Meniscus tears are a common type of knee injury from twisting or rotating your knees. The C-shaped cartilage in your knees acts as cushions between your shinbone and thigh bone. But a torn meniscus can result in discomfort, edema, stiffness, knee blocking, and limited range of motion.
The knee’s cartilage protects and stabilizes the joint and helps stop degeneration. Older athletes are at a higher risk for meniscus tears since the cartilage degrades with age. More than 40% of adults 65 and older have them.
It’s important to be aware of your body and take preventative measures to prevent a meniscus tear. This article will explain the meniscus, its types, causes, and some tips for tear prevention.
What is the Meniscus?
The meniscus is a cartilage cushion between your tibia (shinbone) and femur (shinbone). Every knee joint contains two menisci. Although flexible enough to bear the impacts of daily activities, these cartilage cushions might tear or break under immense strain.
Generally, meniscus tears might happen due to a hard tackle on the basketball floor or a quick turn on the football field.
However, meniscus tears may happen to anyone, not just athletes. A meniscal tear might also result from standing up too abruptly after squatting. More than 500,000 meniscal tears occur annually in the United States alone, as per Boston Children’s Hospital’s report.
Your treatment options may range from home remedies to outpatient surgery, depending on the extent of the injuries. Additionally, performing leg-strengthening exercises and employing the right techniques when participating in contact sports or activities can help avoid this injury or re-injury.
Types of Meniscus Tears
Some of the most common types of a meniscus tears are as follows:
- Radial Tear
The most common type of meniscal tear is the radial tear, which occurs in the avascular zone of the meniscus. This meniscus area has a limited blood supply, leading to poor circulation in the knee joint. As a result, radial tears cannot heal without medical treatment and intervention.
- Incomplete or Internal Tear
On a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test, clinicians frequently detect meniscus alterations in persons between 20s and 30. These tears are often a symptom of the meniscus’s early stages of degeneration.
- Horizontal Tear
A horizontal tear extends along the meniscus’s curved fibers. A surgeon may repair a horizontal rip by stitching it together rather than removing the injured meniscus tissue. The location of these tears will determine how they should be treated.
The part of the cartilage having blood flow is known as the vascular section of the meniscus. It has the best chance of healing and is close to the meniscus’s outer margin.
- Flap Tear
The meniscus has an unusual tear pattern called a flap tear. When a piece of cartilage is peeled back, it may become lodged in the joint and “catch” or lock up.
- Complex Tear
When there are multiple tear patterns, the tear is considered complex. The presence of both radial and horizontal tears characterizes complicated tears.
- Tear in Bucket Handle
A prominent horizontal meniscal tear is the bucket-handle tear, with the torn section preventing normal knee motion. These tears frequently result in blocked to limited mobility and range of motion.
Causes of Meniscus Tears
Activities that result in direct touch or pressure from a forced twist or rotation can cause the meniscus to tear. Injuries can result from rapid turns or pivots, deep squats, or heavy lifting. As a result, meniscus tears are a common injury among sportspeople.
Also, children are prone to suffering a meniscus tear when concentrating on just one activity, putting pressure on a specific joint. Teenagers participating in competitive sports also suffer from similar problems. Additionally, the meniscus weakens with age, so the elderly are prone to developing them. Those above 30 tend to have weak menisci and may be injured when squatting or stepping.
Osteoarthritis is a common joint condition that affects your joints and is brought on by aging and normal wear and tear. You have a greater chance of hurting your knee or damaging your meniscus if you have osteoarthritis.
Tips for Prevention
Some of the meniscus prevention tips are as follows:
- Proper Warm-up and Stretching
Before working out, it’s essential to warm up and stretch to loosen up the stiff joints.
- Building Strength and Flexibility
You should maintain the muscle strength and health that support your knees. Your quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors, and calf muscles support your knees. The knee’s structures, particularly the meniscus tissues, are protected by strong, adaptable muscles that allow maximum mobility.
- Using Proper Form and Technique During Exercise
It is important to warm up initially. It engages your muscles, but it is important to have the right form and technique to prevent a meniscus tear. You have to spend some time cooling off after an activity, too.
- Incorporating Low-Impact Exercise
You can increase your activity intensity gradually to avoid jerks or jolts on your knee joints. Usually, the risks increase if you start working out harder suddenly.
- Wearing Appropriate Footwear
Using supportive footwear can help shield you from further injuries. It’s essential to wear shoes that offer the right kind and amount of support to protect your knees against meniscus damage.
- Listening to Your Body and Avoiding Overuse Injuries
Allowing your body time to rest and recuperate between workouts is crucial. Your muscles don’t protect your joints as well when they are worn down.
Lifestyle Changes to Reduce Risk
You can also incorporate certain lifestyle changes to avoid injuring yourself in the future and lead a healthy life. Some of the lifestyle changes that you should follow are:
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Eating a balanced diet
- Getting enough rest and recovery
- Managing stress levels
- Avoiding tobacco and excessive alcohol consumption
Avoiding Common Mistakes
To prevent any meniscal tears in the future, you should not ignore the signs and avoid these common mistakes to save yourself from an injury.
- Overtraining and ignoring the pain
- Skipping warm-up and cool-down exercises
- Neglecting to cross-train or vary workouts
- Wearing inappropriate footwear
- Failing to seek medical attention when necessary
Conclusion
While treatment options for meniscal tears have significantly improved, prevention strategies remain crucial in avoiding these injuries. Preventing meniscal tears is particularly crucial for athletes in high-impact sports that significantly stress the knee joint.