A torn meniscus often can be identified during a physical exam. Your doctor might move your knee and leg into different positions, watch you walk, and ask you to squat to help pinpoint the cause of your signs and symptoms.
MRI gives a good picture of the size of a meniscus tear and where it is. It also shows ligaments, cartilage, and tendons. MRIs of the knee are helpful to identify a meniscus tear and to find any related injuries to the ligament, cartilage, and tendons.
Diagnosis. A torn meniscus can often be diagnosed by a physical exam of the knee. The doctor will look for swelling, tenderness on the joint line, loss of motion, and pain with special twisting maneuvers.
A torn knee meniscus often has similar symptoms to knee osteoarthritis, making it difficult to know the cause of the pain. Common symptoms of both osteoarthritis and a torn meniscus include: Pain around the knee joint, especially after activity, such as walking, running, or climbing stairs.
Swelling. Catching or locking of the knee joint. Inability to fully extend or bend the knee joint. Limping.
The pain may come and go over a period of years if the tear isn't treated. Larger tears usually cause more pain and immediate swelling and stiffness. Pieces of the torn meniscus can float into the joint space. This can make the knee catch, pop, or lock.
Although knee braces do not heal or treat your meniscus tear directly, they can provide extra support and stability for your knee while your meniscus injury heals. A good brace will protect your knee and take the pressure off your meniscus, allowing it to rest.
A common question about this injury is: “Can you still walk with a torn meniscus?” The answer will depend on the severity of the injury and other individual factors, but there is a chance that a meniscus tear may cause pain when walking.
Individuals with a meniscus tear often complain of pain along the joint line. They often have pain or weakness with bending the knee and sometimes they have a catching or locking sensation. With an acute tear, individuals may notice a lot of swelling in the knee and often report that they heard or felt a pop.
For lateral meniscus tears McMurray is the most sensitive, specific, and accurate test with the largest positive predictive value and likelihood ratio. For tears in anterior cruciate ligament, medial and lateral menisci, together, joint-line tenderness is the most sensitive and McMurray is the most specific.
You may need surgery to restore full knee function. Untreated meniscus tears can increase in size and lead to complications, such as arthritis.
If you have a small tear at the outer edge of the meniscus (in what doctors call the red zone), you may want to try home treatment. These tears often heal with rest. If you have a moderate to large tear at the outer edge of the meniscus (red zone), you may want to think about surgery.
Those in severe pain and for whom basic treatments don't work may be candidates for meniscus surgery. The best way to ensure that this is the right course to take is by receiving an MRI. A physician may also look at the tear with an arthroscope, a thin tool with a camera and a light at the end.
A careful physical exam can usually make the diagnosis of a meniscal tear. A suspected meniscal tear does not usually require an MRI, as most will heal with conservative management.
When should I see a doctor? Not all meniscus tears require a doctor's care. Pain and swelling that recur or don't go away are usually signs a tear is serious enough to see a doctor. Locking, or being unable to straighten or bend the knee also merits a trip to the doctor.
Can a cortisone shot help a torn meniscus? A cortisone shot can help decrease the inflammation and pain caused by a torn meniscus. A cortisone shot usually does not help in healing of the meniscus and, hence, does not improve any mechanical symptoms.
Ordinarily, your doctor or physical therapist will ask you to reduce your sports activities while your meniscus tear heals. Healing could take between four and eight weeks. However, the time depends on the severity and position of the tear.
X-rays. Even though x-rays do not show meniscus tears, they may indicate other knee pain causes, such as osteoarthritis. MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging). This test creates better images of the soft tissues of your knee joint, like a meniscus.
Symptoms of a meniscus tear may be different for each person, but some of the most common symptoms are: Pain in the knee joint: usually on the inside (medial), outside (lateral) or back of the knee.
If you have a bucket handle tear of the meniscus, you will find it impossible to straighten your knee completely. These tears can be repaired or sutured back into place. The sooner they are repaired, the better the chance that the tear will heal well.
What happens if you leave a torn meniscus untreated? Untreated tears can progress and become worse over time. Progressive meniscus loss can increase the risk that a person will develop degenerative knee arthritis. It is important to get a diagnosis and seek treatment early.