The amount of blood flow which is or is not present within different parts of a meniscus is the reason it takes so long for menisci to heal when injured. It is best to think of a meniscus as three circumferential zones. There is the outer zone which is often referred to as red-red zone or peripheral, middle zone which is red-white zone, and the inner zone which is white-white zone. As you move in from the red-red zone to the white-white zone, the blood flow decreases. The inner zone is less likely to heal due to the lack of blood flow. Blood is need for an injury to heal because it provides the nutrients and new cells needed for the injured area to heal.
This answer provided for NATA by Loras College.
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