Meniscal Tears

What are menisci? 

The knee menisci are wedges of cartilage (the slick, rubbery material that covers your bones). The menisci lie between your thigh bone and lower leg bone. 

Each knee has a pair of menisci: one in the inner knee and one in the outer knee. Inner knee tears are more common. 

Menisci work like shock absorbers and help you move without pain, so a tear can have serious consequences for your mobility. 

How do meniscal tears happen? 

Meniscal tears occur when a rip develops in the cartilage. These tears can be:

Traumatic 

Traumatic meniscal tears usually happen to athletes, especially in sports that require a lot of knee movements, like pivoting, squatting, and cutting. Football is the sport today that sees the most meniscal tears. 

A meniscal tear frequently happens alongside anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries and other knee trauma. Traumatic tears usually cause pain, knee stiffness, and swelling.

Degenerative 

Degenerative meniscal tears happen naturally with age. They usually occur because the menisci thin over time, raising the risk of tearing. This type of meniscal tear is more common than traumatic tears. 

Studies show meniscal tears are about three times more likely in adults over 40, and the majority of those tears are degenerative.

Many degenerative meniscal tears don’t cause symptoms and are discovered during imaging to check for osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis can cause a torn meniscus, and the reverse is also true.

What is the best treatment for meniscal tears?

At Advanced Regional Center for Orthopedics & Podiatry, first-line meniscal tear treatment often involves conservative measures, including ice packs, anti-inflammatory medicine and physical therapy. Conservative care often works well, allowing patients to resume their routines. 

However, active people, especially athletes, demand more from their knees than the typical person. If that describes you, you might need knee arthroscopy, a minimally invasive surgical procedure. You also could need arthroscopy if your knee doesn’t respond to conservative care.

With knee arthroscopy, your surgeon uses tiny incisions and a miniature surgical camera to see inside your knee. They remove the damaged part of your meniscus or close the tear with small stitches.