meniscus

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meniscus

anterior view of a knee joint (Carlyn Iverson)

n., pl., -nis·ci (-nĭs'ī, -kī, -kē), or -nis·cus·es.

1. A crescent-shaped body.
2. A concavo-convex lens.
3. The curved upper surface of a nonturbulent liquid in a container that is concave if the liquid wets the container walls and convex if it does not.
4. A cartilage disk that acts as a cushion between the ends of bones that meet in a joint.

[New Latin, from Greek mēniskos, diminutive of mēnē, moon, month.]

meniscal me·nis'cal (-kəl) or me·nis'cate' (-kăt') or me·nis'coid' (-koid') or men'is·coi'dal (mĕn'ĭs-koid'l) adj.

pl. menisci

A semi-lunar disc or wedge of cartilage within a joint such as the knee. Menisci may modify the shape of the surfaces of articulating bones and increase joint stability during complex movements. They also improve resistance to large, compressive loads by absorbing energy and reducing the mechanical shock that other joint structures would otherwise have to withstand.

Meniscal injuries are quite common. The inner meniscus of the knee is especially susceptible to damage by rotatory stresses and to excessive pressures (e.g. those produced by a weight-lifter performing full squats). Repeated twisting movements and changes in direction, such as those performed by footballers, may result in a torn cartilage (meniscal tear). The injury can be so painful that it can cause the knee to ‘give way’. Movement is restricted because the knee can no longer be fully extended. The injury may also lead to the development of cysts which do not heal.

Meniscal tears may require surgery to remove detached fragments. Once removed, the space occupied by the meniscus is filled by a replacement material, but this is not of the same type or quality as the original meniscus. Consequently, joint stability becomes marginally worse and the likelihood of arthritis in later life is significantly increased.

n

The cartilaginous intracapsular disc interposed between the mandibular condyle and the glenoid fossa of the temporal bone.

p1. menisci

A semilunar disc of fibrocartilage separating articular cartilage of some joints. In the knee, menisci are located between the tibial and femoral condyles. They modify the shape of the articular cartilage, improving the fit between the articulating bones and increasing knee stability during complex movements. They also spread the load at the knee over a wider area, helping to absorb shock.

Pl. menisci [L.]
1. something of crescent shape, such as the concave or convex surface of a column of liquid in a pipette or burette.
2. one of a pair of crescent-shaped fibrocartilages (semilunar cartilages) in the stifle joint that provide stability while permitting both flexion and rotation of the joint.

• m. tear — a common injury in dogs with rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament and the accompanying instability of the stifle joint. Most tears occur in the caudal horn of the medial meniscus.

IN BRIEF: n. - (physics) the curved upper surface of a nonturbulent liquid in a vertical tube; (optics) a lens that is concave on one side and convex on the other; (anatomy) a disk of cartilage that serves as a cushion.

Tutor's tip: This word was used in the 2006 Scripps National Spelling Bee finals.

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - menisk, ledbåndsskive

Nederlands (Dutch)
meniscus, lensvorm, maanvormig lichaam, gekromde oppervlakte van vloeistof

Français (French)
n. - ménisque

Deutsch (German)
n. - Meniskus

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - μηνίσκος

Italiano (Italian)
menisco

Português (Portuguese)
n. - menisco (m) (Fís.), menisco (m) (Anat.)

Русский (Russian)
мениск

Español (Spanish)
n. - menisco

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - konkavkonvex lins, menisk

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
新月, 半月板

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 新月, 半月板

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 초승달 모양의 물건, 오목 렌즈

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 新月形, メニスカス, 凹凸レンズ

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) هلال‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮עדשה (קמורה מצד אחד וקעורה מצד שני), קימור (של עמוד נוזלים), סהרון - סחוס סיבי דק בין עצמות בכמה מפרקים בגוף‬

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