Your knee hurts, and you can’t fully extend it. It feels frozen in place and hurts when you try to turn. You may have a torn meniscus.
Our board-certified orthopedic surgeons at Alpine Orthopedics and Sports Medicine treat many people with a torn meniscus.
We’re in ski country, so this is a common injury in our region. Whether you’ve torn your meniscus from skiing, another sport, or a fall, you want to know whether your knee will heal without surgery. The answer is “sometimes.”
Your meniscus is shaped like the letter “C.” It’s a tough piece of cartilage that wraps around part of your knee. It serves as a cushion and shock absorber between your femur and your shin bone. There are two pieces of the meniscus, and each curve around the outside and inside of the knee.
A torn meniscus can increase the risk of falling. If you have a severe tear, your knee may become unstable and buckle unexpectedly.
It depends on several factors. These include the severity of the tear, where it’s located, how active you are, and whether you’re in pain.
An MRI can show whether your tear is minor or severe. If your meniscus tear is small, there’s a good chance it will eventually heal with rest, ice, pain relievers, and physical therapy when needed.
Severe tears usually require surgery to stabilize your knee and prevent falls. When surgery is needed, we use minimally invasive arthroscopy to trim the cartilage and make any other needed repairs.
If your tear is on the outer edge of the meniscus, it has an adequate blood supply and a good chance of healing without surgery.
However, the inside of the meniscus isn’t vascularized. If you have a tear on the inside, it doesn’t have a blood supply. You may need surgery to trim torn edges if they’re causing pain.
There’s no need to be in chronic pain from a meniscus tear. If conservative treatment doesn’t resolve your pain, we use arthroscopic surgery to investigate and trim jagged pieces of cartilage.
If you’re a competitive athlete and want to get back on the court or on the field to resume the same level of play, you’ll likely need surgery if you have a significant tear in your meniscus.
Alternatively, if you’re a senior with a minor tear, engage in mild to moderate activity levels, and you’re not experiencing pain or instability, conservative treatment can work for you.
Call Alpine Orthopedics and Sports Medicine or request an appointment today through our online portal for your knee pain.
