Meniscal tear

Meniscus is a crescent-shaped fibrocartilaginous structure inside the knee, one at medical compartment and one at the lateral compartment. Its function is to stabilize the knee joint and evenly distribute the stress throughout the joint (to act as a cushion between femur and tibia).

Any activity that causes you to forcefully twist or rotate the knee joint when you putting weight on it, the meniscus may have been torn. This injury often associates with other knee injury e.g. anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear or medial collateral ligament (MCL) tear. Patients who suffered from degenerative osteoarthritis of knee may also have degenerative meniscal tear.

A torn meniscus will cause pain, swelling, joint stiffness and decrease range of motion. Patient may also feel a block to knee motion (“locking”) and have trouble in extending the knee fully.

Orthopaedic surgeons will take a medical history and carefully examine the knee joint and lower limb. X-ray may be used to find out any possible fractures. MRI will also be used to examine the soft tissue inside knee joint, including meniscal, cruciate ligament and cartilages. Sometimes doctors will also use diagnostic knee arthroscopy to look for the degree of meniscal tear.

Initial conservative management
Doctor will advise patient to avoid activities that will aggravate the pain, elevate and use ice therapy to control swelling. Analgesics are very often needed. Physiotherapy/ Physical Trainer can help to strengthen the muscles around the knee joint and help stabilizing and supporting the knee joint.

If conservative management failed, or there is persistent knee pain despite rehabilitation, or if the knee is “locked”, surgery will be recommended. Orthopaedic surgeon will perform arthroscopic surgery to repair the meniscus or to surgically trim the meniscus.