There are two forms of cartilage in the knee, articular cartilage and the meniscus˳ Articular cartilage surrounds the surfaces of the bones that make up the knee˳ The articular cartilage prevents damage when the bones move and rub against one another˳ Resting on top of the articular cartilage are two wedges of cartilage that make up the meniscus˳ The meniscus distributes weight evenly throughout the leg˳ Without the meniscus, weight is applied unevenly to the bones, which results in arthritis of the knee˳
Meniscus tears, which are also referred to as cartilage tears, involve pain and swelling in the knee˳ Sometimes meniscus tears also result in joint locking, which prevents the knee from fully straightening˳ The meniscus is basically really tough cartilage, which is made up of two menisci that conform to the surfaces of the bones˳ The menisci can be found on the surface between the femur (thigh bone) and tibia (shin bone)˳
The two most common causes of meniscus tears are traumatic injury and degeneration˳ Athletes are prone to traumatic injuries that involve bending and twisting of the knee to result in meniscus tears˳ Older adults are more prone to degeneration because as people get older, age makes cartilage more susceptible to wear and tear˳
Meniscus tears usually involve the following symptoms:
o Pain, swelling and tenderness
o Clicking and popping inside the knee
o Restricted motion
Meniscus Tear Treatment
Many meniscal tears, particularly chronic tears, can be treated non-operatively by physical therapy, strengthening exercises, medications and cortisone injections˳
Surgery is not usually necessary to treat meniscus tears˳ Physical therapy is a more common treatment˳ Sometimes physical therapy is accompanied by medication and cortisone injections to alleviate pain˳
Partial menisectomy surgery is the most common form of surgery for meniscus tears˳ It involves removal of the torn portion of the meniscus˳ Usually this is a good option if the tear is small˳ If the tear is large, surgeons have the option of repairing the meniscus with sutures or tacks instead of moving the torn section of the meniscus entirely˳
Source by https://ezinearticles˳com/?Arthritis-and-the-Wear-of-Cartilage&id=2027169
