You can self-test for a torn meniscus using the Thessaly Test (standing, rotating body on slightly bent leg at 5° & 20°) or the Duck Walk (squatting & walking), looking for pain, clicking, or catching, but these are indicators, not definitive diagnoses, and you should see a doctor for proper evaluation if positive, especially with significant pain or instability.
Treatment for meniscus tears focuses on controlling pain and inflammation. Initial management of meniscus tears involves the common approach in sports medicine of RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation of the affected leg. If needed, pain medication can also be prescribed. Crutches can be used to move around.
During a Thessaly test, you'll stand on one leg with and turn side-to-side while your provider supports your arms. If you need a McMurray test, you'll lie on your back while your provider bends and moves your knee. In both tests, your provider is feeling and listening for symptoms of a torn meniscus in your knee.
Common extra-articular pathologies that can mimic lateral meniscal tears include iliotibial band syndrome, proximal tibiofibular joint instability, snapping biceps femoris or popliteus tendons, and peroneal nerve compression syndrome or neuritis.
You will have a physical exam to find out if you have a torn meniscus and to rule out other knee injuries. Your doctor will check both knees for tenderness, range of motion, and knee stability. X-rays are usually done. Based on your symptoms and the physical exam, your doctor may diagnose a meniscus tear.
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. Swelling. Catching or locking of the knee joint.
Arthroscopy remains the gold standard for diagnosing meniscal tears.
Meniscus damage is most frequently seen between the ages of 15 and 30 or between the ages of 45 and 70. Damaging or losing part of the meniscus can lead to short-term symptoms related to the meniscus damage and/or longer-term symptoms of arthritis due to the lack of the knee's normal shock absorber.
You can bend your other leg, if that feels more comfortable. Tighten the thigh muscles in your affected leg by pressing the back of your knee down. Hold your knee straight. Keeping the thigh muscles tight and your leg straight, lift your affected leg up so that your heel is about 12 inches off the floor.
Source: Medical News Today. The McMurray test is a physical examination doctors use for knee injuries. A positive McMurray test means a person likely has a meniscal tear.
A classic meniscus tear symptom is a sharp pain along your medial or lateral knee joint, worsening with knee twisting or deep squatting. This pain is typically intermittent and can be accompanied by swelling.
The majority of meniscal tears heal with time and physiotherapy. Physiotherapy will include load modification, such as reducing running and walking and reducing or avoiding movements and activities that aggravate your pain or swelling. The exercises will gradually improve your knee's strength and stability.
Pain is usually felt in the knee above the meniscus while bearing weight on the affected knee and/or when twisting, turning, or pivoting on the knee. This may occur while getting in and out of a car. Walking up or down stairs may be particularly painful and may also cause increased swelling in the knee.
Avoiding twisting activities may decrease the symptoms from a torn meniscus. Additionally, one should do quadriceps setting exercises with the knee straight or mini-squats, bending only to 15 degrees, to prevent giving way and keep the quadriceps muscle from atrophying.
In general, especially after an injury, cold is probably going to feel better. When you have a meniscus tear and arthritis, you tend you have swelling and pain from inflammation. Cold helps decrease swelling and inflammation. If heat feels better on your knee, however, there's no downside to using it.
Corticosteroids are powerful anti-inflammatory medications that can alleviate knee pain. Although corticosteroids injected directly into the knee do not heal a meniscus tear, they may reduce swelling and discomfort. Some people may experience long-lasting relief.
The goal of a knee brace is to protect it from further injury by providing stability and preventing you from overextending it beyond regular range of motion, and reducing the load on the meniscus. Through compression, a knee brace may even encourage circulation, which can aid in healing.
The risk is particularly high for athletes — especially those who participate in contact sports, such as football, or activities that involve pivoting, such as tennis or basketball. Wear and tear on your knees as you age increases the risk of a torn meniscus. So does obesity.