Medication
Torn meniscus may take two to three weeks to recover. Recovery time is different in different individuals. It is dependent on the severity of the case, type of treatment, if surgery is done, then it depends on the type of surgery and rehabilitation program. [2] If surgery is performed to treat meniscus tear, then it may take a month to recover.
Procedures
- Meniscus – It acts like a shock absorber for your knees and it’s located just between the tibia and femur. ...
- Ligaments – All the bones in our body are joined with ligaments. ...
- Tendons – Your muscles are connected with bones by tendons. ...
- Collateral ligaments – Collateral ligaments are found at the side of your knees. ...
Therapy
Meniscus repair is considered when:
- the patient is healthy and wishes to remain active,
- the patient understands the rehabilitation, and accepts the risks of surgery,
- the meniscus tear is located in the periphery of the meniscus,
- the meniscus tissue is of good quality, and
- the surgeon is experienced in meniscus repair
Self-care
The steps:
- Sit on the ground with your legs extended in front of you. You can also lie flat, if preferred.
- Focus on tightening or contracting the quadriceps. You can accomplish this by imagining you’re pushing the back of your knee against the floor.
- Hold the muscle contraction for 10 to 20 seconds.
- Repeat 10 times. ...
Nutrition
How long to recover from torn meniscus?
What happens if you leave a torn meniscus untreated?
What is the recovery time for a meniscus repair?
What to avoid if you have meniscus injuries?
Can a torn meniscus heal on its own?
In the case of meniscus tears, some people think the injury will heal over time on its own. But the truth is that there are different types of meniscus tears — and some tears won't heal without treatment. If your tear is on the outer one-third of the meniscus, it may heal on its own or be repaired surgically.
How long does it take for an injured meniscus to heal?
Meniscus tears are the most frequently treated knee injuries. Recovery will take about 6 to 8 weeks if your meniscus tear is treated conservatively, without surgery.
What are 3 signs of a meniscus tear in the knee?
What are the symptoms of a meniscus tear?Pain in the knee joint: usually on the inside (medial), outside (lateral) or back of the knee.Swelling.Catching or locking of the knee joint.Inability to fully extend or bend the knee joint.Limping.
How do I know if I tore my meniscus?
Individuals with a meniscus tear often complain of pain along the joint line. They often have pain or weakness with bending the knee and sometimes they have a catching or locking sensation. With an acute tear, individuals may notice a lot of swelling in the knee and often report that they heard or felt a pop.
Will walking on a torn meniscus make it worse?
Continuing to walk on the affected leg can aggravate your symptoms, making pain and stiffness worse in as little as a few days. Plus, suffering a torn meniscus may also increase your risk of complications, like developing osteoarthritis in that knee.
Does a knee brace help a torn meniscus?
Will a knee brace help a torn meniscus? Yes. Although knee braces do not heal or treat your meniscus tear directly, they can provide extra support and stability for your knee while your meniscus injury heals. A good brace will protect your knee and take the pressure off your meniscus, allowing it to rest.
How long does it take for a torn meniscus to heal without surgery?
Meniscus tears are the most frequently treated knee injuries. Recovery will take about 6 to 8 weeks if your meniscus tear is treated conservatively, without surgery. If your symptoms persist after 3 months or your symptoms become significant, your doctor may recommend surgery to repair the tear.
Is heat or cold better for torn meniscus?
Too much cold will keep your injury in the same state - slowing down the healing process. This can sometimes make chronic injuries linger even longer. Heat (Circulation Boost) should be used when you suffer from a chronic, tight or stiff meniscus injury and after you reduce swelling, pain and inflammation with cold.
What is the best exercise for a torn meniscus?
Once you have your doctor's approval to begin exercising, try some of these exercises to enhance your strength and stability following a meniscus tear.Quadriceps setting. ... Mini-squats. ... Straight leg raise. ... Hamstring heel digs. ... Leg extensions. ... Standing heel raises. ... Clams. ... Hamstring curls.
What is the best painkiller for knee pain?
