From the Guidelines
Symptoms of a meniscus tear typically include pain in the knee joint, swelling, stiffness, limited range of motion, and a feeling that your knee is locked or catching when you move it, as noted in the 2022 study by Robert H. Brophy, MD and Yale A. Fillingham, MD 1.
Key Symptoms
- Pain in the knee joint, especially when twisting or rotating the knee
- Swelling and stiffness in the knee
- Limited range of motion and difficulty fully straightening the knee
- A feeling of the knee being locked or catching when moving
- A popping sensation at the time of injury
- Difficulty walking, especially up or down stairs, due to pain and instability
Variation in Symptoms
Symptoms can vary depending on the size, location, and type of tear, with small tears causing minimal discomfort that improves over a few weeks, and larger tears causing persistent pain and mechanical symptoms 1.
Importance of Medical Evaluation
If you experience these symptoms, especially after a twisting injury or fall, it is essential to seek medical evaluation to prevent further damage and determine appropriate treatment, as meniscus tears can be a challenging clinical complication, particularly in patients with knee osteoarthritis 1.
From the Research
Symptoms of Meniscus Tear
The provided studies do not directly discuss the symptoms of a meniscus tear. However, they do provide information on the importance of meniscal preservation and the treatment options for meniscus tears.
Treatment Options
- Meniscal repair is a suitable option for younger, higher demand patients, particularly in the setting of concurrent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction 2.
- Partial meniscectomy is a suitable option for lower demand or older patients 2.
- Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been used as an augmentation technique to enhance the healing environment in meniscal repair 3, 4, 5.
- Meniscal allograft transplantation is a salvage procedure 2.
Outcomes of Meniscus Repair
- The use of PRP in meniscus repair has shown similar functional outcomes and healing rates compared to non-PRP groups 3, 4.
- A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found that PRP can enhance the effect of meniscus repair with respect to pain reduction and improved functionality, as well as cure rate 5.
- However, the evidence is not conclusive, and further studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of PRP in meniscus repair 3, 5.