3 Signs You May Have a Meniscus Tear

Every year thousands of people suffer from knee injuries in auto accidents, while playing sports, or while working. One of the most common and painful knee injuries is a torn meniscus.

At Keck Medicine of USC, Orthopaedic Surgery in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, orthopaedic and sports medicine specialist George Hatch, MD, treats all kinds of knee injuries, including torn meniscii. Here are the three symptoms he wants you to know about so you can get swift treatment for your knee.

Meniscus basics

You have four meniscii, two in each knee. Each meniscus is a C-shaped piece of cartilage that helps cushion the space where the femur (thigh bone) and tibia (larger shin bone) meet at the knee joint. The medial meniscus is on the inside of the knee, and the lateral meniscus is on the outside of the knee.

How a meniscus can be injured

The most common way to seriously injure or tear a meniscus is with a sharp rotating or pivoting motion involving the knee. These movements are common in contact sports like football, as well as in other sports such as soccer, tennis, and basketball.

As you age, the likelihood of a meniscus tear from other causes goes up. Obesity adds to the risk of a meniscus tear, as does joint degeneration and loss of cartilage in your knee.

3 signs you may have a meniscus tear

You can have a mild meniscus tear and not know it because you don't get the correct diagnosis from a doctor specializing in knee injuries. Fortunately, milder meniscus tears can usually be resolved with RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation.) 

More severe meniscus tears make themselves known through three clear symptoms:

1. A combination of knee pain, stiffness, and swelling

Depending on the location of the tear and how violent the motion was that caused it, your knee may be stiff, swollen, or intensely painful, or all three.

2. Reduced range of motion

When you have a meniscus tear, you can find it difficult or impossible to fully bend or straighten your knee, even when applying pressure to make your leg move.

3. Extreme instability and weakness of your knee joint

The final and most telltale symptom of a torn meniscus is feeling like your knee will not support your weight and could give out on you at any second. This type of symptom, particularly when combined with other symptoms above, point to a torn meniscus requiring immediate and expert attention.

Have you sustained a meniscus injury? Schedule an appointment with Dr. Hatch by calling Keck Medicine of USC, Orthopaedic Surgery at 323-442-5860, or booking an appointment online today.