Meniscus Injury

Diagnosis

• A clinical examination that includes a good medical history and a clinical examination that uses several special tests can often be used to diagnose a meniscal or cartilage injury or tear.
• X-rays cannot visualize a meniscus, but they can determine if there is any degeneration or arthritis affecting the joint.
• An MRI can be useful for diagnosis because it can visualize the ligaments and menisci in the knee.

Degree of Tear

There are three degrees of meniscal or cartilage tears:

• Small tears often cause mild pain while walking, squatting and during activities like rising from a chair. Symptoms typically improve in two to three weeks. There may be discomfort with twisting and bending motions.
• Moderate tears result in joint line pain, swelling, pain with walking and squatting. These symptoms may improve in two to four weeks with medication and physical therapy. If significant enough, these tears can get worse with time.
• Large tears result in pieces of the meniscus interfering with the joint mechanics. This can cause locking, buckling and an unstable feeling in the joint. The knee can also feel stiff. There can be moderate swelling, loss of motion, and difficulty walking, squatting and kneeling.

Medicine Intervenes

Following a physical examination, your local pain management specialist or NJ injury specialists at Redefine Healthcare may recommend the following:

• Rest, to reduce the stress placed on the knee and meniscus.
• Crutches to reduce stress on the meniscus and knee joint.
• Ice to reduce swelling and inflammation.
• NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) to reduce inflammation.
• Physical therapy to reduce pain and swelling, and restore motion and strength to the knee.
• Surgical intervention depending on the severity of the tear and response to conservative non-operative treatment. (For more information on surgical interventions, see above).

Prognosis

Recovery from a meniscus or cartilage injury will depend on several factors:

• Age of patient
• Severity of injury
• Surgical vs. Nonsurgical intervention
• Condition of joint (for example: arthritic vs. non-arthritic)
• Activity level of the patient
• Any other procedures performed on the knee
• The general health and condition of the patient

As a general rule it takes 4-8 weeks to recover from a meniscus tear. If there are degenerative changes or arthritis of the knee it can take longer to recover. In general, the older the patient, the longer the recovery time tends to be.

Visit any of our pain management clinics in NJ to get the meniscus injury pain relief and fast rehabilitation care. Meet Dr. Freeman the best NJ pain specialist doctor can determine the accurate diagnosis and establish the correct pain care plan. Our doctors are affiliated with the top rated hospitals in New Jersey including RWJ Barnabas and Morristown Medical Center.