Meniscus Tear

Meniscus Tear

Diagnosis: Meniscus Tear

Clinical Keywords: Knee pain, twisting injury, joint line pain, mechanical symptoms, clicking, locking, horizontal, radial, longitudinal  

Clinical Problems:  

1. Common source of knee pain and symptoms such as clicking or locking of the knee, sometimes referred to as mechanical symptoms
2. Can be seen with athletic injuries and more commonly in middle age and later in life associated with degenerative arthritis

Description:

A meniscus is a structure in the knee that provides some cushioning effect, distributing the force of weight bearing over a larger area.  There are 2 menisci in each knee, one along the inner (or medial) side of the knee and one along the outer (or lateral) side of the knee.   As a result of twisting injuries or from degeneration over time, a meniscus can develop a tear in it which can be painful and can cause symptoms such as a feeling of clicking or even locking the knee so that it is stuck in one position.  

While meniscus tears can be suspected based on symptoms and physical exam, usually a knee MRI is used to make the final diagnosis.

There are several patterns of meniscus tear which can be seen on an MRI including horizontal tears, longitudinal tears and radial tears which may be treated differently depending on the clinical scenario.

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