When you experience knee pain, it can be a worrisome symptom, especially if you’re an active adult. At The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio, our orthopedic knee experts know that determining the accurate cause of your knee pain is an important step to returning you to the physical activity you love. A common cause of knee pain is a torn meniscus. Even when your knee injury is a common one, you’ll want the most customized care available –– which you’ll find with Ohio State Sports Medicine.
What is a torn meniscus?
A meniscus tear is a common knee injury that can affect anyone, from young athletes to older adults. It occurs when a meniscus, which is a piece of cartilage near the knee, is damaged due to sudden trauma or in some cases, along with arthritis that happens gradually over time.
What is a meniscus?
The meniscus is a C-shaped piece of cartilage between the thighbone (femur) and the shinbone (tibia) that acts as a shock absorber, or cushion, and helps your knee move smoothly. Each knee has two menisci, which is the plural of meniscus. One is on the inside and called the medial meniscus, whereas the other is on the outside and called the lateral meniscus.
Types of meniscus tears
A torn meniscus is typically classified based on the location, shape or severity of the tear. Some of the types of meniscus tears are:
- Medial meniscus tear – when the tear occurs in the cartilage on the inner knee.
- Lateral meniscus tear – when the tear occurs in the cartilage on the outer part of the knee.
- Root tear – when the meniscus tears away from the anchor point in the bone.
- Radial tear – a tear that runs from the inner portion of the meniscus toward the outer portion, which doesn't get much blood flow.
- Degenerative meniscus tear – a tear that occurs over time due to overuse.
- Bucket handle tear – a vertical or longitudinal tear that can flip upward and become painful.
- Flap tear – a horizontal tear that can flip upward and become painful.
What does a meniscus tear feel like?
Symptoms of a torn meniscus can vary based on the type and severity of tear you have. Some of the most common signs of a meniscus tear include:
- Feeling or hearing a pop in your knee
- Weakness, or feeling as if your knee will give out
- Knee pain or tenderness, especially when twisting your knee a certain way
- Stiffness
- Swelling
- Being unable to bend the knee
- Pain when squatting down
Because a meniscus tear can happen from an impact injury or from overuse, these symptoms can either appear immediately and with intensity, or they can gradually become more noticeable over time before needing medical attention.
How a torn meniscus is diagnosed
If you’re experiencing symptoms of a torn meniscus, our knee experts can help give you an accurate diagnosis. They’ll ask you about your medical history, including how the injury occurred, what sports you play and any prior knee issues. Then, they’ll do a thorough physical examination of the sore area.
During the exam, the knee specialist may move your knee in certain directions or apply light pressure to assess your condition. For example, the McMurray test is a series of lower-extremity movements designed to help your provider diagnose a meniscus tear.
If a meniscus tear is suspected, you might need imaging, such as X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasounds, to confirm the diagnosis or rule out other causes of your knee pain.
Can a meniscus tear heal itself?
In certain circumstances, a meniscus tear that is small, incomplete and in a certain location can heal on its own. Most meniscus tears will need some type of medical treatment and management from a knee injury expert.
Torn meniscus treatment
At the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, our knee team has various methods of treating meniscus tears, from recommending at-home remedies to using more advanced procedures and surgeries. The type of treatment required will depend on the severity of the tear and other factors.
As we work to find an accurate diagnosis for your knee pain, we’ll also put together a comprehensive and customized treatment plan to suit your condition and your goals for returning to sports and physical activity.
Nonsurgical treatment options
Many meniscus tears do not require surgery, particularly those that occur in knees with some arthritis. To aid in your recovery, we may recommend one or more of the following treatments:
- The RICE method (rest, ice, compression, elevation)
- Activity modification
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen or naproxen
- Physical therapy
- Steroid (cortisone) injections
- Orthobiologics therapies, such as platelet-rich plasma injections
Surgical treatment options
If your meniscus injury doesn’t respond as well as we’d like to conservative therapies, or if the tear is more serious, you might need knee surgery to treat the injury. Meniscus tear surgery typically involves knee arthroscopy, a common procedure during which your surgeon makes a small incision in the front of the knee and inserts a tube with a small camera to give a clear view of the inside of the knee. Then, the surgeon can insert other surgical instruments to repair or trim the meniscus tear and treat any other injuries.
At the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, we focus on meniscus preservation as often as possible. If the tear cannot be repaired, then the torn flap of meniscus can be removed, which is called a partial meniscectomy. In some cases, younger people, who have too much damage from an injury or a prior meniscectomy, may qualify for a meniscus transplant. In meniscus transplant surgery, an entire meniscus from a donor is placed into the injured knee. Meniscus transplant surgery is not widely available, but we have experts at Ohio State who specialize in this procedure.
How long does it take for a meniscus tear to heal?
Recovery time for a meniscus tear will vary, depending on the severity and location of the tear, as well as on the treatment approach taken.
For minor tears that don’t require surgery, healing may take about six to eight weeks with appropriate rest, physical therapy and at-home care. More severe tears, however, especially when they require surgical intervention, may take longer to heal. It might be several months before you’re able to participate fully in physical activity again.
It's very important to listen to your doctor’s and care team’s recommendations for your rehabilitation schedule and return-to-activity plan. Doing so can help ensure you recover properly from your meniscus tear and prevent further injury to the knee.