What is meniscus damage?

A meniscus is a piece of spongy tissue (cartilage) between the bones of the knee joint. If the meniscus tears it can cause knee pain and restrict motion.

How does it occur?

Twisting the body while your feet are fixed, a rapid, sudden squatting, or extending the leg beyond its normal range of motion can damage a meniscus.

What are the symptoms?

After the injury, tissue tearing and bleeding usually cause immediate swelling. The knee joint may also lock because a part of the damaged meniscus can catch in the joint and prevent normal movement.

Symptoms of meniscus damage include:

• a swollen knee within 12 hours after an injury

• pain

• inability to move the joint properly

• tenderness along the joint line

• a locked knee

• a clicking sound when the knee moves.

How is it diagnosed?

To diagnose meniscus damage, the doctor will review your symptoms and how the injury occurred, ask about your medical history, and examine you. The doctor may perform some movement tests on your knee. The doctor may also order x- rays and perform arthrography (the doctor injects fluid into the knee joint and then takes photographs of possible tears).

How is it treated?

The treatment for a meniscus injury consists of rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE).

If you are diagnosed with a meniscus tear, the doctor will generally recommend arthroscopic surgery. The surgery usually takes about an hour. An arthroscope is a tube with a light on the end that projects an image of the inside of your knee onto a TV screen. By putting tools through the end of the arthroscope, the doctor can usually repair the damaged meniscus.

Because the meniscus is a valuable shock absorber, the doctor will leave as much of the healthy portion of the meniscus as possible during surgery.

How long will the effects last?

You can usually begin physical exercise about 2 weeks after having an arthroscopy.

How can I prevent meniscus damage?

It is important to follow the prescribed course of treatment and rehabilitation to prevent recurrence of meniscus damage.

In addition, you can follow these guidelines:

• If exercising, wear properly fitting shoes appropriate for the exercise you're doing.

• Add shock-absorbing insoles to your shoes to lessen the impact during walking and exercising.

• Perform gentle stretching exercises before and after exercising.

• Do strengthening exercises and rehabilitative exercises for the injured part. Check with your doctor about which exercises are appropriate.

• If pain occurs, decrease activity to a pain-free level.

• Return to activity gradually.

• Stay in good shape and be safety-conscious.

What should I do if I reinjure my knee?

To take care of yourself, follow the doctor's treatment plan, and take the following measures:

• Rest after the injury.

• Use ice packs to reduce swelling and promote healing. You can make ice packs by freezing water in paper cups. Then peel back the paper to massage the injured area gently. You can also make an ice pack out of two plastic bags. Place one bag inside the other and fill it half full of ice cubes or crushed ice. Add 1 and 1/2 to 2 cups of cold water. Tie the bag tightly. Twist the top several times and then tape it closed.

• Reduce all activity to a pain-free level.

• Take an anti-inflammatory drug such as aspirin or ibuprofen, if recommended.

• If your leg is injured, prop it up on a solid object such as the sofa arm or pillows and be sure that most of the leg rests on the solid object.

• It is very important to get early treatment if an injury occurs or recurs.