knee pain - torn meniscus??

Question

I have seen a sports medicine doctor about this, but so far have only received an x-ray...he says I should come back in 3 weeks if it's not any better and he'll give me an MRI...I almost feel like he doesn't believe me because I don't remember an incident where I injured it. Anyway...

This pain is located on the outer-under side of my left knee. I have full range of motion, but when I extend it all the way, or bend it all the way, there is a constant (no pulsing) pain. It usually does not hurt when i walk, unless I walk for a long time. My doctor recommended I ice it, but it almost feels worse after I do it. I don't know if that is because of the icing, or because I tend to ice at night. He says it may possibly be a torn meniscus, but just wants me to stay off it and ice it for now. I've had this pain for at least a year (but seems to be gradually getting worse)...does this sound like a torn meniscus? What else could it be?

Answer 1

I can't quite understand the location of your knee pain, but there is a chance it is a torn meniscus. Not very likely due to no trauma, but still a possibility. You could have done it if you twisted your body while leaving your foot planted on the ground i.e. turning around or a corner. The compression on the knee plus the twisting could do it, but you would have had some swelling that day or the next. Another possibility is that you have a fibula that is moved or stuck in its position, thus referring pain to the lateral/outside part of the knee. An easy (well kind of) way to check is to sit down, with your knee bent to 90 degrees, place your thumb of your left hand behind the head of the fibula and your first and second finger in front of it (like you are pinching something between the thumb and fingers) the fibula is the bone that runs on the outside of the lower leg from the ankle to the knee. To find the head, place your fingers over the front of your knee with the tips touching below the patella. now move your hand to the outside until you feel a prominent bone (almost all the way to the side) Push it forward and backwards. If that hurts or recreates the pain in any way, its not a meniscus tear its an improperly moving fibula. You will have to see a chiropractor. It can be caused by lots of things such as sitting with your legs crossed. Its not hard to fix and isn't a long term problem. If its a torn meniscus, it can get better over time depending on the tears location and shape. Surgery is sometimes the only option. Please try a chiropractor that specializes in extremity adjusting. Good luck and I hope this helps

Answer 2

Recently; studies done by a team of researchers at the university of Helsinki in Finland suggests that arthroscopic partial Meniscectomy is not better than sham procedure.
Surgeons perform this arthroscopic procedure to alleviate pain and symptoms of the injured knee meniscus.
A randomized study performed in which random people was selected to receive either the operation "arthroscopic partial Meniscectomy" or the Sham procedure that mimic the operation and results find that there is no difference between pain symptoms and other measures of quality of life between the two groups.

Answer 3

I tore the meniscus in my knee over 5 years ago I still get twinges...it is on the inside left knee. The damage shows in xrays. You should ice it and elevate it after you use it(if it hurts), take aspirin or ibuprophen before you use it(so it doesn't hurt)...going down steps is the worst. I did not have surgery but I did all the PT and that did help immensely.

look here:
http://www.questdiagnostics.com/kbase/dp/topic/te7366/dp.htm

Answer 4

I don't know what else it could be...maybe a strain. My fiance recently tore his meniscus and he had hardly any range of motion in his leg, could hardly walk, and the x-ray he got at the emergency room showed the tear immediately.

Answer 5

Probably a strain? Or just wait for three weeks or when it is really that bad, just go back to him and tell him.