Over-the-counter medications — such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve) — may help ease knee pain. Some people find relief by rubbing the affected knee with creams containing a numbing agent, such as lidocaine, or capsaicin, the substance that makes chili peppers hot.
Does a torn meniscus hurt constantly?
It can also be localized pain in the back and outside of the knee, referred to a posterior lateral knee pain. The pain may be sharp or instead it can just be a constant dull ache sensation. It usually hurts more when bending the knee deeply or straightening it fully.
Nonsurgical treatment
A doctor may recommend one of the following nonsurgical treatment options for people who do not experience persistent symptoms or symptoms of knee locking or swelling:
Surgical treatment
If nonsurgical methods do not alleviate a person’s symptoms, a doctor may suggest arthroscopic surgery. This procedure involves inserting a miniature camera and tiny surgical instruments through two or three small incisions in the knee to repair or trim a meniscus tear.
Initial routine
A person’s initial exercise routine may include an exercise called hamstring contractions. To perform this exercise, a person should do the following:
Intermediate routine
An intermediate exercise routine may include straight leg raises. To perform this exercise, a person should follow these steps:
Advanced routine
An advanced exercise routine may include an exercise that involves partially bending the knee. To perform this exercise, a person should do the following:
What is a torn meniscus?
The knee meniscus is a piece of cartilage that serves as a shock absorber between the ends of the leg bones. The knee meniscus also helps lubricate the joint and distributes body weight across the joint. Meniscal tears are typically caused by twisting or hyperflexing the joint.
What causes a meniscus injury?
In many cases, a meniscus injury occurs during sports or other physical activity. However, it can also occur during simple movements, especially in older adults. Some of the most common causes of a meniscus tear include:
What are the symptoms of a meniscus injury?
An injured meniscus requires diagnosis and care from an orthopedic specialist. Some of the most immediate symptoms that warrant a visit to MedStar Health include:
How is a meniscus injury diagnosed?
The orthopedic surgeons at MedStar Health are experts at diagnosing meniscal injuries. Our initial exam generally includes:
What are the best torn meniscus treatment options?
Most meniscal tears may be treated with conservative therapies, in addition to self-care. The following non-surgical options are recommended for minor meniscus injuries:
What is the most common surgery for a meniscus tear?
Partial Meniscectomy. The most common type of surgery for a meniscus tear is a partial meniscectomy. During this procedure, the surgeon will trim off the torn part of the meniscus, leaving behind as much of the intact meniscus tissue as possible.
What is a meniscus tear?
Meniscus Tear Treatment. The meniscus is a crescent-shaped disc of cartilage found between the bones of the knee ( the femur and tibia). Each knee has two menisci that cushion the joint. Depending on the severity of the tear, symptoms of a torn meniscus may include pain, swelling, stiffness, clicking or locking of the knee.
How long does it take for a meniscus tear to heal?
Because the meniscus tissue needs to heal back together, recovery time is longer for this procedure than a partial meniscectomy. It is common for patients to be on crutches for about two weeks and in a brace for up to six weeks after surgery. It may be six months or more before it is safe to return to sports activities.
Can a meniscus tear cause another knee injury?
We will help you choose the best treatment plan to meet your needs. Having torn your meniscus once could make you more likely to experience another knee injury.
How to prevent meniscus injury?
Bracing has also been found to help prevent injuries in the knee. The DonJoy Deluxe Hinged is the best brace for preventing meniscus injuries. It can be worn daily and during activity.
What is the procedure to repair a meniscus tear?
The surgery performed is known as arthroscopic surgery.
How do you know if you have a meniscus tear?
Of course, the most common symptom of both partial and total meniscus tears is pain, especially when the leg is extended (held out straight). Depending on how badly the meniscus is torn, the pain can range from mild to severe. The pain can be extreme when pieces of the meniscus get caught between the thigh bone and shin bone.
What is the cartilage on the outside of the knee called?
