Gage Cordova

ISM-7th Period

Mordecai, Simon C, et al. “Treatment of Meniscal Tears: An Evidence Based

Approach.” World Journal of Orthopedics, Baishideng Publishing Group Inc,

18 July 2014.

• The meniscus is a wedged shaped structure that is located in between femoral

condyles and tibial plateau
• The medial meniscus is shaped in the form of a U that covers 60% of the medial
compartment
• The lateral meniscus is a little more shaped in a C but covers more than the medial
by covering over more than 80%
• The tissue of a meniscus is mostly composed of mostly water and a type of
collagen
• Not all tears require surgery
• The function of a meniscus is to load bearing and absorb shock
• A meniscectomy is a removal of the meniscus
• A meniscal repair is a repair of the meniscus that involves stitching the meniscus
back up
• Non-operative repairs involve stretching
• Certain tears in the fibers of the meniscus can depend on whether you must
surgery or not
• The fibers of the meniscus help absorb by converting the axial loading forces too
hoop stresses with the meniscus
• The reason that not all tear require surgery is because the meniscus can repair
itself
• But however that people that did not have surgery 1/3 of them still experience
knee pain

I thought this article was very well written and allowed me to learn many things I
did not know.
 Gage Cordova
ISM-7th Period

baker, bradley. “Types of Meniscus Tearc.” Meniscus Tears , 12 Oct. 2018,

Meniscus Injuries.” Practice Essentials, Background, Frequency, 12 Oct.

2018, emedicine.medscape.com/article/90661-overview.

• A meniscus tear is the most common tear for a ligament in the knee
• The most common tears include a bucket handle tear
• Medial tears is which the inside of the meniscus is torn
• Parrot beak or oblique flap tears is an oblique tear in which the tear involves
one part of the plane to go into another
• Horizontal tears
• Root tears which is a tear that involves the root of the meniscus being
destabilized or torn
• There are also tears that include all of the above
• Not all tears require surgery
• A tear in the meniscus can cause swelling and a decrease in a range of motion
• Some of the other symptoms are joint line tenderness, effusion, mechanical
complaints
• Some test that are given are the mcmurray test, apely test, Steinmann test and
the Thessaly test
• The mcmurray test is given to test pain and a reproducible click
• The apely test is given to test pain in the medial or lateral joint
• The Thessaly test is a test to show a locking sensation in the medial or lateral
joint
• Finally the Steinmann test is given to find asymmetric pain

This research essay was able to show me a various amount of information on

the types of meniscal tears I never even knew existed
 Gage Cordova
ISM-7th Period

“Meniscectomy for a Meniscus Tear.” Meniscectomy for a Meniscus Tear |

Michigan Medicine,

• A meniscectomy is a type of surgery to partially or totally remove all of the

meniscus
• This type of surgery is just 2 outa the 3 types of surgery given for a torn
meniscus
• A doctor will base whether to give a meniscectomy depending on the age of
the patient, the ability for their own meniscus to heal itself, the patient health
and activity level
• Other reason why a doctor will suggest a meniscectomy is due to the type of
tear, the pattern of the tear and also how big the tear is.
• Before the surgery the doctor must give the patient general anesthesia
• The way the doctor performs a surgery is with a arthroscopy
• This procedure is used to both examine and repair the joint
• A very thin tube with a light attached to the tube is then inserted into the joint
while other tools are inserted into other very small incisions
• The rehab for this type of surgery is relatively small and you can be back
within 3-6 weeks fully healed
• The reason this surgery is done is because when a person tears their meniscus
it is very painful and can cause significant amount of paint over time
• The risk for having this surgery though is that if too much of the meniscus is
removed at a early age it could cause that patient to receive arthritis also this
surgery could cause even more swelling than before with a rare chance of
infection if not treated properly
• The facts show that 77 to 88 people out of 100 are able to return back to their
normal activities

This article was able to give me knowledge on what a orthopedic surgeon

must do in order to make sure their patient is taken are of properly.