Meniscus - anatomy issues
Submitted by admin on March 13, 2008 - 7:11pm.
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A number of issues affect which meniscus tears more frequently and how well different tears heal: Blood supply is poor on inner aspectThe blood supply to the structure is from a network of small blood vessels which penetrate from the wider outer rim. Here the blood supply is rich and healing is facilitated. In this area tears are referred to as 'red-on-red'. On the inner sharper rim, however, the blood vessels do not penetrate at all. The cells of the meniscus are dependent on any nourishment they can get from the joint fluid. Tears here do not heal. In this area tears are referred to as 'white-on-white'. Tears in-between these two regions are referred to as 'red-on-white'. They may heal, but not necessarily. |
Tears can extend
Without treatment, tears tend to get bigger rather than healing themselves. Once there is a tear, the forces alter, and the tear itself is likely to propogate and get larger. The larger the tear gets, the greater the alteration in joint mechanics.
Some areas are hard to reach
Some anatomical areas are harder to treat than others. Special attention is given to tears of the front and rear parts of the meniscus - the anterior and posterior horns. Tears in both areas are frequent and more difficult to manage than tears in the middle of the wedge. Horizontal tears are also a problem - they tend to extend deep into the substance of the meniscus and it is hard to trim to healthy areas without going right to the all-important rim, which is a critical element of the meniscus.
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