Understanding meniscus tears

Question: What does it mean when you have a torn meniscus?

Answer: A meniscus is a “cushion pad” like tissue in our knee joint. Each knee has two menisci. Their role is to increase the congruency of the knee joint and act as shock absorbers between the two surfaces. The meniscus also plays an important part in maintaining stability.

They are the secondary stabilizers of the knee, but become primary stabilizers when there is an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear.

A tear can occur in either meniscus, especially with a twisting injury on a flexed knee. This causes pain, swelling and sometimes locking or feelings of instability.

They are best diagnosed through MRI, but a good physical exam by an orthopedic surgeon can determine when an MRI is necessary.

Treatment of a tear depends on the overall health of the knee and the health of the patient. Treatment may begin with rest, ice, and physical therapy. In healthy knees, surgery is often recommended to either fix the tear or trim out the torn edge of meniscus.

We try to preserve as much of the meniscus as possible in order to maintain its important functions. I perform this arthroscopically as an outpatient procedure. Recovery time is typically one to two weeks, but also depends on the physical demands of the patient.