of the right kind of medial meniscus surgery and some of them include age, extent of damage, medical condition etc. After these factors have been determined, a torn medial meniscus is repaired by using one of the options. A medial meniscus is an important part of the body and any kind of medial meniscus pain should never be neglected.

Painful Medial Meniscus Tear

For understanding the painful medial meniscus tear, you need to know about the complete function of the medial meniscus in the working of the knee. Basically, our knee is composed of two menisci that are responsible for reducing the strain that is put on our knee during motion. These two menisci are known as medial meniscus and lateral meniscus. The main function of the medial meniscus is to ensure that there is the least amount of friction between the bones and the movement of the leg and knee is regulated. Further, the distribution of weight is taken care of by the medial meniscus and it also functions as a shock absorber for the knee. However, there are several reasons through which the medial meniscus might suffer damage. Such damage is known as medial meniscus tear and there are some common causes behind this problem.

Read the rest of this entry »