Cartilage Tears
Cartilage in your knee is also known as the meniscus. It acts as a shock absorber between your thighbone and shin bone. Each of your knees has two menisci. They can be found on the inner and outer sides of the knee and have a crescent shape.
When the meniscus is damaged it can put a lot of strain on your knee and cause the joint surface cartilage to wear. A torn meniscus can also lead to instability or pain.
It is possible that you will not be affected by a small tear in the cartilage. Symptoms can die down after a while but if they persist for more than a few weeks then surgery is an option. Larger tears that cause the knee to lock will require assessment and possibly surgery straight away.
There are a few different tests that I often use to work out what the cause of your knee problem is. These are often simple, are quick to do, and do not hurt.
There are loads of good treatments available for cartilage tears, which will depend on the type of tear, the condition of your knee and your general health and activity levels.
These can include advice on lifestyle changes, like giving up smoking and weight loss, tablets, specialist injections, and physiotherapist-led exercise programs.
Sometimes patients are seen just the once and discharged, sometimes it is recommended to have follow up appointments, for example to see if a particular treatment is working
Knee arthroscopy is a procedure that is usually carried out to treat cartilage tears. This is also known as key-hole surgery. There are two main procedures depending on the issue. Sometimes it is possible to repair a tear but if this is not possible the torn meniscus will need to be trimmed to create a smooth edge. This is called a partial meniscectomy.
Are you suffering from a torn cartilage?
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