ORIGINAL: DropTine249

Not true....I am NOT an OrthopedicDoctor, but some family members are and I have gone through 2 knee surgeries.

Cartilage is classified in three types, elastic cartilage, hyaline cartilage and fibrocartilage.

There are 2 'types' of cartilage in the knee- Articular(Hyaline) cartilage(cartilage that covers the articulating surfaces of the body)and Meniscal(Fibro-Cartilage) cartilage.

The meniscal cartilage is the "shock absorber" of the knee. The medial meniscusand laterial meniscus sit between the tibal platuea and femoral condyle(middle of the knee).

These shock absorbers both absorb shock and control the mechanics of the knee joint. Tearing of one or both of these can disrupt the mechanics of the knee joint and result in buckling of the joint, leading to tearing of any of the ligaments(Anteriot Crucial. Posterior Crucial. Lateral Collateral. Oblique Popiteal and so on).

Minor tearsin the meniscuscan be repaired or remediated in one of 2 ways- cut out the tear as to not allow a dsruption of the knee mechanics or suture the meniscus, if in an area of adequate blood supply.

Usually, sports meniscal tears are accompanied by a ligament tear, doenst seem to be so, in your case.

Articular cartilage injuries are to the "covering" surfaces of thebone. These are the types or injuries or issues most commonly associated with "althritis" because they are affected by many variables, such as weather, and they are an area of the body responsible for baring wieght. The function of articulal cartilageis to allow for the smooth interaction between two bones in a joint. Thus, if injured it can lead to impairment in the fluidity of joint movement. In addition articular cartilage is extravascular, meaning that it has no direct blood supply. This means that once injured it is extremely slow to heal.

Articular cartilage is subject to injury or aggrivation from hard impacts, extreme wieght baring, the combination of both, and, like meniscal tissue- from a combination injury.

I have experienced an injury to the articular cartilage(osteochondritis dessicans) in my left knee, as well as 2 torn ACLs, torn Medial AND Lateral Meniscus, PCL tear.

Tearing of the meniscus and/or articular cartilage does NOT mean you will eventually need a complete knee replacement. Dont believe all ofwhat you read. I had sub-total medial meniscectomy(removal of most of the medial meniscus) and I read, online, that I woudnt be able to walk without pain, starting only months after surgery. Well, years later, I can run 5, 6, 7, 8 miles with no pain.

Articular Cartilage injuries will likely result in althritis, but that can be controlled.

Proper wieght management, correct diet and RESTING THE KNEE after injury....make the difference. Ice your knee at first sign of any pain. MSM, Glucosomine, Condrotin, Vitamins A/C/E/K, Omega/Fish Oils(DHA, GLA, etc.etc.), full specturm amino acidsand many others all aid in the function of the knee and the healing of limited blood supplied cartilage.(I can give you a full list of the suppliments I took to help heal up). Drinking plenty of water is important.


Anyway. My point is that just because you sustain an injury to any of the cartilage in your knee, doesnt mean that you're going to need a full knee replacement, years later. I've learned A LOT about the knee joint, and I have dealt with 2 severe knee surgeries. Keep a positive mind-set and do everything you can to help yourself. Do your best to continue to drop some pounds, it is perhaps the BEST thing that you can do.

I will tell you this; if you DO have a torn meniscus, right now...You need to be extremely careful as to not further your injuries. A torn meniscus, like stated above, can upset the mechanics of your knee joint, and, cause teh knee to buckle. If that happens, you could be in for a ligament replacement surgery and long recovery. Take it easy until the MRI results are read.

Good luck to you !

If you question what I've wrote, print it out and ask your Doctor to read it.






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