| Is Your Knee Weakness a Meniscus Injury? |
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| by Diet Detective Editorial Staff | |
| Tuesday, 04 July 2006 | |
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Damage to these key joint cushions could be at the root of your knee problems.
Menisci are crescent-shaped cushions on both the inner and outer sides of the joint in each knee. The one on the inside (medial) is five times more likely to be injured than the meniscus on the outside (lateral), reports the Georgia Tech Sports Medicine & Performance Newsletter. It can be damaged or torn during violent twisting, bending or compression of the joint. A soccer or basketball player, for example, who plants a foot to change directions or is hit by another player can damage the meniscus as well as the ligaments that support the knee. A runner who missteps can suffer the same injury.
The symptoms can result from a single traumatic event, or they may develop over a period of years. Swelling after exercise, pain, knee locking, muscle weakness and a knee that can't support weight are commonly reported by athletes who have injured a meniscus. If the tear is in an area where there is no blood supply, the tissue will never heal and will have to be repaired or removed through arthroscopic surgery. Knee curls and leg presses are two exercises that can be used to strengthen the area supporting the menisci before an injury occurs and during rehabilitation afterward.
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