Meniscus Tears

Meniscus tears are a common type of injury that occurs during athletics or as part of the normal aging process. The meniscus is made up of two C-shaped discs of tough, fibrous material (medial and lateral meniscus) that cushion and separate the end of the upper leg bone (femur) from one of the lower leg bones (tibia). The healthy meniscus is usually thicker along the outside edges and gradually thins as it slopes to the middle of the knee. This configuration helps with knee joint alignment, stabilizes and distributes the body weight across the knee joint.

The most common causes of meniscus tears are trauma from athletic injuries or activities of daily living such as automobile accidents, falling on stairs or something as simple as stepping incorrectly off of a curb. Meniscus tears are also associated with the normal aging process, as the cartilage in the meniscus becomes brittle and breaks. Many meniscus tears occur when the knee joint is twisted while it is flexed. Meniscus tears result in knee pain, swelling, tenderness, clicking or popping of the knee joint or limited range of motion.

Diagnosing meniscus tears requires evaluation from a physician or physical therapist. After evaluating your knee stability, he may recommend x-rays and a magnetic resonance image (MRI) of your knee joint. X-rays are valuable in detecting degenerative and arthritic changes to the knee joint. MRIs are used to visualize the soft tissue of the meniscus.

Treatment of meniscus tears depends on the severity and location of the tear. For non-vascular portions of the meniscus, the surgeon can trim away a portion of the meniscus during a meniscectomy. Tears within a vascular portion can be repaired using sutures. In severe cases, a meniscus transplant may be recommended.

Physical Therapy is essential to achieving a full recovery and can guide your rehabilitation to assure you return to 100% as quickly and safely as possible. Initial therapy will focus on decreasing pain and swelling while at the same time increasing range of motion. In later stages the focus of therapy will turn toward resuming neuromuscular control, strength, balance, and proprioception. The final phases of rehabilitation are focused on resuming normal activity and sports as quickly and safely as possible

For more information regarding meniscus tears email info@vvmc.com. To make an appointment for therapy, please call Howard Head Sports Medicine at (888) 652-7640.