Diagnosis

Your physician will take your history and physical exam, which will aid in making the proper diagnosis. During the exam your physician may also perform a variety of tests to determine if the knee is unstable.

Your physician may take an X-ray to rule out a broken bone, but this won't show if the meniscus is torn. An MRI, which shows ligaments and other soft tissues in the body, is needed for a more complete diagnosis of your injury.

Menisci tear in a number of different ways:

• Young athletes often get longitudinal or "bucket handle" tears if the femur and tibia trap the meniscus when the knee turns.
• Less commonly, young athletes get a combination of tears called radial or "parrot beak" in which the meniscus splits in two directions due to repetitive stress activities such as running.
• In older people, cartilage degeneration that starts at the inner edge causes a horizontal tear as it works its way back.