Depending upon the severity of your injury, you might be referred to a doctor specializing in sports medicine or a specialist in bone and joint surgery (orthopedic surgeon).

What kind of doctor fixes a torn meniscus?

Some orthopedic surgeons specialize in certain body parts, such as treating foot and ankle injuries. The surgeon you choose should be a specialist in knee injuries. Look for a doctor who is board certified in orthopedic surgery and performs meniscus surgery regularly.

When should you see a doctor for a torn meniscus?

Pain and swelling that recur or don't go away are usually signs a tear is serious enough to see a doctor. Locking, or being unable to straighten or bend the knee also merits a trip to the doctor.

DO orthopedic doctors treat meniscus tear?

Meniscus tears are injuries that affect the shock-absorbing cartilage inside your knee. If you experience this common, painful injury, the board-certified orthopaedic surgeons at Alta Orthopaedics can help. They have on-site diagnostic facilities and provide both non-surgical and surgical treatments for meniscus tears.

What happens if a meniscus tear is left untreated?

An untreated meniscus tear can result in the frayed edge getting caught in the joint, causing pain and swelling. It can also result in long term knee problems such as arthritis and other soft tissue damage.

What Does A Torn Meniscus Feel Like? (Plus 3 Self-Tests)

How do you check yourself for a torn meniscus?

To test for a suspected medial meniscus tear, you'll be asked to turn your toes outward, externally rotating the knee. You'll then squat and slowly stand back up. The person who examines your knee will be on the alert for an audible and/or palpable click or pain in the area of the meniscus.

How do I know if I've torn my meniscus?

1. A popping sensation.
2. Swelling or stiffness.
3. Pain, especially when twisting or rotating your knee.
4. Difficulty straightening your knee fully.
5. Feeling as though your knee is locked in place when you try to move it.

Will an MRI show a torn meniscus?

MRI gives a good picture of the size of a meniscus tear and where it is. It also shows ligaments, cartilage, and tendons. MRIs of the knee are helpful to identify a meniscus tear and to find any related injuries to the ligament, cartilage, and tendons.

Can you walk with a torn meniscus?

A torn meniscus usually produces well-localized pain in the knee. The pain often is worse during twisting or squatting motions. Unless the torn meniscus has locked the knee, many people with a torn meniscus can walk, stand, sit, and sleep without pain.

Should I go to ER for torn meniscus?

If your pain is very bad at first, you might go to the emergency room. If your pain is not so bad, you may wait to see if it goes away. Most people go to the doctor when pain and swelling comes back after they use their knee.

Will a knee brace help a torn meniscus?

After meniscus tear surgery, a knee brace can be worn to limit knee flexion and rotation, protecting the meniscus while allowing weight-bearing and movement [9]. Additionally, braces can support the knee while doing physical therapy exercises later on in rehabilitation.

Does a torn meniscus hurt all the time?

Do all meniscus tears hurt? Yes, at some point in time most all meniscus tears will hurt. But that doesn't mean they will hurt for a long time. In many cases the pain from a meniscus tear will either improve significantly or go away without surgery.

When does a meniscus need surgery?

If you have a moderate to large tear at the outer edge of the meniscus (red zone), you may want to think about surgery. These kinds of tears tend to heal well after surgery. If you have a tear that spreads from the red zone into the inner two-thirds of the meniscus (called the white zone ), your decision is harder.

What does an orthopedic surgeon do for a torn meniscus?

The most common procedure for a torn meniscus is knee arthroscopy. It usually takes less than an hour. First, you receive anesthesia. The surgical team cleans the skin on your knee and covers the rest of your leg with a surgical drape.

How long does it take for a torn meniscus to heal without surgery?

Meniscus tears are the most frequently treated knee injuries. Recovery will take about 6 to 8 weeks if your meniscus tear is treated conservatively, without surgery.

Can torn meniscus cause leg pain?

Locking or catching sensations can be experienced following a meniscal tear as well. The leg may feel some weakness and cause a sense of buckling or “giving way,” since the displaced torn fragment and swelling in the knee can affect the thigh muscles that support knee function.

Can you diagnose a meniscus tear without an MRI?

A careful physical exam can usually make the diagnosis of a meniscal tear. A suspected meniscal tear does not usually require an MRI, as most will heal with conservative management.

Does a torn meniscus hurt at night?

The pain is often worse at night time and can be associated with a sense of clicking or occasionally jamming. Sometimes side lying is very uncomfortable, causing them to put a pillow between their legs at night. In some, the pain will settle with time, but this is unusual. The usual treatment is arthroscopic surgery.

What will an ultrasound of my knee show?

Muscles around the knee joint (to exclude tears, atrophy), medial, lateral collateral ligaments, quadriceps tendon, ligamentum patellae can be assessed with knee ultrasound. Additionally periphery of the menisci, thickness of the meniscus, joint effusions, Baker's cysts can be assessed reliably.

Can you make a meniscus tear worse?

A meniscus tear can get worse when left untreated. For example, you might have trouble managing the pain and swelling in your knee, or your knee may continue feeling like it's catching or locking.

How long can you walk with a torn meniscus?

As this healing occurs, patients progress towards bearing weight, increasing their range of motion, and leaving the knee brace behind. How quickly this progress occurs varies by surgeon, but a typical range is 4-8 weeks. Patients are usually out of the brace and walking without crutches around 2-3 months.

How do I know if my knee injury is serious?

1. Extreme pain.
2. Swelling.
3. Large wounds.
4. Knee deformity.
5. Feeling or hearing a popping when injury occurs.
6. Joint instability.
7. Inability to bear weight on affected leg.
8. Inability to straighten leg.

Where would my knee hurt if I tore my meniscus?

A moderate tear can cause pain at the side or center of your knee. Swelling slowly gets worse over 2 or 3 days. This may make your knee feel stiff and limit how you can bend your knee, but walking is usually possible. You might feel a sharp pain when you twist your knee or squat.

What can mimic a meniscus tear?

Common extra-articular pathologies that can mimic lateral meniscal tears include iliotibial band syndrome, proximal tibiofibular joint instability, snapping biceps femoris or popliteus tendons, and peroneal nerve compression syndrome or neuritis.