Dr. Çağatay ULUÇAY
Meniscus Injuries
Menisci increase the compatibility between the basic thigh bone (femur) and shin bone (tibia) and play a role in the balanced transfer of body weight to the knee joint and in reducing the impact effect (shock absorption). In the absence of menisci, the joint surfaces between the femur and tibia are not fully compatible with each other, so the load will increase excessively at certain points and the load will not be distributed to other points. In this case, it will be inevitable to encounter premature wear problems and calcification in areas where load is applied. Therefore, it is important for the menisci to function for knee health.
How Menisci Work
The knee joint is a triple complex consisting of the femur, tibia and kneecap bones (patella). These bones are covered with thick cartilage tissues, and thanks to this cartilage tissue, the bone surfaces slide easily over each other without rubbing against each other. Meniscus is located between these cartilage surfaces and acts as a cushion that increases their compatibility with each other. In this way, weight transfer is made over a larger surface and more balanced.
Menisci have an appearance that can be described as half-moon or C-shaped, and their cross-sectional surfaces are wedge-shaped. The surrounding part of this wedge is thick and approximately 25% of it is fed by veins. The larger and thinner area inside is devoid of vessels and has no healing potential after injury. Therefore, when the inner parts of the meniscus are injured, there is no chance of healing and it must be treated.