OVERVIEW

What Is a Meniscus Tear?

Your knee has two menisci. These pieces of tough cartilage rest between your thighbone (femur) and shinbone (tibia).

The menisci act as shock absorbers, allowing your thighbone and shinbone to glide against each other smoothly without causing joint damage.

A meniscus tear is an injury to one of the menisci in your knee.

Torn meniscus causes

The two most common causes of meniscus tears are:

• Traumatic injury to the knee — often by quickly twisting or turning on a bent knee joint.
• Degenerative tear — as people age the cartilage in their joints weakens away, increasing the risk for tears.

Meniscus tear risk factors

Anyone, at any age, can suffer a meniscus tear.

You're at higher risk for a torn meniscus if you play contact sports, such as football and soccer.

Meniscus tear complications

An untreated meniscus tear can lead to more damage in the joint.

• A piece of torn cartilage can become loose and drift into the joint. This can make your knee slip, pop, or lock. It can also make it hard to straighten the knee joint fully.

SYMPTOMS

Meniscus tear symptoms

If you tear your meniscus — pieces of tough cartilage in your knee — you may have symptoms such as:

• Knee pain
• Swelling
• Tenderness
• A popping or clicking feeling in your knee

Stable and unstable meniscus tears

Physicians classify meniscus tears as either stable or unstable based on the tear:

• Size
• Shape
• Type (acute or degenerative)

Most stable meniscus tears do not require surgery. They may cause discomfort at times, but many people with a stable meniscus tear are still very active.

An unstable meniscus tear often causes ongoing discomfort and requires surgery to repair it.

Diagnosing meniscus tears

To help confirm a meniscus tear diagnosis, and rule out other knee problems, your physician:

• Will discuss your medical history.
• Will perform a physical exam.
• May also order imaging tests, such as x-rays and MRI scans.

TREATMENT

Meniscus Tear Treatment 

When deciding how to treat a torn meniscus, your physician will look at:

• The extent and location of the meniscus tear.
• When the meniscus injury occurred.
• Your pain level and other symptoms
• Your age and activity level.

Nonsurgical meniscus tear treatments

Your physician may suggest the following nonsurgical treatment options for your meniscus tear:

• P.R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression, elevation).
• Physiotherapy and rehabilitation exercises.
• A knee brace.

Meniscus tear repair surgery

There are a few surgical options to repair a torn meniscus.

Types of meniscus tear repair surgery include:

• Sewing the tear together.
• Partial meniscectomy to remove the torn section of the meniscus.
• Total meniscectomy to remove the entire meniscus. In most cases, physicans avoid this type of surgery because it increases the risk for osteoarthritis in the knee.

Recovery time from meniscus tear repair surgery depends on the type you have.

Meniscus tear prevention

It can be hard to prevent a meniscus tear.

Keeping the muscles around the knee joint strong can help.

Using proper mechanics when exercising or playing sports can help lower your risk of this injury.

 

 

 

 

Content supplemented by UPMC Sports Medicine