Meniscus tears are so common. But they aren’t always a cause of pain. Wait, what? Bear with me. Many of you have a meniscus tear and don’t even know it. Then one day your knee starts hurting, you have an MRI and it shows a tear. The word tear is scary when it’s on your MRI report. You can’t unsee your MRI report. Certainly, the tear is the cause of the pain, right? Not always, no. Keep reading.
There are many different types of meniscus tears, and different tears occur in different age groups. Certain types of meniscus tears always require surgery, some almost never require surgery. That’s why we are starting this video-based library of answers to your most frequently asked questions about meniscus tears. The doctors you will see are experienced sports medicine professionals. There will be more than one set of answers to the same questions because things are not always black and white in medicine, and that may lead to slightly different answers to the same question on how to treat meniscus tears.
First up is Jeffrey Berg, MD, an Orthopedic Surgeon and Sports Medicine doc in private practice in Reston, Virginia.
Next up is Brian Waterman, MD, an Orthopedic Surgeon and Sports Medicine doc in academic practice at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Please read our entire disclaimer. This is not medical advice and we are not your doctors. This is meant for informational purposes only, and not as a recommended treatment for your injury.