Cartilage Tears
By Matt Paulus, MS, ATC, Site Coordinator
JOI Explains Cartilage Tears
By: Matt Paulus, MS, ATC, Site Coordinator
Cartilage tears are the most common cause of leg pain in active people, both young and old. There are many causes of cartilage tears, many of which are related to the age of the person and their activity level.
Cartilage, which is a white, gristle-like substance that covers the ends of bones where they come in contact with one another. I have seen this commonly torn in the knee when a person twists the area, resulting in swelling and pain. This injury is usually followed by stiffness that prevents you from completely straightening or bending your knee. In many cases, your knee may feel better with rest, but the symptoms are likely to return with any new physical activity. This type of injury may have a long-term effect on your knee if proper treatment isn’t applied at the time of the injury. The common complaints are pain and popping in the joint.
In my experience, unlike arthritis pain, which typically develops over many years, the symptoms of a degenerative tear of the cartilage can be quick to develop in a person previously active and pain-free.
Lateral Knee Anatomy
Arthroscopic Surgery
Arthroscopic surgery can be used to remove pieces of torn cartilage by making a tiny incision. Viewing the joint with a small fiber-optic instrument with a lighted tip. In some younger people, the cartilage can be sewn back together and removal of the cartilage is avoided. Symptoms of cartilage damage may be pain and tenderness in your knee. Pain especially when bearing weight, locking of the joint, giving way of the knee, and water on the knee, in some cases. Therefore, it is important to get an evaluation for your knee pain right away.
Physical Therapy
As an athletic trainer, I have seen so many injuries to the knee joint. I know that physical therapy can help these injuries by strengthening the muscles surrounding the joint and by decreasing pain. In the clinical setting, I see so many athletes who injured their knees when they were younger. The common theme is that they wished they would have taken better care of their knees. If you suffer from any of these symptoms, you should get an evaluation by an orthopedic physician.
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