menisc-, menisco-

(Greek meniskos > Latin meniscus: a crescent-shaped body, a crescent-shaped structure, sickle-shaped, lunar crescent, semilunar cartilage; diminutive of mene, "moon")

knee joint (s), knee joints (pl) (nouns)
Two hinge joints in which each has two rounded protuberances (condyles) at the lower ends of the femurs (thighbones) where each of the joints meet with two oval surfaces on the upper ends of the tibias (shinbones): "Positioned between the condyles and the opposing surfaces of the tibias are the medial meniscus and the lateral meniscus (also known as the medial and lateral semilunar cartilages), which are wedge-shaped crescents of fibrocartilage."

"Each of these wedge-shaped crescents are shock absorbers that resist impacts when running, jumping, etc. Violent rotational movements of the thighs or legs while the knees are flexed; as in, football, soccer, skiing, or other sports, can damage the menisci."

"The medial menisci are especially in danger of being squeezed between the bones and to suffer damage."

lateral meniscus of the knee (s), lateral menisci of the knees (pl) (nouns)
Thickened crescent-shaped cartilage pads in the outer portions of the joints formed by the femurs (thigh bones) and the tibias (shin bones).

"Each lateral meniscus acts as a smooth surface for the joint to move on."

"The lateral menisci are toward the outer sides of the knee joints and they serve to evenly load the surfaces during the body's weight-bearing, and also aid in providing fluids for the lubrications of the joints."

medial meniscus of the knee (s), medial menisci of the knees (pl) (nouns)
Thickened, crescent-shaped cartilage (tough elastic tissue) pads in the inner portions of the joints formed by the femur (thigh bones) and the tibias (shin bones): "The medial menisci of the knees are located in the inner sides of the knee joints."

"The medial menisci of the knees provide smooth surfaces for the joints to move on, serve to evenly load the surfaces during walking, and aid in disbursing joint fluids for lubrication of the joints."

meniscal (adjective)
Pertaining to, or having the form of a knee injury: "The young football athlete had meniscal knee damage that prevented him from playing for over a month."

For more detailed information, go to this link about meniscal-knee damage.

meniscectomy (s), meniscectomies (p) (nouns)
The surgical excision (cutting out) or removal of a semilunar cartilage of the knee or knees: "The doctor performed meniscectomies of the semilunar cartilages of the patient's knees because of the damage done to the tough elastic tissue that surrounds the joints of the bones."
meniscitis (s) (noun)
An inflammation of any interarticular (joint) cartilage: "Specifically, meniscitis is the swollen, red, and painful areas of the semilunar (crescent-shaped) cartilages of the knee joints resulting from an infection, irritation, or injury of the menisci."
meniscocyte (s), meniscocytes (pl) (nouns)
A sickle-shaped erythrocyte (a non-nucleated and agranular mature cell of vertebrate blood whose oxygen-carrying pigment, hemoglobin, is responsible for the red color of fresh blood): "Meniscocytes are abnormal red blood cells that have elongated, crescent-like shapes resulting from the presence of abnormal hemoglobins (blood substances that contain oxygen)."
meniscocytosis (s) (noun)
Sickle cell anemia: "This meniscocytosis disease is characterized by severe joint pain, thrombosis (coagulated blood or blood clots), and fever with chronic anemia (too few red blood cells) that results in lethargy (unusual lack of energy) and weakness."
meniscofemoral (adjective)
Of or pertaining to the cartilage disk that acts as a cushion of the knee joint and the femur (bone of the leg between the pelvis and the knee): "The meniscofemoral disk is a crescent-shaped disk of cartilaginous tissue found where the knee joint and the upper thighbone connect."
meniscoid (adjective)
Like or similar to a crescent-shaped fibrous cartilage between the bones at certain joints; especially, at the knee: "There are several meniscoid disks found in several joints in the body; including, the knee joints, wrist joints, and jaw joints."
meniscopathy (s), meniscopathies (pl) (nouns)
A pain or an infection of the cartilaginous tissues found in body joints: "Meniscopathy may indicate a treatment of a disease or an abnormality of a meniscus which consists of ligaments that reduce friction during bodily joint movements."
meniscopexy (s), meniscopexies (pl); meniscorrhaphy (s), meniscorrhaphies (pl) (nouns)
A surgical procedure anchoring the medial flat disc-shaped ligament back to its former attachment: "Meniscopexy is the surgical repositioning of a displaced meniscus which stabilizes and supports the inner aspects of the knee joint that may be injured in knee sprains."
meniscus (s) (muh NIS kuhs), menisci (muh NIS sigh, muh NIS kigh, muh NIS kee) (pl) (nouns)
A crescent-shaped disk of tough elastic tissue located in several joints in the body: "The menisci are the cartilage disks that act as cushions between the ends of bones that meet in joints; such as, parts of the cartilages in the knees and other joints of the body."

"The main function of the meniscus is to reduce frictions when the joints are moving."

