Dr. Tomislav Cerovecki

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Dr. Tomislav Cerovecki Orthopaedic Surgeon | Trauma & sports injuries | Dubai - UAE | Evidence-based care | Book appointments: [email protected]

Your MRI says “meniscus tear.”The next question is: what does that mean for YOUR knee?Before deciding on treatment, I lo...
17/09/2026

Your MRI says “meniscus tear.”
The next question is: what does that mean for YOUR knee?

Before deciding on treatment, I look beyond those two words.

Has a torn piece moved out of place?
Is the root attachment involved?
What is happening in the rest of the knee?

These details matter,but so do your symptoms, examination and what you want to get back to.

That might be football. Running. Work. Or simply using the stairs comfortably again.

Some tears can be managed with rehabilitation. Others need a discussion about repair or another procedure. The MRI helps guide that conversation; it does not replace it.

Swipe through these three questions, and save them for your next knee consultation.

Important: if your knee is stuck and will not fully straighten after an injury, seek prompt medical assessment.

For a meniscus assessment or MRI review in Dubai, contact the clinic through drtomislav.ae.

Dr. Tomislav Cerovecki
Tadawi Specialty Hospital, Al Garhoud, Dubai

08/09/2026

A deadlift is not simply “lifting a heavy bar from the floor.”
Small changes in technique can significantly change the forces passing through your lower back, hips, and knees.

For a controlled deadlift:

✓ Keep the bar over your mid-foot
✓ Hinge from the hips
✓ Brace your core before lifting
✓ Maintain a neutral spine
✓ Keep the bar close to your body
✓ Extend the hips and knees together
✓ Stand tall — without leaning backward at the top
✓ Lower the weight with control

Good technique does not mean your back must remain perfectly motionless. The goal is a strong, controlled position that you can maintain under the load you are using.

If your technique breaks down, reduce the weight and correct the movement before adding more load.

Dr. Tomislav Cerovečki
Orthopaedic Surgeon
Sports Traumatology & Knee Surgery | Dubai

Save this reel for your next training session and send it to someone who deadlifts.

Why does your kneecap keep dislocating? 🦵It is easy to assume that recurrent kneecap instability is simply caused by wea...
03/09/2026

Why does your kneecap keep dislocating? 🦵
It is easy to assume that recurrent kneecap instability is simply caused by weak muscles.
But sometimes, the real problem is structural.
The kneecap may be more likely to dislocate when the groove it sits in is too shallow, when the kneecap sits too high, when the MPFL has been damaged, or when the alignment and rotation of the femur and tibia affect how the kneecap tracks.
This is why two people with the same diagnosis of “kneecap dislocation” may actually have very different underlying problems, and may need different treatment strategies.
The important question is not only:
“How do we stop it from happening again?”
It is:
“Why is this kneecap coming out in the first place?”
A proper assessment of the anatomy and cause of instability helps guide the right treatment.
📌 Save this post if you have experienced recurrent kneecap dislocation.
↗️ Share it with someone dealing with repeated patellar instability.
This content is for general education and does not replace an individual medical assessment.

22/08/2026

After an ACL injury, an MRI may show a bone bruise, but this is very different from the bruise you see on the skin.

A bone bruise represents an injury within the bone that can occur when the knee twists, shifts or partially gives way during the traumatic event.

One characteristic pattern following a pivot-shift type ACL injury involves the lateral side of the knee, particularly the lateral femoral condyle and lateral tibial plateau.

Why does this matter?

Because the bone-bruise pattern can provide clues about the forces that passed through the knee during injury. It may also help explain persistent pain and swelling and reminds us to carefully evaluate associated structures such as the meniscus, articular cartilage and other stabilizing structures.

An MRI should therefore be interpreted as part of the entire injury pattern, not simply as a report saying “ACL tear.”

Save this reel if you're learning about ACL injuries, and share it with someone recovering from a knee injury.

19/08/2026

A longitudinal meniscus tear doesn’t automatically mean the meniscus has to be removed.

This type of tear follows the natural curve of the meniscus, almost like a split running along its C-shape.

And that matters because some longitudinal tears may be suitable for meniscus repair, particularly when the tear pattern, location and tissue quality are favorable.

Symptoms can include:

• pain along the knee joint line
• swelling
• clicking or catching
• discomfort with twisting or squatting

But an MRI showing a tear is only part of the assessment.

The more important questions are:

Is it stable or unstable?
Where is the tear located?
Is the tissue repairable?
And can we preserve the meniscus?

