Meniscus Injury

meniscus injury

What is a Meniscus Injury?

There are two menisci in your knee joint, one lateral (outside) and one medial (inside) and they sit side by side on top of your tibia. Their role is to act as shock absorbers and to add stability to the knee joint. When torn the meniscus causes pain, swelling and can often cause your knee to click or lock.

How a Meniscus Injury Happens

An acute meniscal tear usually occurs when the knee is forcefully bent, compressed and then twisted. The person will likely get pain and they may hear a tearing sensation at the time of injury. Degenerative meniscal tears can also occur in the older population and don’t usually have a specific event causing injury. There are many different types of tears that differ in severity. The more severe ones can cause clicking or locking of the knee, restricted range of movement and function. Some of these more severe meniscal injuries may require surgical intervention prior to physiotherapy. The meniscus itself has a poor blood supply, with the outer third having slightly more and therefore a greater chance of small tears healing.
It is very important to get a full physiotherapy assessment to ensure no other structures are damaged. A medial meniscus injury can occur along with an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tear and Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) tear, known as the “unhappy triad”.

What Get Active can do to treat Meniscus Injury

Soft tissue massage to release muscle spasm around the knee
Oedema management and advice on initial swelling
Specific exercises to increase range of movement and to strengthen the supporting muscles around the knee and hip. Proprioceptive and balance program to enhance function and stability
Gait Scan and Orthotic prescription to align your foot and lower limb
Treadmill running analysis to correct biomechanics
Referral to a specialist as major tears may need arthroscopic surgery to remove or repair the damaged part of the meniscus