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The menisci are cartilage that help stabilize and facilitate joint movements. When they are worn out and with little elasticity due to age, a slight trauma is enough to injure them.
When they are injured, they manifest themselves with limitation of movement, pain, swelling and crunching.
The diagnosis is clinical by interrogation and physical examination. It will be confirmed by ultrasound and/or magnetic resonance imaging.
In mild injuries, the treatment is usually conservative by means of rest and anti-inflammatory drugs. More severe lesions will be treated with arthroscopy or reparative surgery that eliminates broken remains.
- Dennis A Cardone, DO. Bret C Jacobs, DO, MA. Meniscal injury of the knee. UpToDate. Sep 16, 2016.
- Kise NJ, Risberg MA, Stensrud S, et al. Exercise therapy versus arthroscopic partial meniscectomy for degenerative meniscal tear in middle aged patients: randomised controlled trial with two year follow-up. BMJ 2016; 354:i3740.
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Dr. Sara Vitoria
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