The meniscus cartilage is small and c-shaped, and there are three that protect and cushion the knee joint: one between the thigh bone and shin bone (femur and tibia), one on the outside of the knee (known as the lateral meniscus), and the other on the inside of the knee (the medial meniscus).
What causes pain in the knee?
Meniscus Injury. There are a number of injuries that can cause extreme pain in the knee, and one of those injuries is a meniscus tear. This happens when the cartilage is torn, usually due to a twisting movement in the knee while it has weight on it.
How to keep meniscus knees dry?
The knee should be kept dry when showering for the first 3 days by placing a bag over the leg.
What is a meniscus tear?
Many times, a meniscus tear is just a part of a larger injury, such as a ligament injury.
How long does it take to heal a meniscus tear?
Recovery time for your knee depends on a number of factors, including how severe your meniscus tear is. Full recovery from surgery may take 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the type of procedure performed as well as other factors. But keep in mind that people also heal at different rates.
How to tell if a meniscus tear is bad?
Symptoms of a meniscus tear include: Pain in the knee. Swelling. A popping sensation during the injury. Difficulty bending and straightening the leg. A tendency for your knee to get "stuck" or lock up. At first, the pain may not be bad. You might even play through the injury.
How to reduce swelling in knees?
Use an elastic bandage or a neoprene type sleeve on your knee to control swelling . Elevate your knee with a pillow under your heel when you're sitting or lying down. Take anti-inflammatory medications. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ( NSAIDs ), like Advil, Aleve, or Motrin, will help with pain and swelling.
What is the cartilage in the knee?
It's a piece of cartilage in your knee that cushions and stabilizes the joint. It protects the bones from wear and tear. But all it takes is a good twist of the knee to tear the meniscus. In some cases, a piece of the shredded cartilage breaks loose and catches in the knee joint, causing it to lock up.
What sports cause meniscus tears?
Meniscus tears are common in contact sports like football as well as noncontact sports requiring jumping and cutting such as volleyball and soccer. They can happen when a person changes direction suddenly while running, and often occur at the same time as other knee injuries, like an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
How to fix a knee that is not locking up?
If your knee is not locking up, is stable, and symptoms resolve, nonsurgical treatment may suffice. To speed the recovery, you can: Rest the knee. Limit activities to include walking if the knee painful. Use crutches to help relieve pain. Ice your knee to reduce pain and swelling.
What is the best medicine for swelling?
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ( NSAIDs ), like Advil, Aleve, or Motrin, will help with pain and swelling. However, these drugs can have side effects, such as an increased risk of bleeding and ulcers. They should be only used occasionally, unless your doctor specifically says otherwise.
What is a torn meniscus?
Torn meniscus. The meniscus is a C-shaped piece of tough, rubbery cartilage that acts as a shock absorber between your shinbone and thighbone. It can be torn if you suddenly twist your knee while bearing weight on it. A torn meniscus is one of the most common knee injuries.
How to tell if you tore your meniscus?
If you've torn your meniscus, you might have the following signs and symptoms in your knee: 1 A popping sensation 2 Swelling or stiffness 3 Pain, especially when twisting or rotating your knee 4 Difficulty straightening your knee fully 5 Feeling as though your knee is locked in place when you try to move it 6 Feeling of your knee giving way
What happens if you twist your knee?
A torn meniscus causes pain, swelling and stiffness.
What does it mean when your knee is popping?
A popping sensation. Swelling or stiffness. Pain, especially when twisting or rotating your knee. Difficulty straightening your knee fully. Feeling as though your knee is locked in place when you try to move it. Feeling of your knee giving way.
Can a torn meniscus be caused by a squat?
A torn meniscus can result from any activity that causes you to forcefully twist or rotate your knee, such as aggressive pivoting or sudden stops and turns. Even kneeling, deep squatting or lifting something heavy can sometimes lead to a torn meniscus. In older adults, degenerative changes of the knee can contribute to a torn meniscus ...
Can a torn meniscus be a risk?
Performing activities that involve aggressive twisting and pivoting of the knee puts you at risk of a torn meniscus. The risk is particularly high for athletes — especially those who participate in contact sports, such as football, or activities that involve pivoting, such as tennis or basketball.
