What is meniscus tear?

A meniscus tear is a common knee injury. The meniscus is a rubbery, C-shaped disc that cushions your knee. Each knee has two menisci (plural of meniscus)—one at the outer edge of the knee and one at the inner edge. They keep your knee steady by balancing your weight across the knee. A torn meniscus can prevent your knee from working right.

Symptoms of a meniscus tear depend on the size and location of the tear. They also depend on your age and the health of your knee.

Symptoms may include things like knee pain, swelling, or stiffness. It may be hard to walk. Your knee may feel unstable, or it may be hard to straighten all the way. Or you may feel like your knee "catches" when you move.

Some people have severe pain and swelling right away when the tear happens. Or they might have less pain and swelling at first but then notice that it gets worse over a few days.

Older people sometimes don't notice when the tear happens. But then they notice symptoms later.

Your doctor will ask about past injuries and what you were doing when your knee started to hurt. A physical exam will help your doctor find out if a torn meniscus is the cause of your pain. Your doctor will look at both knees and check for tenderness and range of motion and see how stable your knee is.

You may have tests such as X-rays to check the bones of the knee or an MRI, which can give a clear picture of where a tear is and how it might be treated. The doctor may order the MRI if the diagnosis is not clear. You may need to meet with an orthopedic surgeon.

Your choices for treating a torn meniscus are:

• Treatment without surgery. This includes resting, using ice, wrapping the knee in an elastic bandage, propping it up on pillows, and doing physical therapy. This treatment choice may include wearing a temporary knee brace.
• Surgery to sew the tear together.
• Surgery to remove the torn section of the meniscus.
• Surgery to remove the entire meniscus.

There are many things to think about when deciding how to treat a torn meniscus. These things include where the tear is and how serious it is, your pain level, your age and activity level, your doctor's preference, and when the injury happened. The decision about whether to have surgery depends on the kinds of symptoms you have and how bad they are, not just on how big the tear is. You may have a large tear but still decide not to have it repaired.

Meniscus repair is more successful if:

• You are younger. Experts think people younger than about age 40 do best.
• Your knee has good stability from the ligaments.
• The tear is in the outer edge of the meniscus.
• The repair is done soon after the injury.

If you have a new meniscus tear, you can take these steps to reduce pain and swelling:

• Rest and reduce your activity. Avoid positions that cause discomfort. Your doctor may recommend a brace.
• Put ice or a cold pack on your knee for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Try to do this every 1 to 2 hours for the next 3 days (when you are awake) or until the swelling goes down. Put a thin cloth between the ice and your skin.
• Wrap your knee with a compression bandage, like an Ace wrap, to help reduce swelling.
• Prop your leg up higher than your heart.
• Ask your doctor if you can take NSAIDs such as ibuprofen or naproxen to relieve pain and reduce swelling.

If you have ongoing pain from a meniscus tear, your doctor may recommend a set of exercises to build up your quadriceps and hamstring muscles and increase your flexibility.