Meniscus Tear

Home 9 Meniscus Tear

What is a Meniscal Tear?

Meniscal tears are the most common type of injury in the knee and are usually caused by acute trauma or long-term degenerative changes. Common triggers include violent twisting of the knee, sudden turns, sharp stops, and even minor tears from kneeling, squatting, or lifting heavy objects.

Sports-related meniscus tears are often accompanied by other knee injuries.

Older adults are more likely to have meniscus tears due to degenerative changes in the knee joint, even in the absence of significant trauma.
A meniscus tear is a very common knee injury.

Who is more likely to have a meniscus tear?

Meniscal tears can occur in people of any age and activity level.

Children and adolescents have been participating in organised sports at an earlier age, which has increased tears in this group.
Other higher risk groups include athletes involved in contact sports (e.g., rugby) or sports that require quick turns (e.g., tennis, basketball) are particularly vulnerable.

In addition, knee wear and tear significantly increases the risk of tearing in older adults as they age.

Obese individuals are also at an increased likelihood of meniscus tears due to greater stress on the knee joint.



Source:
Sports Medicine Austral

What are the symptoms of a meniscus tear? How is it usually diagnosed?

Meniscal tears often present with persistent focal pain and swelling in the knee. The pain is usually located at the inner aspect of the joint. Sometimes a meniscal tear can be associated with an audible clicking when walking or with the sensation of something moving inside the joint. Occasionally the knee can lock up (so that the patient cannot fully straighten the knee) which is usually painful, but can resolve after a few minutes. Locking can sometimes becomes a recurrent problem. The initial symptoms may develop following an injury, when the knee became painful and swollen for several days, but can also arise spontaneously.

A probable meniscal tear is often a clinical diagnosis from the patient’s reported symptoms and examination. An MRI scan is the investigation of choice to confirm the diagnosis and also helps with treatment decision making. An ultrasound is also sometimes helpful as an initial investigation, but meniscal tears are not shown on X-ray imaging or CT scans (although these may be important tests to assess the knee for other problems).

Services Overview