Malleshwaram
#34, 2nd Cross, Sampige Road, Malleshwaram, Bengaluru 560003
- Monday – Saturday · 9 AM – 9 PM
- Sunday & public holidays · 10 AM – 5 PM
- Nearest metro: Mantri Square Sampige Road.
- Street parking on 2nd Cross.
Sports Injuries
Meniscus Tear
knee cartilage tear
Common on scans, often manageable without surgery.
No referral needed · One-to-one throughout · Treated at both clinics
Draft, awaiting clinical review
The copy on this page is written and is waiting on clinical sign-off. It carries
noindex and stays out of the sitemap until a clinician reviews it and a review
date is recorded, which is what makes the medical statements on it attributable.
The menisci are two wedge-shaped pieces of cartilage in each knee that spread load and help the joint move smoothly. They can tear acutely, usually through twisting on a loaded knee, or gradually as part of age-related change.
The distinction matters considerably. Acute traumatic tears in younger people behave differently from degenerative tears found in middle-aged and older knees, and they are managed differently.
What it feels like
Pain along the joint line, swelling developing over a day or so rather than immediately, and pain on twisting or squatting. Some people experience catching, clicking or a sense of the knee locking.
A knee that is locked and cannot be fully straightened needs prompt assessment.
What your scan means
Degenerative meniscal tears are found in a large proportion of middle-aged and older people with no knee pain at all. As with disc bulges and rotator cuff tears, finding one does not automatically mean it is causing your symptoms.
This is directly relevant to treatment decisions: for degenerative tears without mechanical locking, exercise-based management performs comparably to arthroscopic surgery in the evidence, which is why guidelines have moved away from routine surgery for this group.
When to seek medical care
Seek assessment for a knee that:
- Is locked and cannot straighten
- Swelled immediately after injury
- You cannot bear weight on
How we treat it
Restoring movement, settling swelling, then progressive strengthening, particularly of the quadriceps, which is almost always weakened.
What to expect
Assessment will establish whether your presentation is more traumatic or degenerative, and whether there are genuine mechanical symptoms. That shapes both treatment and whether a surgical opinion is warranted.
How long it takes
Depends on the type and on whether surgery is involved. Strength restoration is usually the longest part.
Treatments we commonly use
if you have had surgery
where ligaments are also involved
Which of these applies to you is decided at your assessment, not before it.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need surgery for a meniscus tear?
Often not. For degenerative tears without locking, exercise-based management performs comparably to surgery. Acute tears in younger people, and knees with genuine mechanical locking, are different, those warrant a surgical opinion.
My knee catches sometimes. Is that mechanical locking?
Not necessarily. True locking means the knee physically cannot straighten. Catching and clicking are common and often not significant on their own.
Will the tear heal?
Most of the meniscus has a poor blood supply and does not heal well. Symptoms frequently settle regardless, which is the part that matters to you.
Related conditions
Knee Pain
Front, side, deep or below the kneecap. Where and when it hurts is what tells the causes apart.
ACL Tear & Knee Ligament Injury
A twisting or pivoting injury to the knee's stabilising ligaments. The rehabilitation determines the outcome more than the surgical decision does.
Find us
Treated at both clinics
Every service runs at both our clinics, Malleshwaram and MEI Layout, monday – saturday 9 am – 9 pm · sunday & public holidays 10 am – 5 pm.
-
-
MEI Layout
#197, 1st Floor, 60 Feet Main Road, MEI Layout, Hesaraghatta Main Road, Bengaluru 560073
- Monday – Saturday · 9 AM – 9 PM
- Sunday & public holidays · 10 AM – 5 PM
- On 60 Feet Main Road, off Hesaraghatta Main Road.
- Off-street parking available.
Your wellness starts here
Book an assessment at either clinic
Every treatment plan at Le Yantra starts with a full assessment, not a standard protocol.
Monday – Saturday 9 AM – 9 PM · Sunday & public holidays 10 AM – 5 PM
