Your knee is a complicated joint. There are all kinds of ligaments that help your knee stay in alignment, bend right, and allow you to put your weight on it. There is also something called the meniscus. 

Meniscus

Your body produces cartilage. It has a lot of different jobs to do. It can form structures like your nose and ears. It can also form cushions, like in between the disks of your spine. In the case of your knee, the meniscus is the cartilage is formed in between the bones in the joint. The meniscus pads the joints and keeps them from rubbing together. It also helps keep your knee lubricated and keeps everything moving well. Your meniscus gets a lot of use and abuse. That means that it gets injured. How does that happen and what can you do about it?

Meniscus Tear

A tear can happen during sports events. For example, if you are bending, squatting, or twisting, or some combination of the three, you are at risk of your meniscus tearing. You may hear or feel a loud pop when it happens. As you age, your meniscus is at risk for degenerative tears. Sadly, part of aging means that your body starts to fall apart a bit. This in turn means that it is  easier for normal day-to-day activities to cause a tear. So, what can you do about a tear?

Healing a Tear

A meniscus tear can heal on its own, especially if it isn't a severe one. You can ice the injured knee, elevate it, rest it, and use something like a compression bandage on it. The compression bandage or brace will help support your knee and let you walk around with less pain. If you are still having pain or your knee is very swollen, you need to go see an orthopedic surgeon as soon as possible. They will send you for an MRI so that they can diagnose the tear and the severity of the tear. You may have to have surgery to repair it. That can include going into your knee and sewing up the tear in the meniscus. If it is very severe, you may have to have the meniscus taken out. That is the very last resort since it leaves you at higher risk of arthritis. 

If you think that you have torn your meniscus, you should make sure that you take care of it so that it heals up as soon as possible. Contact a provider, such as at Northern Care Inc Prosthetics & Orthotics, for help. 

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