Often times, people have knee pain and don’t know what is wrong. A common knee injury is a meniscus tear. There are two menisci in each knee, a medial and lateral. The role of the meniscus is to transmit central comprehensive loads out towards the periphery to decrease contact pressure to the articular cartilage in the knee. 50% of the compressive load passes through the menisci with the knee in full extension. 85% of the load passes through the knee when it is flexed at 90 degrees. Due to this a sudden pivot, turn, deep squat or heavy lifting are some causes of a meniscal tear.
Signs and symptoms of meniscal tears include:
- Pain or tenderness to touch
- Swelling
- Locking, catching or giving way when you walk
- Difficulty moving the knee into full range of motion
Common treatment for the meniscal tear is first, physical therapy, a conservative approach. Another form of treatment is surgical intervention, often a menisectomy. A menisectomy is a surgical procedure to remove part or the entire meniscus arthroscopically. There are certain types of tears of the meniscus that the surgeon will determine the best approach to fix the injury. Typically, the doctor following surgery prescribes Physical therapy. A physical therapy rehabilitation program will focus on restoring range of motion, decrease swelling, re-establish quadriceps muscle activity and assist the patient into returning to prior level of function or recreational activity. Contact your physical therapist today to conquer this nagging knee pain you may have been experiencing and get you back on your feet as soon as possible.