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Meniscus Tear

Knee Treatments

What is a Meniscus Tear?

Your femur (leg bone), tibia (shin bone), and the patella (knee cap) make up your knee joint and because the knee is one of the weight-bearing joints in the body, a knee injury can pose many problems. Your menisci are two C-shaped pieces of soft cartilage that sit on either side of the knee. They act as shock absorbers that distribute weight between the knee bones and are especially important to take the stress of the knee joint when walking, running, jumping or anything active.

A Meniscus Tear is a common knee injury that is often sustained during sports and physical activities due to a sudden change in direction, forceful twisting of the knee or direct impact to the knee. However, Meniscus Tears do not only occur in athletes and can often be the result of wear and tear to the knee as well as the result of osteoarthritis of the knee.

If you have a Meniscus Tear, the common symptoms can include:

  • A feeling that your knee will “give out”
  • Knee locking or catching
  • Pain in the knee
  • Stiffness of the knee
  • Swelling after activity

If you are experiencing symptoms of a Meniscus Tear, it is best to make an appointment with one of the Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeons at OSS Health as soon as possible. Delaying treatment may cause the tear and its symptoms to become worse. At OSS Health, our Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeons have helped thousands of patients with Meniscus Tears live active and healthy lives using the latest non-surgical and surgical procedures.

What are the Treatment Options for a Meniscus Tear at OSS Health?

Depending upon the location and severity of the tear, nonsurgical treatment options may be used to reduce pain in the knee.

These can include:

  • Activity modification
  • Anti-inflammatory medications
  • Bracing
  • Immobilization
  • Physical Therapy

In other cases, your OSS Health specialist may recommend surgery to repair your meniscus using a procedure known as Arthroscopic Meniscus Repair or Resection if non-surgical treatments have not provided pain relief. This procedure uses two small incisions as well as a surgical camera and small surgical instruments to either repair or remove the damaged meniscus.