Quote, originally posted by joholste »Ok my MRI determined that i almost tore my Medial Collateral Ligament from the bottom fibers connecting it to the shin and that i have a small tear in my miniscus cartilage, does anyone know what the function of the miniscus cartilage is?Cartilage, as a whole, is there to help joints move smoothly - as a buffer between bones, if you will. Without it, you'll have bone on bone friction, causing a good amount of chronic pain. The fact that you ALMOST - and didn't - tear the MCL is good news...they won't have to operate now, right? As for the meniscus, which one has the tear - medial or lateral?EDIT: I hope this helps, taken from
http://orthopedics.about.com/c...s.htm:Quote »What happens with a meniscus tear (torn cartilage)?The two most common causes of a meniscus tear are due to traumatic injury (often seen in athletes) and degenerative processes (seen in elderly patients who have more brittle cartilage). The most common mechanism of a traumatic meniscus tear occurs when the knee joint is bent flexed) and the knee is then twisted. It is not uncommon for the meniscus tear to occur along with injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and the medial collateral ligament (MCL)-these three problems occurring together are known as the "unhappy triad," which is seen in sports such as football when the player is hit on the outside of the knee. Individuals who experience a meniscus tear usually experience pain and swelling as their primary symptoms. Another common complaint is joint locking, or the inability to completely straighten the joint. This is due to a piece of the torn cartilage physically impinging the joint mechanism of the knee. What treatments are available for a meniscus tear (torn cartilage)? Almost any knee injury can initially be treated acutely with ice and immobilization. This will decrease swelling and pain in the joint. Your physician can use information about how the injury occurred and physical examination techniques to determine the likelihood of a meniscus tear. While x-rays are invariably normal with an isolated meniscus tear, the MRI evaluation will often reveal abnormalities within the meniscus. The next step is to determine whether or not surgery is necessary. If an individual is not a good surgical candidate or if their meniscus tear symptoms are not significant, surgery can often be delayed or avoided altogether. Many people live normal lives despite having a meniscus tear. It is only when the meniscus tear becomes symptomatic, and interferes with activities, that surgery to treat the meniscus tear should be considered. There are generally two surgical options for treating a meniscus tear: meniscus repair, and menisectomy (removal of part of the meniscus). The meniscus repair can restore the normal anatomy of the knee, and has a better long-term prognosis when successful. However, the repair is a more significant surgery, the recovery is longer, and, because of limited blood supply to the meniscus, it is not always possible. On the other hand, the menisectomy has a faster recovery, but it can lead to trouble years down the road.What is the prognosis after having sustained a meniscus tear (torn cartilage)?With a meniscus tear (torn cartilage) in your knee, the shock absorbing capacity of the joint is threatened. Because of this, there is an increased risk of developing damage to the articular cartilage surface of the knee joint bones; this is commonly referred to as arthritis. Loss of the meniscus places more of a burden on the cartilage surfaces of the joint and they are more likely to develop arthritic changes. Therefore, any lifestyle changes to decrease your risk of developing arthritis can improve the prognosis after having sustained a meniscus tear. For example, weight loss, low-impact exercise, and prevention of further trauma to the joint will all improve the long-term prognosis. Also, if a meniscus repair is possible, the long-term prognosis, especially in younger patients, is improved due to restoration of the normal knee anatomy. However, as mentioned previously, a meniscus repair is may not be possible. I hope they can repair the meniscus! Good luck bro