Torn Cartilage in the Knee Symptoms and Treatment

Torn cartilage in your knee is sometimes called a "meniscus tear," but the terms do not necessarily mean the same thing. The meniscus is a cushion in the knee joint. It is made up of fibrocartilage, one of two types of cartilage found in the knee. The other type of knee cartilage is called articular cartilage. 

Both types of knee cartilage can get torn and may cause symptoms like knee pain, buckling of the knee joint, and difficulty putting weight on the knee. Depending on how bad the tear is, it might be treatable with rest and anti-inflammatory medications. However, some meniscus tears need surgery and physical therapy.

This article looks at the difference between a meniscus tear and other knee cartilage tears. It also covers other types and symptoms of knee cartilage injury and how they can be treated. 

vector illustration of a Meniscus tear and surgery
corbac40 / Getty Images

Types of Knee Cartilage Tears

The knee joint has two types of cartilage: articular and meniscus.

  • Articular cartilage forms the smooth layer of the joint that covers the ends of bones. A layer of this cartilage covers the end of the thigh bone, the top of the shin bone, and the back of the kneecap.
  • The meniscus is a different cartilage called fibrocartilage that acts as a shock absorber between bones. The meniscus is not attached to the bone like articular cartilage. Instead, it sits between the bone ends to cushion the joint.

The purpose of both types of cartilage is to protect the knee joint by keeping the bones from rubbing together. They also help the knee move smoothly.

When someone refers to a tear in knee cartilage, they are usually talking about the meniscus cartilage. Meniscus tears are common knee injuries, but tears can also happen in the articular cartilage.

Words that describe an injury to the articular cartilage include:

  • Fissuring. A fissure is a crack in a layer of cartilage that causes a separation in the layer. Sometimes, this tear causes no symptoms. In other cases. it can cause a "catching" sensation if it blocks movement of the knee joint.
  • Thinning. Cartilage thinning can occur after an injury. It can also be an early sign of arthritis in the knee. Thin cartilage may not appear as smooth as normal cartilage and may not glide as easily.
  • Flaps. Flaps in the articular cartilage occur when part of the cartilage separates from the bone and can be lifted from its normal position. This can also lead to catching sensations with knee movement.
  • Defects. Cartilage defects can lead to bones getting exposed within the joint. This can occur after traumatic injuries or as the result of knee arthritis.

Causes of Cartilage Injuries

Knee cartilage can be damaged in a few different ways, including:

  • Traumatic injury (e.g., accidents, falls)
  • Degenerative arthritis (age-related changes to the joints)
  • Chronic overuse (e.g., from playing sports, related to work, etc.)

Depending on the injury, different types of cartilage can get damaged. When cartilage is damaged, it is often described as a tear.

Symptoms of a Knee Cartilage Tear

The symptoms of a meniscus tear and an articular cartilage tear are similar. A healthcare provider will need to determine which type of tear you have since it is very hard to tell the two apart based on symptoms alone.

Both injuries can cause:

  • Swelling of the knee joint
  • Pain
  • Buckling of the knee joint
  • Difficulty bearing weight on the knee
  • A popping sensation in the knee
  • Difficulty fully straightening the knee

When to See a Healthcare Provider

It can be hard to know when you should see a healthcare provider for knee pain. Pain that comes on slowly or happens after a minor injury or overuse may get better without treatment. In general, however, you should see a healthcare provider if:

  • The injury was from a hard impact.
  • There is a lot of swelling or pain.
  • The joint feels warm or you have a fever.

Seek emergency care if:

  • The pain is severe.
  • You have sudden swelling of the joint.
  • Your knee looks out of place.
  • You hear a popping noise.
  • You cannot bear any weight on your knee.

Diagnosis

Your provider might want you to see a specialist who knows a lot about knees and other joints (orthopedics) to find out if you’ve torn the cartilage. 

A provider will ask you about what happened that led to your symptoms and may ask you about other factors, like your lifestyle, hobbies, and work. They’ll also do an exam to see how your knee moves. 

