The knee joint is composed of three bones: the thighbone, shinbone and kneecap. In between your thighbone and shinbone are tough pieces of cartilage, called meniscus, that work to absorb shock in the area and stabilize your joint. It protects your bones from wear and tear. That said, a meniscus tear is one of the most common knee injuries we see, especially among athletes. This injury is typically characterized by a “pop,” pain and swelling. Medical attention is required immediately to protect your knee joint and stop the damage from progressing.
Types of Meniscus Tears
Your meniscus can tear in one of two ways.
Sports Tear (or Acute Traumatic Tear): The most common way you can tear your meniscus is during sports, after being tackled, squatting or aggressively twisting the knee when the foot is planted (in contact with the ground). It is very common in sports like football, but also in non-contact sports that require jumping or quickly changing directions.
Degenerative Tear: The second way is a degenerative tear that affects older individuals. As the cartilage naturally weakens over time, it becomes more susceptible to injury. When this occurs, simple daily activities like bending down to pick up the newspaper can cause a tear. Often the process of a degenerative tear is like “putting a drop of water in in cup.” Each drop daily fills up the cup until one day a mild trauma overflows the cup and the meniscus is torn showing months to years’ worth of damage that previously did not cause pain. In many cases, this tear or weakening of the meniscus can lead to other problems such as arthritis.
Symptoms of Meniscus Tears
In many cases, you’ll still be able to walk and participate in your sport right after the injury. However, the damage will progressively worsen over the next few days, causing symptoms such as:
· A “pop” feeling in your knee
· Pain
· Stiffness
· Swelling
· Instability
· Catching of the knee joint
· Decreased range of motion