While many meniscus tears, especially degenerative or small, stable ones, heal with physical therapy and don't need surgery, the percentage requiring surgery varies greatly; studies show figures from less than half (around 22% in one study) to over 50%, with significant increases in tears deemed "repairable" in recent years (over 80% of primary surgeries), suggesting a shift towards preservation. Surgery is more likely for larger tears, those in young patients, or specific types like bucket-handle tears, while many tears improve with non-operative care.
How is a meniscus tear treated? If your MRI indicates a Grade 1 or 2 tear, but your symptoms and physical exam are inconsistent with a tear, surgery may not be needed. Grade 3 meniscus tears usually require surgery, which may include: Arthroscopic repair — An arthroscope is inserted into the knee to see the tear.
Can a torn meniscus cause ankle swelling? Following surgery for a torn meniscus, excess fluid in the body may reach the ankle and cause swelling that will subside within days/weeks.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen and naproxen can help to reduce inflammation and pain caused by a meniscus tear. Acetaminophen can also help to manage pain but does not reduce inflammation. Your doctor discusses over-the-counter or prescription options with you.
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.
The injury occurred in the medial meniscus in 8 cases (66,7%), while in 4 cases (33,3%) on a lateral discoid meniscus. The mean reported age is 4,6 years (range 2 years - 9 years), with prevalence of the female sex (62,5%).
Perimeniscal injections: a new gold standard for meniscus tear treatment. Perimeniscal injections offer a promising new pathway in the conservative management of degenerative meniscus tears. Degenerative meniscus tears are a common cause of persistent knee pain, especially in ageing and active populations.
Cortisone injections may help reduce pain, inflammation and swelling related to your meniscus injury. But, since inflammation plays an integral part in the healing process, suppressing it may delay your healing. You should only use these injections when no other treatment or therapy has worked.
Twisting and Pivoting Movements
Sports and exercises that involve sudden changes in direction—like basketball, soccer, or tennis—are risky. These activities often require quick pivots and turns, which can catch the torn meniscus and cause further injury.
However, certain exercises can help speed up recovery. They include standing heel raises, mini squats, and hamstring heel slides. They can also make it less likely for the injury to return. People with a torn meniscus should discuss exercising with a doctor or physical therapist to ensure it is safe.
A patient with a meniscus tear will complain of knee pain and swelling on the inner (medial) or outer (lateral) side of the knee. There will be pain with deep knee bending, walking, twisting, and exercise. There can be a sensation of the knee giving way and mechanical symptoms such as locking, catching, or clicking.
Tears associated with arthritis often improve over time with treatment of the arthritis, so surgery usually isn't indicated. Many other tears that aren't associated with locking or a block to knee motion will become less painful over time, so they also don't require surgery. Your doctor might recommend: Rest.
A torn meniscus is not only painful but also changes how you move. To protect the knee, you may unconsciously shift weight or limp, which overloads the foot and causes pain in the sole, ball of the foot, or toes. Over time, this can lead to chronic foot issues if the underlying knee problem isn't addressed.
In either case, waiting to have meniscus surgery doesn't have a hard "time limit," but the longer you wait, the less likely a surgeon will be able to repair the damage and the more likely that you'll need a meniscectomy.
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.
Younger people who are athletic may be good candidates for surgery to repair or replace the meniscus, while older adults who have degenerative tissue in the meniscus may benefit from more conservative, nonsurgical approaches.
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.
Cycling in Rehabilitation
Riding a stationary bike is often recommended during rehabilitation following surgery to repair a torn meniscus, according to the AAOS. Stationary bikes can be easily programmed to provide little resistance to your knee joint. They can also help you regain normal range of motion in your knee.
Can physical therapy make a meniscus tear worse? The goal of physical therapy is always to improve your symptoms. Occasionally, you may leave a physical therapy session feeling a little more sore than you did initially, but these symptoms should subside within 1-2 days and overall your symptoms should be improving.
While effective, cortisone shots should not be given more than three or four times per year. Receiving the shots too often can lead to damage of the knee joint.
If a meniscus suture is performed, the operated leg may only be partially loaded for a few weeks to allow the meniscus tear to heal. Depending on the shape of the tear, forearm support crutches should be used for 4-6 weeks.
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.
While injections temporarily reduce pain, they will not help heal the meniscus tear.
How many treatments do you need? One to three treatments depending on the degree of injury and how long the injury has been there. These are typically done about 4-6 weeks apart in order to achieve optimal results.
The most common side effect is mild pain and swelling at the injection site that goes away on its own. About 1% of people have a more severe reaction called an injection flare. It causes fluid to accumulate in the joint, with significant swelling and pain.