What to do if you have a torn meniscus?
If your injury doesn’t improve with RICE, NSAIDs and physical therapy, your healthcare provider may recommend arthroscopic surgery. Surgery is a very effective way to repair a torn meniscus. If the tear is too big to repair, your surgeon may remove all or part of the meniscus.
How long does it take for a torn meniscus to heal?
Most people who tear a meniscus can return to full activity. If you have surgery to repair a torn meniscus, your knee should be fully recovered after a few months of physical therapy. If you have surgery to remove all or part of your meniscus, you may be at higher risk of developing arthritis down the road.
How to know if you have a meniscus tear?
People who tear a meniscus often feel like something has popped in their knee at the time of the injury. Other symptoms include: Feeling like your knee might give out beneath you. Having knee pain or stiffness or a swollen knee. Being unable to fully bend or straighten your leg.
Why do my knees tear?
As you get older, the cartilage in your knees wears down and gets weaker. This thinner cartilage can tear more easily. Arthritis (a breakdown of cartilage in the joints) can also lead to a meniscus tear.
What is the cartilage in the knee?
Two pieces of cartilage sit inside your knee, between your thighbone (femur) and shinbone (tibia). This cartilage is the meniscus. The rubbery wedges of cartilage act like shock absorbers for your knee, providing cushioning for your bones and knee joint. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center.
What tests are done to check for swelling in the knee?
Your healthcare provider will physically examine your knee, looking for signs of swelling. They will test your range of motion. You may also get imaging tests, such as X-rays or an MRI, to assess the damage. Your provider may recommend knee arthroscopy to better view and accurately diagnose your injury.
How long should you put ice on your knee?
Rest: Keep your weight off the injured knee as much as possible. Ice: Place an ice pack on your knee for about 20 minutes, several times a day.
Why is knowing where a meniscus tear is located important?
Because the blood supply is different to each part of the meniscus, knowing where the tear is located may help decide how easily an injury might heal (with or without surgery). The better the blood supply, the better the potential for recovery.
Why does a torn meniscus occur?
A torn meniscus occurs because of trauma caused by forceful twisting or hyper-flexing of the knee joint.
How to tell if a meniscus is torn?
Symptoms and signs of a torn meniscus include knee pain, swelling, a popping sound, and difficulty bending the leg. Treatment may involve resting, icing, compressing, and elevating the knee, in addition to wearing a knee brace, taking anti-inflammatory medications, and stretching the knee.
How long does it take for a torn meniscus to heal?
If a conservative, non-surgical approach is taken, the pain and swelling of a torn meniscus should resolve within a few days. Recovery and rehabilitation become a long-term commitment, as does making certain that the muscles surrounding the knee are kept strong to promote joint stability.
What is the front part of the meniscus called?
Each meniscus is curved in a C-shape, with the front part of the cartilage called the anterior horn and the back part called the posterior horn. There is also articular cartilage that lines the joint surfaces of the bones within the knee, including the tibia, femur, and kneecap ( patella ).
What is the cartilage of the lateral meniscus?
The medial and lateral meniscus are two thicker wedge-shaped pads of cartilage attached to top of the tibia (shin bone), called the tibial plateau.
What causes knee pain?
Acute injuries, medical conditions, and chronic use conditions are causes of knee pain. Symptoms and signs that accompany knee pain include redness, swelling, difficulty walking, and locking of the knee. To diagnose knee pain, a physician will perform a physical exam and also may order X-rays, arthrocentesis, blood tests, or a CT scan or MRI. Treatment of knee pain depends upon the cause of the pain.
What Is The Cause?
What Are The Symptoms?
What Is The Treatment?
Preventing Meniscus Injury
Specialist to consult
Start Here For Self-Treatment
- A torn meniscus often can be identified during a physical exam. Your doctor might move your knee and leg into different positions, watch you walk, and ask you to squat to help pinpoint the cause of your signs and symptoms.