Symptoms of knee meniscus tear

by Alivia Nyhan
Published: Last Updated on

The knee is a joint formed by the femur bone and the tibia. Between these structures are rubbery pads called menisci. The menisci can be internal and external. Their primary function is to cushion the contact between the cartilages to make them fit properly and, in addition, provide joint stability.

Its presence is of the utmost importance since, thanks to it, it is possible to maintain a corresponding function of said joint. These structures formed by fibrocartilage are prone to injury, especially in people who practice sports or the elderly. You must know the symptoms that differentiate this injury from another condition; that is why in this FastlyHealarticle, we will talk about the signs of knee meniscal tear.

How to know if there is a meniscus tear

The menisci of the knees are structures prone to injury. Generally, your damage occurs when a sudden movement occurs during the joint’s rotation, such as a wildly exaggerated twist or bending. The medial meniscus is the most frequently injured.

Commonly, it is an injury observed in older adults who frequently go up or downstairs or in athletes such as those who practice soccer or activities such as skiing.

The traumatologist is the specialist in charge of diagnosing this injury; for this, he must perform a series of pertinent tests, including observing whether:

  • If you have any deformity.
  • If you usually walk.
  • If you perform joint exercises such as standing on your toes.

After this, the specialist will ask you to lie down on the stretcher, evaluate if you have any effusion, and observe how the muscles are and if there is no limitation in their function.

A radiographic examination is recommended to assess whether the bone conditions are in good condition or not and the preservation of the joint space. It can be a conventional knee x-ray and an MRI to visualize the menisci properly.

Symptoms of knee meniscus tear

The meniscus is an essential structure to perform the normal function of the knee. Still, they are highly prone to injury, mainly when you complete an inappropriate flexion or rotation of this joint, causing an exaggerated response to this movement.

Many people wonder what the pain of a torn meniscus is like. The reality is that this is somewhat subjective, but the first thing you will perceive is a kind of click, just when the injury occurs. Subsequently, an intense pain begins, which can be general or localized and comes from the internal or external face of the knee and which turns out to be unbearable, which differentiates it from a parameniscal injury, which indicates that it is produced around the meniscus and is diagnosed because the pain produced is mild.

Likewise, a joint blockage will appear due to a meniscus dislocation; it can move out of place. This will lead to the inability to move your knee correctly, significantly affecting your daily routine because you will not be able to flex or extend the knee.

As a result of the pain and functional limitation, you will likely have difficulty performing routine activities such as simply walking, bending over, or straightening your knee after sitting for a while. People with this injury have described that the pain when performing these movements is usually intolerable.

Although, there are probabilities that a synovial fluid leak occurs as a result of the same trauma and that as a result of this leak, an inflammation of the area occurs, causing swelling.

Combining all these symptoms generates a decrease in the range of motion in both flexion and extension.

Treatment of torn meniscus

Conservative treatment

Treatment for this condition will depend on the severity of the injury. The orthopedist may initially recommend purely conservative treatment when the damage is not so severe. The first thing that should be achieved is to reduce the symptoms of pain and inflammation, which makes proper movement impossible; this is achieved through NSAIDs.

In addition, after resting for at least 24 hours, you should apply cold compresses to the area and compress the area with a bandage. This helps with symptoms and inflammation in conjunction with drug treatment.

The traumatologist can recommend therapies with a physical therapist to recover muscle strength and improve the stability and mobility of the joint.

Surgical treatment

Surgical treatment is applied in those cases where the initial treatment did not obtain the desired effect or in those in which the injury is very severe, and nothing will be achieved with conservative treatment. The specialist may consider depending on the severity, the extraction, or the same suture.

This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to Symptoms of knee meniscus tear, we recommend that you enter our Bones, Joints and Muscles category .

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