Meniscus tear
I twisted my knee and it catches. Could it be my meniscus?
Tears of the knee’s cartilage cushions, from a twisting injury or gradual change. Exercise therapy is first-line for many tears.
What it feels like
Pain along the inside or outside joint line of the knee, swelling, and sometimes catching or a feeling that the knee gets stuck, especially with twisting or deep squatting.
What is actually happening
The menisci are two C-shaped cartilage pads that cushion and stabilise the knee. They can tear with a twisting injury, often in sport, or develop degenerative tears gradually with age. Degenerative tears are common in people with no knee pain.
When to see a doctor
See a doctor promptly if the knee locks so you cannot fully straighten it, if it swelled quickly after an injury, or if it gives way repeatedly. These can indicate a tear or ligament injury that needs an orthopaedic opinion.
How it is assessed
Assessment includes the injury history, swelling, range of motion, joint line tenderness, specific meniscal tests, ligament tests, strength and function.
How it is treated
The meniscal and cartilage lesions clinical practice guideline supports exercise therapy, and an international ESSKA-AOSSM-AASPT consensus supports structured exercise-based rehabilitation as first-line treatment for many meniscus tears, particularly degenerative ones. Treatment builds strength, control and range, then returns you to sport. A locked knee or a repairable tear in a younger athlete may need a surgical opinion, and rehabilitation continues after any surgery.
What to do first
Avoid deep squatting and twisting for now, keep the knee moving and the muscles working, and have it assessed.
Where this is assessed
- The Runner's Academy St. Clair West · Mon/Wed/Fri · 3:00 PM – 6:30 PM Book at Runner's Academy
- Athlete's Care Sports Medicine Centres Yonge & Eglinton · Mon/Wed/Fri · 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM Book at Athlete's Care
- Push Pounds Sports Medicine Downtown Toronto · Tue/Thu · 8:30 AM – 6:30 PM Call Push Pounds to book
References
This page is based on the following clinical practice guidelines and research.
- Logerstedt DS, Scalzitti DA, Bennell KL, et al. Knee Pain and Mobility Impairments: Meniscal and Articular Cartilage Lesions Revision 2018. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2018;48(2):A1-A50.
- Prill R, Ma CB, Wong SE, et al. The formal EU-US Meniscus Rehabilitation 2024 Consensus: An ESSKA-AOSSM-AASPT initiative. Part II-Prevention, non-operative treatment and return to sport. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2025;33(8):3014-3024.