"Each of the knee joints has two menisci; the wrist joints and temporomandibular joints (jaw joints) have a meniscus for each joint."

"A meniscus is an anatomic feature; for example, the medial meniscus of the knee is a crescent-shaped cartilage pad 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 joints to move on and the medial meniscus is toward the inner (medial) side of the knee joint."

"The menisci are often used to refer to one of the semilunar fibrocartilaginous disks in the various joints of the body."

"The word meniscus comes from Greek and refers to a "crescent-shaped structure" and so, today a meniscus is something that is shaped like a crescent moon or a croissant pastry."

Medical terminology

Medically speaking, the "cartilage" of the knee is known as a meniscus. The meniscus is a C-shaped piece of fibrocartilage which is located at the peripheral aspect of the joint. There are two meniscii in each knee, the medial meniscus, and the lateral meniscus.

The majority of the meniscus has no blood supply. For that reason, when damaged, the meniscus is usually unable to undergo the normal healing process that occurs in most of other areas of the body. In addition, with age, the meniscus begins to deteriorate, often developing degenerative tears or separations.

Typically, when the meniscus is damaged, the torn piece begins to move in an abnormal fashion inside the joint. Because the space between the bones of the joint is very small, as the abnormally mobile piece of meniscal tissue moves, it may become caught between the bones of the joint (femur and tibia). When this happens, the knee becomes painful, swollen, and difficult to move.

meniscus injury (s), meniscus injuries (pl) (nouns)
Physical damages to the crescent-shaped cartilage pads between the two joints formed by the femur (thigh bone) and the tibia (shin bone): "The meniscus acts as a smooth surface for the joint to move on."

The two menisci of knees are easily injured by the force of rotating the knee while carrying the weight of the body."

"A partial or total tear of a meniscus may take place when a person twists suddenly or rotates the upper leg while the foot stays in place; for example, when dribbling a basketball around an opponent or turning to hit a tennis ball."

"If there is a very small tear, the meniscus will stay connected to the front and back of the knee; however, if it there is a big rupture, the meniscus may be left hanging by a thread of cartilage and the seriousness of such a ripping apart depends on its location and how much has been damaged."

meniscus lens (s), meniscus lenses (pl) (nouns)
Elements in a single lens in which there are curvature centers on both of its surfaces: ""The meniscus lenses may lie on the same side of the lens so that both surfaces are concave or both are convex or the meniscus lens having a spherical concave curve on one side and a spherical convex curve on the other side."

Meniscus as observed in nature

  • To a tiny insect, a pond's still surface can present a challenging waterscape.
  • To move from water to land, a water-walking creature may have to scale a steep, slippery slope—the curved edge where water meets leaf, rock, or floating object.
  • The curvature of a liquid's surface at a boundary is a consequence of the liquid's surface tension.
  • The sloped surface marking the border between wet and dry is called the meniscus.
  • Very small insects typically can't climb these frictionless mountains using their normal rowing motions or running gaits.
  • If they try to walk up, they slide back down.
  • Instead, these insects have to rely on a novel form of propulsion that doesn't require moving their legs back and forth.
  • As this water treader approaches a meniscus, its front and rear legs deform the water's surface to help it move up the slope.
  • Two species of water strider, for example, have retractable claws on their front and hind legs that allow them to pull up on the water to create tiny peaks.
  • At the same time, the central pair of legs presses down on the water to form dimples in the surface.
  • Because the insects are small, these peaks and dimples create sufficient force to pull the insects up the slope.
  • In effect, the insect creates tiny menisci with its front and rear legs.
  • Because menisci are attracted to other menisci, the net effect is to pull the insect up the slope at the water's edge.
  • These creatures can reach speeds as high as thirty body lengths per second.
  • In technical terms, the insects take advantage of lateral capillary forces that exist between small floating objects.
  • The force of attraction between body and meniscus "wall" depends on the body's buoyancy and on its distance from the wall.
  • Because the insect's front legs are closer to the wall than its rear legs are, the net effect is to propel the insect forward and upward.
  • The larva of the waterlily leaf beetle uses an alternative strategy to scale a slippery meniscus.
  • A poor swimmer, this creature simply arches its back, creating a meniscus at each end. The insect then gets pulled up the slope to a leaf.
  • In meniscus climbing, the researchers note, instead of moving its legs back and forth, an insect deforms the liquid's surface, converting muscular strain to the surface energy that powers its ascent.
  • In the realm of fluid dynamics, few researchers have previously tackled situations that involve surface tension as an important component.
  • The new results and related research may have important applications not only for understanding biolocomotion but also potentially in nanotechnology.
—Compiled from the article, "Climbing a Watery Slope" by Ivars Peterson,
in Science News Online, Week of November 5, 2005;
Vol. 168, No. 19.

A cross reference of word units that are related, directly or indirectly, to the: "moon": Calendar, Moon Facts; Chemical Element: selenium; Gods and Goddesses; luna, luni-; Luna, the earth moon; meno-; Planets in Motion; plano-; seleno-.