You don't have to be a top athlete to push the knee over the limit and into a pain and literally destroy it.
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Our knees are very important joints that allow us to make a range of movements, while at the same time keeping the body stable.
Part of the knee that can cause a lot of pain is meniscus. This is a rubbery, C-shaped disc that works as a shock absorber.
There are two of them (menisci) in every knee: one is at the outer edge of the knee, and one at the inner edge. There are also numerous fluid-filled sacs (bursae) and their task is to allow the knee to move smoothly.
Athlete or not, make a sudden and strong move, jump on a basketball field, work in the garden and lift something heavy, work on the construction site... and if the feet is "stuck" on the ground and the body rotates, your meniscus will have really hard time trying to survive that. And meniscus tear may happen.
Add to that that your meniscus gets worn as you get older and you see how easy is to injure one of the most important joints.
There are three types of meniscus tears and even the lightest form of meniscus injury takes weeks to recover.
If you have a minor tear, you will feel slight pain, nothing serious, and swelling. Give it 2 or 3 weeks and it's gone.
A moderate tear also causes pain but swelling slowly gets worse over next 2 or 3 days, the knee is stiff and you can't bend it as you used to do.
While you are able to walk, don't try to twist your knee or you'll see all stars there are in heaven. That doesn't mean it's a very serious condition, but the pain can be strong.
If you have a moderate tear and don't treat it, your situation may go from bad to good to bad again for years.
A severe tear means that pieces of the torn meniscus are free to move into the joint space. Along with the pain, your knee may give way, you may not be able to straighten your leg, and swelling and stiffness are following.
The shape of your meniscus can be easily checked: after a physical exam, X-rays or MRI will give a clear picture is there damage and in what extent.
The treatment is also simple although it takes time: ice, wrapping the knee with an elastic bandage, resting the leg on pillows, physical therapy, and surgery if needed to remove part of the meniscus.
Another common injury any knee may succumb to is Hoffa's pad, also known as Morbus Hoffa, or Hoffa's syndrome.
A soft tissue that lies underneath the kneecap is separating it from the end of the thigh bone. It is a shock absorber and it helps the joint so it can move smoothly. The fat pad is attached to ligaments from the thigh bone to the knee cap.
Now, when we straighten our leg, the fat is pulled out of the joint and if the ligaments of the knee are injured the fat pad can become trapped. That means its function is limited but it also means a lot of pain because it is full of nerves. The knee may become significantly swollen.
This condition occurs in around 25% of patients with a knee injury - it can happen to anyone, no matter the age or profession. However, it is more common in men than women, and people who are physically active have good chances to get his injury at some point in life.
Some activities that cause this injury are sports in which there is repeated stress to the knee, occupations with prolonged kneeling, and every other activity with sudden bending or straightening of the knee joint. It is common in all runners, professional or amateurs, with flat feet or weak hips.
Treatment for Hoffa consists of several steps. First choice is rest and an ice pack to reduce inflammation. Over-the-counter pain medication is used to reduce inflammation, and good shoes and running shoes are recommended because they reduce stress on the knee joint.
The doctor may give steroid injection to the site of swelling and if the condition keeps coming back, surgery is recommended. A surgery removes excessive fat tissue and it is performed using arthroscopy, a minimally-invasive procedure. ■