MRI knee diagnosis "internal substance degeneration"?
Had MRI due to pain and stiffness in knee. Came back with "tiny tear on medial meniscus" and "internal substance degeneration". What does internal substance degeneration mean?
Shouldn't this be expressed in degrees to determine how serious it is? Also, I am only 49 yo, and not overweight. Is this a common thing, typical for my age?
Public Comments
1. When you're working out, or playing your favorite sport, a snapping sensation within your knee can cause pain and frustration, and can lead to buckling or giving way, falling, and eventually, damage to the cartilage surfaces of the joint. The snap results when some structure within the joint is momentarily caught between the moving bones, tension is applied and is then suddenly released, much like plucking a guitar string.A torn meniscus can also cause a snap. The two tough, crescent-shaped meniscal fibrocartilages, medial (inner side) and lateral (outer side), that cushion and guide the knee, are often torn in athletic activities, especially the sudden twisting or cutting maneuvers in soccer, football, or basketball.
But tears can also occur by degeneration, just from getting older. Here, the substance of the cartilage becomes softer and begins to shred and fragment, eventually evolving into a tear, especially when repetitively crushed as with deep squatting. The meniscus tear fragment, like the flap of synovium, can displace and get caught between the moving femur and tibia, causing pain by traction, like a hangnail does, then snap when suddenly released.
You might look into nutritional supplementation to rebuild the ligaments and tissue. Go to your local health food store and see if they have something that addresses your condition and try that for a while.
2. It is the cartilage which cushions between the joints. It's like a soft jelly pillow--protects bones from scraping against each other.
