TreatmentWhat to do? | Meniscus pain

TreatmentWhat to do?

The menisci compensate for incongruities (inequalities) between the joint surfaces of the bones involved in the knee joint. They lie as small crescent-shaped uneven discs between the thigh bone (femur) and the so-called tibia plateau of the shin bone (tibia). Pain caused by damage to the menisci is expressed as knee pain and is not always distinguishable from other causes such as torn ligaments.Often athletes are affected by meniscus injuries or workers, such as tilers, who put a lot of strain on their knees.

There are different injuries or causes of meniscal pain, the most important of which are meniscal contusion, meniscal tear or a degenerative change, i.e. arthrosis. Frequently, meniscal injuries, such as a torn meniscus, are painless and do not hurt as much. However, if symptoms are present, a deficit in extension and flexion, more or less severe pain in the hollow of the knee and on the sides above the injured meniscus are characteristic.

These pains extend into the shin bone. If you feel pain in the knee, for example immediately after an injury during sports, it is advisable to first stop putting weight on the knee and cool it well. To do this, you can wrap cold and moist towels around the affected knee.

Cooling elements should never be placed directly on the affected area. Furthermore, elastic bandages or knee joint bandages can initially alleviate the symptoms. Such bandages are usually available in pharmacies.

There you can also ask for a painkiller or a pain and inflammation relieving ointment, which will improve the symptoms. However, if the pain is very severe, the knee is swollen or red and mobility is severely restricted even hours or about a day later, it is advisable to consult a doctor who will examine the knee joint in detail. Whether and how the knee is then treated further depends on the severity and type of injury and the patient’s level of training.

In case of slight degenerative changes or injuries and a good level of training of the patient, physiotherapy exercises may be sufficient to make the pain disappear. However, if the meniscus is torn or very severely damaged, surgery may be necessary, in which the torn meniscus is partially resected by means of knee joint arthroscopy (arthroscopy of the joint). As a basic therapy, however, physiotherapy is usually prescribed first. Before an operation is performed, an MRI must confirm that this is really necessary. In case of a very severe injury and a very advanced degenerative change, an artificial meniscus can also be transplanted.