They might want to do some imaging tests, like an X-ray, CT scan, or MRI, to get pictures of your knee to confirm that the cartilage was torn. For example:

  • An X-ray can rule out a broken bone or conditions like arthritis that commonly cause knee pain. However, they are not useful for showing soft tissues and therefore do not help diagnose a knee cartilage tear.
  • A CT scan can show injuries or damage to the structures around the bones in your knee, like muscles and blood vessels. CT scans don't show as much detail as an MRI but may be recommended in certain cases. For instance, patients with metal implants shouldn't have an MRI because of the magnet in the machine.
  • An MRI can often give providers the best look at tendons and ligaments in the knee, and can help them see if the cartilage has been injured. A meniscus tear will usually show up well on an MRI and can help a provider make the diagnosis. MRIs do not expose patients to radiation like X-rays and CT scans.

Treatment of Cartilage Injury

Meniscus tears usually need treatment but not all meniscus tears need surgery. However, some tears in the meniscus will do best when they are surgically fixed.

Damage to both types of cartilage is often from long-term “wear and tear” (degeneration) and arthritis. This type of damage may cause symptoms such as pain and disability. However, surgery is not usually any better than non-surgical management for treating these symptoms.

Home Treatments

Nonsurgical treatment of meniscus tears you can do at home may include:

Can Torn Knee Cartilage Heal Itself?

Torn knee cartilage may heal on its own. How long it takes torn knee cartilage to heal depends on where it's located and how bad it is. Some parts of the meniscus have a better blood supply than others, so tears in these parts might heal without surgery. In other cases, untreated torn knee cartilage will not heal on its own and may lead to long-term problems if it's not fixed with surgery.

Physical Therapy

Doing physical therapy (PT) might be part of your recovery from torn knee cartilage. If you have surgery on your knee, you might start working with a physical therapist early on in your recovery to help make sure you’re healing well and that you can learn how to prevent knee injuries in the future. You’ll usually do exercises with them at appointments as well as on your own at home. 

Surgery

If the cartilage tear in your knee is severe, you may need to have it fixed with surgery. Usually, these surgeries can be done using a special tool with a camera on it (arthroscope or endoscope) and a small cut in your skin. One of the benefits of having this kind of surgery is that they do not take as long to recover from as surgeries that use bigger incisions do. 

If the injury is more serious, you might need to have more involved surgery (open). This kind of surgery will take longer to do and your recovery will be longer. Some people may need to have more than one surgery to fix their knee. 

The type of surgery you need will depend on the injury and what your surgeon thinks will offer you the most benefit with the least amount of risk. 

Examples of torn knee cartilage surgeries are:

  • Meniscus repair, where the torn cartilage is sewn back together
  • Partial meniscectomy, where some of the damaged cartilage is removed 
  • Total meniscectomy, where the entire meniscus is removed

In some cases, a transplant can also be done to put new, healthy tissue in where the damaged knee cartilage was removed.

Prevention

You may not always be able to prevent knee cartilage injuries, like those that happen from accidents or age-related “wear and tear.” There are some things you can do to try to take care of your knees while you’re working, taking part in sports, and doing other things that could put you at risk of getting knee injuries. For example:

  • Use the proper form to do your tasks at your job and ask for an ergonomic assessment of your work area.
  • Make sure that you use protective equipment and play sports safely.
  • Take part in low-impact exercises like walking and gentle stretching to support healthy joints as you get older.
  • Avoid doing activities like running that are hard on your knees.

Summary

There are two types of cartilage in the knee. Tears can happen in both the articular cartilage and the meniscus. Meniscus tears are common. When you hear someone refer to a cartilage tear, they are usually talking about the meniscus. 

Knee cartilage tears can be caused by injury, arthritis, or chronic overuse. Not all knee cartilage tears require surgery, but there are certain tears that will heal a lot better if they are fixed surgically. 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Is it OK to walk on a knee with torn knee cartilage?

    If you’re able to walk, you can, but the injury will probably get worse. It may become too painful or the knee may lock. This will prevent movement of the joint.

  • Can a brace help a meniscus tear heal?

    No. A brace can help secure the knee, helping you walk or perform daily activities, but it won’t help a knee cartilage tear heal. Surgery is usually the best option for treating the meniscus.

14 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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Additional Reading

By Jonathan Cluett, MD
Jonathan Cluett, MD, is board-certified in orthopedic surgery. He served as assistant team physician to Chivas USA (Major League Soccer) and the United States men's and women's national soccer teams.