Download Meniscus Tear

FOOTBALL
Most Common Injuries
◦Torn meniscus
◦Heat sickness
◦Concussion
◦Football demands both endurance and strength
Definition
◦ Torn Meniscus: each of your knees
has two menisci pieces of cartilage
that act like a cushion between
shinbone and thighbone. Causes pain, swelling,
stiffness and feel a block in
knee motion.
◦ Another word for meniscus-cartilage.
◦ Other names: Cartilage tear
Method Of Injury
◦ MOI:
◦ In the back of part of
the knee, the meniscus is caught
between the two bones and tears
when the joint suddenly straightens.
◦ Specific MOI in Football:
◦ Being tackled
Signs and Symptoms
◦ What the athlete might feel/describe◦ A popping sensation
◦ Swelling or stiffness
◦ Pain, especially twisting/ rotating your knee
◦ Difficulty straightening your knee fully
◦ Feeling your knee is locked in place
Signs and Symptoms
◦ What an AT might see◦ swelling, tenderness and fluid inside the knee joint
◦ What the AT might palpate for◦ If your knee is not locked, the
doctor will check for clicks, snaps, motion
and "catches" within the joint.
Questions
1. It can cause arthritis by eliminating the amount of cartilage which acts as a shock absorber, and
it can cause poor posture because the support and stability of the knee is due in part to the
meniscus.
2. Without surgery, meniscus tears often become larger. Fragments of the meniscus can injure the
knee cartilage, which can result in pain and a higher risk of developing arthritis.
3. Occurs mostly in women because they tend to have an imbalance in the strength ratio between
with quadriceps muscles and their hamstring muscles. A female athlete is more likely to use their
quads to slow down from a sprint, causing instability in the knee.
4. It affects younger athletes more prevalently because those tears are from injury more than age
and are usually worse and need more attention.
Assessment
◦McMurray’s test
◦Apley’s Test
◦Thessaly’s Test
Diagnosis
◦Range of motion tests
◦X-ray
◦MRI
◦Arthroscopy
Treatment
◦Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate
◦Medicine (RICE)
◦Physical Therapy and possibly
surgery
◦A support system throughout
the PT and surgery
Strength and Conditioning Program
Early Stage
◦ Static Quadriceps Contractions: Simply contract the
quad muscles, hold for count of
10 and relax. Repeat 10 to 20 times.
◦ Static Hamstring Hold: Lie on your
stomach, knee bent at 45 degrees.
Repeat 10 to 20 times.
Mid Stage
◦ Calf Raises: Raise up and down
toes on the edge of a
step. 3 sets of 20 repetitions.
◦ Leg Curl: Perform with either ankle
weights, a resistance band. 3 sets
of 10 repetitions.
Late Stage
◦ Squats
◦ Hip adductors/ abductor exercises
Prevention
◦ Warm up and stretch before exercising
◦ Use proper gear
◦ Lace footwear properly
◦ Learn proper techniques
Interesting Information
◦ Different locations of tears:
◦ Posterior (back) horn medial
meniscus tear
◦ radial tear of medial meniscus
◦ horizontal medial meniscus tear
◦ complex medial meniscal tear
◦ meniscal root tear
Citations
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2017). Torn meniscus. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/torn-meniscus/symptomscauses/dxc-20262356
Harvard University. (September, 2012). Torn meniscus. Retrieved from http://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/torn-meniscusMillstein, Eric, S. (2016). Dangers of playing through meniscus tears. Retrieved from http://millsteinorthopedics.com/dangers-ofplaying-through-meniscus-tears/
Virtual Sports Injury Clinic. (2017). Lateral meniscus tear. Retrieved from http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/sport-injuries/kneepain/lateral-cartilage-tear
Osborne, Maria. (2012). Why do females injure their knees four to six times more than
Doc
men…and what can you do about it?. Retrieved from
http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/colleges/medicalschool/departments/Orthopaedics/clinicalservices/sportsmed/
uments/WISH_SPORTSMED_Female%20Knee%20Injuries%20and%20ACL.pdf
The Nemours Foundation. (2017). Meniscus tears. Retrieved from http://kidshealth.org/en/teens/meniscus-tear.html#