The meniscus is a piece of fibrous cartilage that sits between the shin bone and the thigh bone. There are two in each knee, a lateral meniscus and a medial meniscus. Meniscus injuries are very common and may be degenerative (wear and tear) or traumatic. They are usually treated with arthroscopic surgery. The operation involves either a meniscectomy (removing the damaged piece of meniscus) or a suture (to repair the tear).
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A torn anterior cruciate ligament is a very common injury following trauma to the knee. It usually happens in sporting accidents (e.g. skiing, football). It causes very sharp pain, bleeding in the joint (haemarthrosis) and instability (feeling of the knee being loose). Treatment is usually arthroscopic surgery involving a tendon graft to reconstruct the anterior cruciate ligament.
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Osteoarthritis of the knee is a degenerative condition that affects the knee joint. It causes increasing degrees of knee pain, which gradually reduces the distance a person can walk. It becomes harder to bend the knee, leading to a loss of independence. There are many treatments to slow down this condition (e.g. injections, viscosupplementation). A knee replacement is the last resort and involves surgery to replace the knee with a prosthetic joint.
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A dislocated patella is when the kneecap slides out of place. It often affects young women following an inadvertent movement or trauma. The most common cause is dysplasia (malformation) of the femur and patella. Treatment aims to recentre the patella over the joint. The treatment may be medical (physical therapy/rehabilitation) or surgical. If surgery is required, there are several options available (e.g. tibial tubercle transfer, MPFL reconstruction, trochleoplasty).
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