Acute meniscus tears often happen during sports. These can occur through either a contact or non-contact injury — for example, a pivoting or cutting injury. As people age, they are more likely to have degenerative meniscus tears. Aged, worn tissue is more prone to tears.
A torn meniscus can result from any activity that causes you to forcefully twist or rotate your knee, such as aggressive pivoting or sudden stops and turns. Even kneeling, deep squatting or lifting something heavy can sometimes lead to a torn meniscus.
A torn meniscus is often caused by a twisting movement of the knee while bearing weight. A torn meniscus causes pain, locking, or clicking, and weakness of the knee. Exercises, medicine, and arthroscopy may be used to treat a torn meniscus.
Meniscus tears usually take place when an athlete twists or turns their upper leg while their foot is planted and their knee is bent. Occasionally menisci can develop as a block or disk shape, which is called a discoid meniscus. A discoid meniscus is more likely to tear and commonly presents in childhood.
Symptoms and signs of a meniscus tear: A popping sensation when the injury occurs. Swelling or stiffness. Pain, especially when twisting or rotating the knee.
Swelling. Catching or locking of the knee joint. Inability to fully extend or bend the knee joint. Limping.
The injury won't heal on its own, which means it may continue getting worse without proper care. For example, a partial tear may continue to worsen until it's a complete tear. Continuing to walk on the affected leg can aggravate your symptoms, making pain and stiffness worse in as little as a few days.
You may need surgery to restore full knee function. Untreated meniscus tears can increase in size and lead to complications, such as arthritis.
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.
You will have a physical examination 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 examination, your doctor may diagnose a meniscus tear.
In sports, a meniscus tear usually happens suddenly. Severe pain and swelling may occur up to 24 hours afterward. Walking can become difficult. Additional pain may be felt when flexing or twisting the knee.
Meniscus tears can occur in all age groups. Traumatic tears are most common in active people from age 10-45. Degenerative tears are most common in people from age 40 upward.
Recovery will take about 6 to 8 weeks if your meniscus tear is treated conservatively, without surgery.
So unfortunately, having a meniscal tear which requires surgery may raise your risk of getting arthritis later in life. It has also been shown that a knee that has undergone meniscus surgery has weaker thigh muscles and poorer quality of cartilage 4 years after the surgery [3].
Avoid positions and activities that place excessive pressure on knee until pain and swelling resolve. Problematic positions include squatting, pivoting, repetitive bending (eg, climbing stairs, rising from seated position, operating clutch and pedals), jogging, and swimming using the frog or whip kick.
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.
Most people who tear a meniscus can return to full activity. If you have surgery to repair a torn meniscus, your knee should be fully recovered after a few months of physical therapy. If you have surgery to remove all or part of your meniscus, you may be at higher risk of developing arthritis down the road.
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.
Recovery and Outlook
It takes longer for a meniscus repair to heal than a meniscectomy. Full recovery from meniscus surgery can take anywhere from six weeks to three months.
Many ACL tears we see only have problems ascending stairs, jogging, or walking downhill but can walk up hills and on flat roads without an increase in pain. A meniscus tear, on the other hand, will cause fairly severe pain even just standing on it.
Most meniscus injuries get better with conservative treatment (such as physiotherapy) and in very few instances has surgery been found to provide superior outcomes both in the short and long term.
Sleeping positions
This is especially true if you're a stomach or side sleeper, and you can't lay in your regular position due to the location of the incisions on your knee. Generally, learning how to sleep after meniscus surgery means sleeping on your back with your leg slightly elevated.
Over time, a meniscus tear may become more severe and cause further damage if left untreated. Further, certain activities may cause symptoms to flare up. Some patients might find it difficult and painful to climb stairs, or even to get out of bed.
The McMurray test is a series of knee and leg movements healthcare providers use to diagnose a torn meniscus. It's an in-office physical exam, which means your provider can perform it without any special equipment or a separate appointment.
Because a torn meniscus is made of cartilage, it won't show up on X-rays. But X-rays can help rule out other problems with the knee that cause similar symptoms. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This uses a strong magnetic field to produce detailed images of both hard and soft tissues within your knee.