What Problems Affect Knee Cartilage?

The cause of meniscus injury is mostly caused by rotating external forces. When the knee joint moves from flexion to straightening with rotation, meniscus injuries are most likely to occur. Most of the meniscus injury is the medial meniscus, the most common is meniscus posterior horn injury, and the longitudinal rupture is the most common.

Knee joint meniscus cartilage injury

The knee meniscus is a crescent-shaped fibrocartilage that fills the joint space between the femur and tibia. Each knee joint has two menisci, the medial meniscus and the lateral meniscus. Their peripheral parts are thicker, attached to the edge of the tibial plateau and thinner in the center. They are slightly depressed above the femoral condyle and flat below the tibial condyle. There is no blood supply area in the knee meniscus. The nutrition comes mainly from the synovial fluid, and only the peripheral part connected to the tibial margin can get blood supply from the synovium.

Western Medicine Name: Knee joint meniscus cartilage injury
Affiliated Department: Surgery-Orthopedics
Disease site: Knee joint
The main symptoms: Joint pain, muscle atrophy, joint interlocking, walking inconvenience

Main cause: Trauma and degenerative lesions
Multiple groups: youth
Contagious: Non-contagious
way for spreading: no
Hereditary: Non-hereditary

Causes of knee meniscus cartilage injury

Clinical manifestations of knee meniscus cartilage injury

Knee joint meniscus cartilage injury disease symptoms

After meniscus injury, the collaterals are injured, qi stagnation and blood stasis, resulting in dysfunction of the meridians, so local swelling, pain, and movement disorders may occur early. Although the swelling subsided after a few weeks, due to qi and blood stagnation, blood disproportionate tendons, and degeneration of bones and muscles, the muscles and muscles contracted and atrophied, the knee joint was unstable, and the disease was weak. During the extension and flexion of the knee joint, because the front or back of the ruptured meniscus is embedded between the femoral and tibial articular surfaces, joint locking and popping can occur.

Knee joint meniscus cartilage injury disease harm

The meniscus has a special structure that makes it difficult to heal itself after injury, endangers joints over time, causes traumatic arthritis, and can seriously cause inconvenience in walking.

Diagnosis and identification of knee meniscus cartilage injury

Examination and diagnosis of knee meniscus cartilage injury

1. Tenderness: In the medial and lateral spaces of the knee joint, along the upper edge of the tibial condyle (ie, the edge of the meniscus), use your thumb to press it point by point, and there is fixed tenderness at the meniscus injury.

2. McMurray test (rotational compression test): The patient lies on his back, the examiner holds the ankle of the calf in one hand, the other holds the knee to flex the hip and knee as much as possible, and then the calf is abducted, rotated and abducted. , Internal rotation, or adduction, internal rotation, or adduction, external rotation, gradually straighten. The presence of pain or sound is positive, and the location of the injury is determined based on the pain and sound.

3. Powerful hyperextension or flexion test: Passively overstretch or flex the knee joint. If the front of the meniscus is injured, the hyperextension can cause pain; if the back of the meniscus is injured, the flexion can cause pain.

4. Lateral pressure test: The knees are extended in an upright position, and the knees are passively adducted or abducted. If there is a meniscus injury, pain is caused by compression at the affected joint space.

5. Single-leg squat test: Use one leg to hold the weight and gradually squat from the standing position, and then stand up from the squatting position. The healthy side is normal. Pressure can cause pain in the joint space, and you cannot even squat or stand up.

6. Gravity test: The patient takes the lateral position and raises the lower limbs for active flexion and extension of the knee joint. When the affected joint space is downward, pain is caused by the compression of the damaged meniscus; otherwise, when the affected joint space is upward, No pain.

7. Grinding test: The patient takes the prone position, the knee joint flexes, the examiner holds the ankle and presses the lower leg to perform internal and external rotation at the same time. The damaged meniscus is caused by compression and grinding, which causes pain; Lifting up and doing internal and external rotation activities, there is no pain. ^[1]

Identification of knee meniscus cartilage injury

1. X-ray examination: taking X-ray positive and lateral radiographs, although it can not show the meniscus damage, but can exclude other bone and joint diseases. 2. MRI examination: It is the most common method to check the degree of meniscus damage. The accuracy of the new non-invasive examination method for the knee joint and surrounding structures is 90% -95%.

3. Knee arthroscopy: Arthroscope can directly observe the location and type of meniscus injury and other structures in the joint, which is helpful for the diagnosis of difficult cases with an accuracy rate of 100%.

