Meniscus

What is a meniscus?

Your menisci are c-shaped pieces of tough cartilage located on either side of both knees. They help evenly distribute your body weight across the knee joint. 

A meniscus tear is a common sports-related injury that might occur if you forcefully rotate or twist your knee while putting weight on it.

What are the symptoms of meniscal injuries?

If you’ve injured your meniscus, you may experience one or more of the following signs and symptoms:

• Swelling in the knee
• Frequent locking of your knee joint
• Inability to fully straighten your knee
• Clicking or popping sensations
• Knee pain
• Stiffness
• Instability

Long-term complications of a meniscus tear include limited mobility in your knee, persistent knee pain, and an increased risk of developing osteoarthritis in the injured knee.

How is a meniscus injury diagnosed?

If Dr. Chao or Dr. Gargulinski suspects you have a torn meniscus based on your symptoms and the results of a physical exam. The team may use an MRI to determine the extent of your injury and make a final diagnosis.

What is the treatment for a meniscus injury?

Your orthopedic surgeon lets you know how severe your injury is and which treatment best matches your needs. The team might recommend:

Conservative treatments

The initial treatment for a meniscus injury may include rest, ice, and over-the-counter medications to ease pain. If your meniscus tear is minor or results from arthritis, it might improve over time without surgery.

Physical therapy

Physical therapy helps strengthen muscles surrounding your knee joint to improve stabilization after a meniscus injury.

PRP therapy

Platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, is a regenerative medicine procedure in which your doctor injects platelets from your blood into injured areas to stimulate new cell growth and healing.

Surgery

If your injury is severe or pain lingers despite conservative treatments, your orthopedic surgeon might recommend surgery. 

They use an arthroscopic approach to repair or trim menisci using small incisions and a tiny tube with a camera attached to it. After surgery, you complete exercises that strengthen and stabilize your knee joint.

Which meniscus treatment is right for me?

The orthopedic specialists at OasisMD work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan that best matches your needs and preferences based on your lifestyle and severity of your injury. 

They often recommend conservative options first and use surgery as a last resort to fully restore knee joint function.

Don’t let a meniscus tear limit your mobility and prevent you from being active. Schedule an appointment with the orthopedic specialists at OasisMD by phone or online today.