What are the zones of the meniscus?
You can break up the meniscus into three zones, the anterior horn, the body, and the posterior horn. One of the problems the meniscus runs into is that because it is a cartilage, it lacks a certain amount of blood flow to the tissue for proper healing properties.
What zone of the meniscus is most likely to be repaired?
Surgery for traumatic meniscal tear Because only the outer 20-25% of the meniscus has blood supply, repairs are successful when the tear occurs in this vascular region of the meniscus. Tears in the non-vascular region are unlikely to heal and therefore are removed.
What is the white zone of the meniscus?
The vascular portion is called the “red zone” due to the presence of capillaries in the meniscal tissue. The avascular portion is called the “white zone” due to its absence of blood supply. Red zone tears have the potential to heal and white zone tears will likely never heal.
What structures are involved in a meniscus tear?
Meniscal tears occur due to a shear force between the femur and tibia. In younger patients, this is typically a twisting force on a weightloaded flexed knee.
Is a medial meniscus tear in the red zone or white zone?
Tears at the outer edge of the meniscus (the red zone) tend to heal well. Blood supply to tears that extend into the center of the meniscus (white zone) is questionable, and surgical repair of a tear in this zone may not heal well.
Where is the red zone of the meniscus?
The outside 1/3 of each meniscus has a rich blood supply and is sometimes referred to as the ‘red zone. ‘ A tear in this red zone can often heal on its own or be repaired surgically. The remaining 2/3 of each meniscus lacks blood supply.
Which meniscus heals faster?
Tears at or next to the meniscus’ outer edge tend to heal better than tears at the inner edge, close to the center of the knee. Why? The outer edge of the meniscus contains blood vessels, and blood cells are essential for healing. Medical professionals call the outer rim of the meniscus the “vascularized zone.”
What causes repeated meniscus tears?
Symptoms and Causes The tear frequently occurs while playing sports. People whose cartilage wears down (due to age or arthritis) can tear a meniscus from a motion as simple as stepping on an uneven surface. Sometimes, degeneration from arthritis causes a tear, even without a knee injury.
Where are the menisci located in the knee?
Meniscus Anatomy There are two menisci in each knee, one on the inside of the knee and one on the outside of the knee. These are known as your medial and lateral menisci, respectively.
Where are the red zones of the meniscus?
The meniscus is divided into two regions: The red zone refers to the outer third of the meniscus. The term red is used to signify that this zone receives some degree of a blood supply. Meniscal tears in this zone can often be repaired.
Where does a meniscus tear need to be?
For one, where the tear is located is vital to healing. Anatomically, your meniscus is a c-shaped cartilage that’s divided into 3 zones, and where the tear is in these zones determines its healing possibilities. Red zone – This is the outer third of your meniscus that’s rich with blood supply. Healing is very likely here.
How many fibrocartilaginous menisci are there in the knee?
There are two fibrocartilaginous menisci in the knee joint: a medial meniscus within the medial tibiofemoral compartment and a lateral meniscus within the lateral tibiofemoral compartment. Each meniscus is C-shaped in the transverse plane and consists of the following connected parts: