Meniscus tear
- Mr Damian McClelland, Trauma and Orthopaedic Consultant, and Clinical Director for Musculoskeletal Services at Bupa
- Rachael Mayfield-Blake, Freelance Health Editor
Key points
- A meniscus tear is a common knee injury caused by sports or wear and tear.
- Symptoms of a torn meniscus includes pain, swelling, and knee instability.
- Meniscus treatment includes rest, physiotherapy, and sometimes meniscus repair surgery.
What is a meniscus tear?
You have two menisci – one on the inside(medial) and one on the outside(lateral) of your knee. They sit between your thigh bone (femur) and shin bone (tibia), and act like shock absorbers, absorbing the impact of your upper leg on your lower leg. They also help to keep your knee stable. You can tear either your lateral or medial meniscus. A torn meniscus is a common knee injury – sometimes you can also injure your anterior cruciate ligament too.
Causes of meniscus tears
In younger people, meniscus tears are usually caused by twisting your knee. This often happens when you play a sport such as:
- football
- basketball
In older people, you can get a torn meniscus from minor injuries such as:
- twisting awkwardly when you stand up
- wear and tear
These are called degenerative tears.
Symptoms of meniscus tears
Meniscus tear symptoms vary depending on the severity of your injury.
What are the signs of a meniscus tear in the knee?
Meniscus tear symptoms include:
- feeling a ‘pop’
- pain in your knee
- swelling ( can start a few hours after injury)
- catching or locking, usually when it’s bent
- clicking
- knee instability
- not being able to bend and extend your knee fully
- tenderness
Self-help for meniscus tears
Follow the POLICE procedure
Protect. Rest immediately after the injury and consider using some form of support or crutches.
Optimal Loading. Get active sooner rather than later. Start to put weight on your knee and build up your range of movement gradually.
Ice. Place a cold compress, such as a bag of ice or frozen peas wrapped in a towel, on your knee. Do this for around 20 minutes every couple of hours for the first two to three days.
Compression. Compress your knee using a bandage to help reduce swelling.
Elevation. Elevate your knee above the level of your heart to reduce swelling. Sit or lie on a chair and use a cushion to raise your leg.
Infographic: POLICE principles
Bupa's POLICE infographic (PDF, 0.5 MB), illustrates the ‘POLICE principles’ to reduce your pain and help you to recover. Click on the POLICE image below to download the PDF.
Avoid the following for three days
Heat. Don’t have hot baths, showers, or saunas, and avoid heat packs and rubs.
Alcohol. Drinking alcohol can slow down your recovery.
Running. Don’t run or do any other form of moderate exercise.
Massage. Massaging the affected areas can cause more swelling and damage.
Infographic: HARM principle
Bupa's HARM infographic (PDF, 0.6 MB), illustrates the ‘HARM principle' of things you should avoid doing in the first three days after your injury. Click on the HARM image below to download the PDF.
Treatment for meniscus tears
What’s the best treatment for a meniscus tear?
Treatment options will depend on how badly you’ve torn your meniscus. You’ll need to go to A&E for assessment. Here they will usually:
- examine you
- take some X-rays or an MRI scan of your knee
- refer you to an acute knee clinic for follow up treatment
Can a meniscus tear heal on its own?
Sometimes, small tears can heal with self-help. But if your injury is larger, you’ll usually need some form of treatment.
Medicines for meniscus tears
If you are in pain from a torn meniscus, you can take over-the-counter painkillers such as:
- paracetamol
- ibuprofen (which may help to reduce inflammation and swelling)
Your doctor may prescribe stronger painkillers if your pain is really bad.
Always read the patient information that comes with your medicine, and if you have questions, ask a pharmacist or GP for advice.
Physiotherapy for meniscus tears
A physiotherapist can assess your injury and create a personal programme of rehabilitation exercises. These will:
- help to strengthen your knee and leg muscles
- help your knee to recover it’s full range of movement
- improve your knee stability
You can also try other low impact activities to keep you fit, such as:
- biking
- walking on a treadmill
- swimming
These shouldn’t cause you any pain, so stop immediately if they do.
Can you still walk with a torn meniscus?
Many people find they can walk straight after the injury happened, but swelling and stiffness can occur a few hours later, making it harder to walk without support such as crutches.
Surgery for meniscus tears
If you have a large meniscus tear, or above treatments haven’t worked, you might need a meniscus repair surgery. Sometimes the damaged meniscus will be removed. This surgery is usually done via a knee arthroscopy- a type of keyhole surgery.
You’ll need at least 6 weeks of physiotherapy after meniscus tear surgery to help you recover.
Looking for physiotherapy?
You can access a range of treatments on a pay as you go basis, including physiotherapy.
To book or to make an enquiry, call us on 0370 218 6528∧
Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury
With a PCL injury, it’s common to injure other ligaments, or other parts of your knee, at the same time.
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury
An ACL injury can be a partial or a complete tear, an overstretch, or a detachment of the ligament.
Medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury
The MCL is the most commonly injured knee ligament. It often gets injured during sports such as rugby.
Lateral collateral ligament (LCL) injury
An LCL injury is often associated with injuries to the ligaments and tendons in this area, as well as to other parts of the knee.
Patellar tendinopathy (jumper's knee)
Patellar tendinopathy is also called ‘jumper’s knee’ because the injury commonly occurs during sports that involve jumping, such as basketball.
Patellofemoral pain syndrome
Patellofemoral pain syndrome is sometimes called ‘runner’s knee’ because it’s particularly common in people who run or do other sports.
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This information was published by Bupa's Health Content Team and is based on reputable sources of medical evidence. It has been reviewed by appropriate medical or clinical professionals and deemed accurate on the date of review. Photos are only for illustrative purposes and do not reflect every presentation of a condition.
Any information about a treatment or procedure is generic, and does not necessarily describe that treatment or procedure as delivered by Bupa or its associated providers.
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