If you have a minor or partial meniscus tear, you may be able to bear weight on the affected knee, but it will feel unstable. More severe tears may make you unable to stand on the affected leg, and your knee will be painful to the touch.
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.
A torn meniscus causes pain, swelling and stiffness. You also might feel a block to knee motion and have trouble extending your knee fully.
You may also feel pain in the area of the meniscus. To test for a lateral meniscus tear (on the outer side of the knee), you'll be asked to turn your toes inward as far as your knees can rotate. You'll then squat and slowly stand up. A click or pain can indicate a meniscus tear.
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.
Unless the torn meniscus has locked the knee, many people with a torn meniscus can walk, stand, sit, and sleep without pain. Other people find that the torn meniscus prevents them from participating comfortably in their usual daily activities.
Meniscus tears are common among athletes, especially those who play sports that require a lot of squatting, twisting, and changing positions. You will feel a pop when your meniscus is torn. Afterward, you may experience: Pain in the knee joint that comes and goes and gets worse when putting pressure on the joint.
In a typical moderate tear, you feel pain at the side or in the center of the knee, depending on where the tear is. Often, you are still able to walk. Swelling usually increases slowly over a few days and may make the knee feel stiff and limit bending.
Mimickers of lateral meniscal tears include iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS), proximal tibiofibular joint instability, snapping biceps femoris or popliteus tendons, and peroneal nerve compression syndrome or neuritis.
You should stay off your feet until your meniscus tear is healed. Don't walk, run, or play sports because this can make your injury worse. Ice.
A torn meniscus will often be obvious from the moment that the injury occurs. In these instances, the tearing of the meniscus is typically accompanied by the feeling of a pop or snap within the leg during an overexerting twisting or stretching motion.
If you have a minor or partial meniscus tear, you may be able to bear weight on the affected knee, but it will feel unstable. More severe tears may make you unable to stand on the affected leg, and your knee will be painful to the touch.
The classic symptom of a meniscus tear is sharp pain along the knee joint line (medial or lateral), and it worsens with motions such as deep squatting or twisting of the knee. This pain is typically intermittent and can be accompanied with swelling.
When a meniscus tear occurs, you may hear a popping sound around your knee joint. Afterward, you may experience: pain, especially when the area is touched.
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. MRI . This uses a strong magnetic field to produce detailed images of both hard and soft tissues within your knee.
If you have a tear that spreads from the red zone into the inner two-thirds of the meniscus (called the white zone ), your decision is harder. Surgery to repair these kinds of tears may not work. You may need a partial meniscectomy instead.
Will a knee brace help a torn meniscus? Yes. 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.
Prop up the sore leg on a pillow when you ice your knee or any time you sit or lie down during the next 3 days. Try to keep your leg above the level of your heart. This will help reduce swelling. Follow your doctor's directions for using crutches or a knee brace, if suggested.
Some exercises are too strenuous for people with meniscus tears. A person should not: do deep squats. do any exercise that involves pivoting or that otherwise twists the knee.
A cortisone injection can effectively reduce pain and inflammation in your knee, as in the case of a torn meniscus. It's only a temporary solution to your pain, though. It can't heal your meniscus and may even delay your healing. It also can't prevent you from injuring it again in the future.
Meniscus tears are the most frequently treated knee injuries. Recovery will take about 6 to 8 weeks if your meniscus tear is treated conservatively, without surgery. If your symptoms persist after 3 months or your symptoms become significant, your doctor may recommend surgery to repair the tear.
Continuing to walk on the affected leg can aggravate your symptoms, making pain and stiffness worse in as little as a few days. Plus, suffering a torn meniscus may also increase your risk of complications, like developing osteoarthritis in that knee.
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.
Your physiotherapist will carry out specific clinical tests to assess for tenderness on the joint line (where the meniscus is located), your range of movement, the amount of swelling in your joint and the stability of your knee.