Treatment of knee joint meniscus cartilage injury

Surgery treatment of knee joint meniscus cartilage

For meniscus rupture, arthroscopic surgery is generally used. A lens is attached to the end of a thin tube, and the thin tube is inserted into the joint through a "lockhole" size or smaller (5-10 mm), and the structure inside the joint will be displayed on the monitor , Can dynamically observe the degree of influence of abnormal tissues on joint stability and function. Therefore, under the surveillance of a monitor, various lesion tissues can be accurately trimmed, sutured, fixed, and reconstructed to achieve the purpose of treatment. This method has a small wound, less pain, convenient treatment, safe and effective, and fewer complications.

Other treatments for knee meniscus cartilage injury

Chinese treatment:

Method 1 of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Meniscus Injury

[Therapy] Activating blood and removing stasis, swelling and pain.

[Prescription]

1. The main recipe for activating blood and relieving pain

Prescription: 12 grams of angelica, 6 grams of chuanxiong, 6 grams of frankincense, 6 grams of hematoxylin, 5 grams of safflower, 6 grams of myrrh, 9 grams of earthworms, 3 grams of notoginseng 9 grams, 3 grams of tangerine peel, 3 grams 6 grams, 9 grams of bauhinia. Decoction, 1 dose daily.

2. Topical Fangxiaoyu cream

Prescription: 1 serving of rhubarb, 2 servings of gardenia, 4 servings of papaya, 4 servings of dandelion, 4 servings of turmeric, 6 servings of cork. Research together, apply water and honey in half and apply to the affected area.

3. Unilateral prescription meniscus injury No. 1 external application

Prescription: 15 grams of cork, 15 grams of acacia skin, 15 grams of white and 15 grams, 15 grams of continuous discontinuity, 15 grams of millennium health, 15 grams of lotus root, 9 grams of melon seeds. Earthworm 9 grams, Achyranthes bidentata 9 grams, sandalwood 9 grams, red sedge 6 grams, safflower 6 grams. Research together, apply a little water and honey to the affected area, and change the dressing once every other day.

Method 2 of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Meniscus Injury

[Governing Law] Nourishing blood and promoting blood circulation, soothing tendons and activating blood circulation.

[Prescription]

1. The main recipe for strengthening tendons and strengthening blood

Prescription: 9 grams of angelica, 6 grams of chuanxiong, 9 grams of white peony, 12 grams of continuation, 5 grams of safflower, 12 grams of radix rehmanniae, 9 grams of achyranthes, 9 grams of peony skin, 9 grams of Eucommia Decoction, 1 dose daily.

2. External use orthopedics external wash two

Prescription: 15 grams of Guizhi, 15 grams of Wei Lingxian, 15 grams of windproof, 15 grams of Wujiapi, 10 grams of asarum, 10 grams of nepeta, 10 grams of myrrh. Wash the affected knees with decoction.

3. Unilateral prescription meniscus injury No. 2 external application

Prescription: 15 grams of white and 15 grams, 15 grams of acacia skin, 15 grams of bone fragments, 15 grams of astragalus, 9 grams of continuous discontinuity, 9 grams of Ziheche, 9 grams of Millennium, 9 grams of Poria, 9 grams of white peony, 9 G. Research together, apply a little water and honey to the affected area, and change the dressing once every other day.

Chinese medicine treatment of meniscus injury method three

[Governing Law] Wen Jing Tongluo, nourishing kidney and strengthening muscles.

[Prescription]

1. The main formula of kidney and strengthening soup

Prescription: 12 grams of Rehmannia glutinosa, 12 grams of Angelica sinensis, 10 grams of Achyranthes bidentata, 12 grams of dogwood, 12 grams of Poria, 12 grams of continuity, 10 grams of Eucommia ulmoides, 10 grams of white peony, 5 grams of green peel, 9 grams of Wujiapi. Decoction, 1 dose daily.

Prevention of knee joint meniscus cartilage injury

The prevention of meniscus damage is focused on the details of life. For example, you must pay full attention when going up and down the stairs, and then move on to the second step to avoid trauma. In addition, to avoid knee trauma, you can usually wear knee pads to prevent accidents. At the same time, most meniscus injuries belong to athletes, so in addition to paying attention to exercise posture and exercise intensity, pay attention to sports protection, such as wearing sports protective gear to prevent accidental injuries during exercise.