Whenever possible and clinically appropriate, preserving functional meniscal tissue is an important goal.

Would you like me to explain the difference between a longitudinal tear and a bucket-handle tear next?

11/08/2026

A small meniscus root tear can have a big effect on your knee.

The meniscus works as a shock absorber, but only when it remains firmly attached to the bone.

With a meniscus root avulsion tear, that attachment is disrupted. The meniscus may no longer distribute body weight properly across the knee, which can significantly increase stress on the joint.

Possible symptoms include:

• Pain at the back or side of the knee
• Swelling
• Pain when squatting
• Difficulty walking downstairs
• Pain during weight-bearing activity

And importantly, a root tear may look relatively small on MRI while having a much greater mechanical effect on the knee.

When the cartilage is still reasonably healthy, particularly in active patients, meniscus root repair may be considered to preserve meniscal function rather than simply trimming the damaged tissue.

If your MRI report mentions a meniscus root tear, posterior root tear, or root avulsion, it deserves proper orthopedic assessment.

📍 Dubai
👨‍⚕️ Dr Tomislav Cerovečki
Orthopaedic Surgeon, Sports Traumatology & Knee Surgery

08/08/2026

A knee that suddenly locks after a twisting injury should not be ignored.

One possible cause is a bucket-handle meniscus tear, a large longitudinal meniscus tear where part of the torn tissue becomes displaced toward the center of the knee.

When that fragment moves out of position, it can mechanically interfere with knee movement.

You may notice:
• The knee feels locked
• You cannot fully straighten it
• Catching or clicking
• Sudden pain after twisting
• Swelling
• A feeling that something is blocking the joint

This is different from a small, stable meniscus tear.

When a bucket-handle tear is displaced, prompt orthopedic assessment is important, particularly when the meniscus tissue may still be suitable for repair and preservation.

If your knee suddenly becomes locked after a twist or sports injury, don’t repeatedly force it straight. Get it properly assessed.

Save this Reel so you know what a locked knee can mean, and share it with someone who plays pivoting or contact sports.

04/08/2026

A ramp lesion can be easy to miss, but it may have a major effect on knee stability after an ACL injury.

A ramp lesion is a tear involving the back of the medial meniscus, close to its attachment to the knee capsule. Because this area helps support rotational stability, an unstable tear may leave the knee feeling loose during turning, pivoting, or changing direction.

These injuries are commonly associated with ACL tears and may not always be clearly visible on a routine MRI.

That is why, during ACL surgery, the surgeon may carefully inspect the posteromedial part of the knee with arthroscopy. When a ramp lesion is unstable, repair may be needed to restore stability and protect the meniscus.

Successful ACL treatment is not only about reconstructing the ligament. It is also about identifying and treating associated injuries.

Save this reel for future reference and share it with someone recovering from an ACL injury.

29/07/2026

Can you see a meniscus tear on MRI? Yes, but the image must be interpreted in the context of your symptoms and clinical examination.

A healthy meniscus usually appears as a dark, triangular structure on MRI. Depending on the type of tear, the scan may show:

• An abnormal bright line extending through the meniscus
• A displaced meniscal fragment
• Loss of the normal meniscus shape
• Features of a horizontal, vertical, radial, bucket-handle, or root tear

Identifying the tear pattern helps guide treatment. Some meniscus tears may improve with physiotherapy and activity modification, while others may require repair or, in selected cases, removal of the irreparable damaged portion.

However, an MRI finding alone should not determine treatment. The scan must match the patient’s pain, physical examination, knee stability, movement, and functional limitations.

Save this reel for a clearer understanding of meniscus MRI findings.

For an orthopedic assessment in Dubai, contact Dr. Tomislav Cerovečki.

27/07/2026

An ACL injury is not always an isolated ligament injury.

The same twisting force that tears the ACL can also damage the medial or lateral meniscus.

This matters because a combined ACL and meniscus injury may change:

• the surgical plan
• the rehabilitation timeline
• weight-bearing restrictions
• the timing of return to sport

Whenever possible, a repairable meniscus should be preserved because it contributes to shock absorption, load distribution, and knee stability.

After an ACL injury, the key question is not only whether the ACL is torn. We also need to assess what happened to the meniscus, cartilage, and other supporting structures.

Consultation: www.drtomislav.ae

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Tadawi Hospital, Al Garhoud
Dubai

Telephone

+971542775594

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