Oh no, I’ve torn my meniscus – what now?
So you’ve torn the meniscus in your knee. Does this mean you’ll need to have arthroscopic surgery
to clean out your knee? Not necessarily.
What is the meniscus?
The meniscus in the knee are two C-shaped fibrocartilage structures that decrease the friction
between the femur (thigh bone) and tibia (shin bone) and spread the load of the weight of the body
on the knee.
Meniscus tears are a common injury, often accompanied by pain and loss of function. The
injury can be acute – like a sporting injury, or a result of degeneration changes over time.
Importantly, not all meniscus tears result in pain. Research has shown that people over 50 years old
with no pain have a high prevalence of non-symptomatic tears (60%).
You’ve injured your meniscus: what next?
So firstly, if you have no symptoms, then you should not be seeking a scan or surgery.
If you have a meniscus tear that is causing knee pain and decreased function but is not causing
obstruction to the joint, then research has shown that conservative physiotherapy treatment is just
as effective as surgery for managing and rehabilitating your knee to full function.
Obstruction is when a bit of the tear is getting lodged or caught in the joint and will cause symptoms
such as locking (where your knee literally gets stuck and you can’t move it) or giving way (where
your knee collapses under you when you try and put weight on it). Obstructive symptoms may
require surgical intervention.
The best way to determine how your knee is functioning, and whether your pain might be from a
meniscus injury is to have a full assessment with one of our super start physiotherapists. We will
then be able to start you on the right rehab plan for your specific knee injury. Call us to book your appointment now.
Miami Physio : 9534 4111
Lakelands Physio: 9542 9999
