Meniscus injury
Injuries to the crescent-shaped cartilage pads between the two joints formed by the femur (the thigh bone) and the tibia (the shin bone). The meniscus acts as a smooth surface for the joint to move on.
The two menisci are easily injured by the force of rotating the knee while bearing weight. A partial or total tear of a meniscus may occur when a person quickly twists or rotates the upper leg while the foot stays still (for example, when dribbling a basketball around an opponent or turning to hit a tennis ball). If the tear is tiny, the meniscus stays connected to the front and back of the knee; if the tear is large, the meniscus may be left hanging by a thread of cartilage. The seriousness of a tear depends on its location and extent.
Read Also:
- Meniscus, lateral knee
A thickened crescent-shaped cartilage pad in the outer portion of the joint formed by the femur (thigh bone) and the tibia (shin bone). The lateral meniscus acts as a smooth surface for the joint to move on. The lateral meniscus is toward the outer side o
- Meniscus, medial knee
The knee joint is surrounded by fluid-filled sacs called bursae, which serve as gliding surfaces that reduce friction of the tendons. Below the kneecap, there is a large tendon (patellar tendon) which attaches to the front of the tibia bone. There are large blood vessels passing through the area behind the knee (referred to as […]
- Menkes syndrome
A genetic disorder that is characterized by fragile, twisted hair, growth delay, and progressive deterioration of the brain. Menkes syndrome is due to an error in copper transport that results in copper deficiency. The gene responsible for the syndrome is called ATP7A, on the X chromosome. Females are carriers of Menkes syndrome, and their sons […]
- Menopause
The time in a woman’s life when menstrual periods permanently stop; it is also called the “change of life.” Menopause is defined as the time when there has been no menstrual periods for 12 consecutive months and no other biological or physiological cause can be identified. It is the end of fertility, the end of […]
- Menopause transition
A woman can usually tell if she is approaching menopause because her menstrual periods starts changing. The medical terms used to describe this time are the “menopause transition” and “perimenopause”. The changes of the menopause transition (perimenopause) typically begin several years before the natural menopause. Menopause transition is a time when the levels of hormones […]