One of the most common summer sports injuries is a torn meniscus (knee cartilage). Although an injury that happens year-round in high energy and contact sports athletes, many people increase their risk for knee injuries during the summer when their involvement in sports intensifies.

The meniscus is a C-shaped rubbery cushion that serves as a shock absorber between the bottom of the thigh bone and the top of the shin bone. The meniscus helps to evenly distribute the body’s weight over the knee joint and allows the joint to move and turn smoothly.

With so much emphasis on staying healthy and keeping active, meniscal tears are on the rise and often occur in combination with other injuries such as a ligament tear to the ACL or MCL. Tennis players commonly run, twist and pivot as they play. Likewise, a golfer’s swing relies heavily on a twisting motion through the body.  A sudden twist too far or a stumble can strain the knee beyond its normal range, causing injury to the cartilage.  However, you don’t have to be involved in sports to tear your meniscus. Even day to day activities like getting out of a car have been known to cause a meniscus tear.

The most common symptoms of a torn meniscus are pain and swelling, persistent soreness on one side of the knee and sometimes a tendency for the knee to lock or have difficulty straightening. A diagnosis is made by x-ray and MRI. Unfortunately, the meniscus cannot heal itself due to the lack of blood supply in that area. Fortunately, a simple 20 to 30 minute surgery can be done that will allow the knee to function normally again. (more…)

Ski Beitzel of Hickory and Tweed in Armonk, New York will be joining the ONS ski seminar crew again for the ONS annual free ski injury prevention seminar this year. Skip will bring along a selection of examples of the latest skis, ski bindings and snowboard equipment.  He has just signed on to distribute the new “KneeBinding” which the manufacturer claims is designed to prevent ACL injuries.  Skip plans to try the binding out himself so he can speak about it from experience but, with reservations, he says it certainly sounds promising.

He also said he was excited about the re-release of the Look Pivot ski binding that was such a popular binding many years ago. According to the manufacturer, the Look Pivot 14 features a metal pivot heel which rotates with the boot directly under the tibia. The Turntable Heel ensures that the binding releases when it should and holds the boot in when it should for more reliable binding performance in stressful situations.

Come to the ONS Ski Injury Prevention Seminar at 7 PM on January 26th to see these new bindings and hear more about them and lots of other useful information on how not to get injured on the slopes this season. Admission is free but registration is requested. Call 203-869-3470 to register. For more information visit www.onsmd.com.