Meniscus Tear Symptoms

Meniscus tear is one of the most common knee injury, and the condition is often referred by the physicians as torn cartilage in the knee. Our knee is the place where three bones, the femur (thighbone), tibia (shinbone) and patella (kneecap) meet. The meniscus is a C-shaped rubbery cartilage that cushions the knee. There are two menisci in our knee, one on the outer side of the knee (lateral meniscus) and one on the inside of the knee (medial meniscus). These two menisci act as shock absorbers, and help distribute the weight of the body across the knee joint.

The two menisci maintain the stability of the knee joint by preventing the rounded surface of the femur or thighbone from slipping off the flat surface of the tibia. A tear in the meniscus can occur due to traumatic injury caused by twitching movements. This kind of injury is usually received while playing contact sports.

Causes of Meniscus Injury

A tear in this knee region can occur either due to injury or as a result of degenerative processes. It is a common sport injury, which may occur when the players squat or twist their knee. The incidence of such a tear can be more among those who play contact sports. Sometimes, meniscus tear can also occur as a result of degenerative processes, which involves progressive weakening of the cartilage. The cartilage can wear away with growing age, which can make it more vulnerable to easy tearing.

Signs of Meniscus Tear

The symptoms can be mild or severe, depending on the severity of the tear and its location.

• Knee Pain
• Swelling of the knee
• Stiffness of the knee joint
• Limited movement
• Locking of the knee joint

If the tear is minor, one can get pain and swelling, which can go away within a few weeks. Moderate level of tearing can cause pain at the side or center of the knee, and swelling that can worsen after a day or two. It can also cause joint stiffness and difficulty in bending the knee joint. Another common problem with this tear is joint locking. Because of joint locking, one may fail to straighten the knee completely. Joint locking can be a symptom of severe tearing, and occur when a piece of torn cartilage enter the joint space.

How to Treat Meniscus Tear?

Treatment depends on a number of factors including, the type of tear, and its size and location. Generally, if the tear occurs in the outer side of the meniscus, then it can heal easily. This is because this area of the meniscus is nourished by small blood vessels. But, inner meniscus does not have blood vessels, for which if tearing takes place, it cannot heal on its own. This type of meniscus tear can require surgical intervention. On the other hand, minor tear on the outer side of the meniscus can be managed with non-surgical treatment options. Such options include, application of ice, anti-inflammatory medications and adequate rest. Sometimes, physicians may recommend the patient to wear elastic compression bandage in order to prevent further swelling.

These non-surgical treatment approach along with physical therapy often helps a lot to alleviate these symptoms within a couple of weeks. But, if the tear is severe and occurs on the inner side of the meniscus, then surgery may be required. A surgeon usually carry out arthroscopic knee surgery to treat this type of meniscus tear. In this surgical method, a tiny camera is inserted inside the knee through a small incision, to get a clear view of the inside of the knee. Then the surgeon repairs or trims the torn portion of the meniscus by making some small incisions and inserting the surgical instruments through them.

So, the tear can be minor or major, which in turn would determine the entire course of treatment. To ensure prompt treatment and recovery, any kind of knee pain and swelling resulting from an injury needs to be properly evaluated, in order to find whether these are meniscus tear symptoms or of other conditions. Physicians carefully observe these symptoms and then perform an X-ray and MRI of the knee, along with a few other tests to find out any tear in the meniscus.