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NL Meniscus injury
A meniscus injury is one of the most common knee problems in Physiotherapy. Whether you are an avid athlete or have made a wrong move once, a meniscus injury can significantly disrupt your daily life. In this blog, we take you through and tell you all about the causes, symptoms, treatment of meniscus complaints and how we at Fysio Fitaal in Tilburg can help you make an effective and lasting recovery after meniscus surgery.
Causes of a Meniscus injury
There are several causes of a meniscus injury. Below are the most common ones:
- Sudden turning movements: often occurs during sports such as football, tennis or basketball, where your knee twists while your foot remains firmly on the ground.
- Age: As we age, the cartilage in the meniscus loses its flexibility and strength. This makes it more susceptible to tearing, even during simple movements such as squatting or slipping.
- Trauma: A hard blow or also worse, a car accident can also lead to a meniscus tear.
- Overload: Prolonged overuse, often at the same angle, can cause meniscus complaints.
Symptoms of a Meniscus injury
The symptoms of a meniscus injury can vary, depending on the severity of the tear. The most common symptoms are:
- Knee pain: Especially on the sides of the knee, where the joint gap is located. In the medical world, we also call this the Joint Line.
- Swelling: This may occur immediately after the injury or several hours later.
- Restricted movement: You may have difficulty bending or extending your knee fully.
- Final complaints: Sometimes the meniscus can get stuck between the joints, causing a blockage in the movement of the knee.
- Crackling noises: When moving the knee, a cracking sound may be heard, indicating a damaged meniscus. Sometimes this is also described more as a pop or loud click.
How is a meniscus injury diagnosed?
If you think you have a meniscus injury, it is important to consult a doctor or physiotherapist as soon as possible. A physical examination can often provide a lot of clarity. In addition, an MRI scan can help to assess the extent of damage and draw up the right treatment plan. Common tears include bucket handle tear, flap tear and radial tear of the meniscus. Sports-related meniscus injuries often occur in combination with other knee injuries, such as a anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Treatment of a Meniscus injury
The treatment of a meniscus injury depends on the severity of the tear. There are two options:
Conservative treatment: small tears can often be treated without surgery, again, this also depends heavily on the location of the lesion in the meniscus. That is, in which part the tear is located. Exercise therapy can help reduce swelling and pain in the early stages. Physiotherapy plays a crucial role here in restoring mobility and strengthening the surrounding muscles.
Meniscus surgery: In cases of severe tears, surgery is sometimes unavoidable. This is usually performed via arthroscopy, a minimally invasive procedure in which the surgeon makes small holes in the knee to either repair, suture or remove the meniscus. The recovery period after surgery can vary, depending on how complex the procedure was.
What is the Meniscus?
The meniscus is a cartilage-like ring in your knee that acts as a shock absorber. Every knee has two menisci(menisci is plural of meniscus): one on the inside of your knee (the medial meniscus) and one on the outside of your knee( the lateral meniscus). They help stabilise the knee and allow you to move smoothly. When a tear or damage occurs in the meniscus, it often causes pain when moving and can even cause locking pain in the knee.
Quick action in case of lock complaints
When you suffer from lock symptoms, where the knee is really in a lock position, quick action is crucial. This could indicate a serious meniscus tear where part of the meniscus is literally stuck between the joint surfaces. If this is the case then make a quick appointment at Fysio Fitaal in Tilburg.
Why acting fast is important:
Preventing permanent damage: a meniscus that is stuck has in itself a reduced ability to recover naturally.
Meniscus preservation: The sooner a correct diagnosis is made, the more likely it is that the meniscus can be preserved. This avoids the need to remove parts of the meniscus during surgery.
Meniscus blood flow: 1/3, 2/3 and 3/3 distribution
The meniscus is divided into three zones. The blood flow in these three zones plays an important role in the recovery from a meniscus injury. The outer 1/3 of the meniscus, also known as the red zone, has the best blood flow. This means that tears in this part of the meniscus have a higher chance of healing without intervention, as this is where the body can supply more nutrients and oxygen. The middle 1/3, the red-white zone, has limited blood flow. Tears in this zone can sometimes heal, but this depends on the severity of the damage. The inner 1/3, the white zone, has almost no blood flow. This part of the meniscus generally does not heal on its own, and tears in this zone often require surgery, such as removing or repairing the damaged tissue.
How long does recovery take for a meniscus injury?
The recovery time of a meniscus injury varies from person to person and depends on the treatment. Here are some rules of thumb:
- Conservative treatment: With rest and physiotherapy, it can take 12 weeks for your knee to fully recover.
- After surgery: Recovery after meniscus surgery can take 3 to 6 months, depending on the type of surgery and your own ability to recover.
It is important to take your physiotherapist's prescribed exercises seriously so that you don't start heavy activities again too soon. After all, this can lead to new symptoms.
Physiotherapy after meniscus surgery
Physiotherapy plays a crucial role in recovery after meniscus surgery. During physiotherapy, the focus is on restoring strength, stability and flexibility in the knee. The treatment plan often consists of:
- Getting used to tax: exercises aimed at strengthening the quadriceps and hamstrings help support the knee. This prevents future injuries.
- Good stretching of the knee: Through manual therapy and actively improving the extension of the knee, we want the knee to return to normal extension as soon as possible. This extension is crucial for normal gait.
- Coordination training : exercises aimed at coordinative proper movement during sports are essential to restore knee stability and reduce the risk of re-injury.
- Strength training: During rehabilitation, your physiotherapist will slowly increase the intensity of your exercises. This is done in steps, so that your knee can get used to strenuous activities again without overexerting itself.
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