Knee Meniscus Injuries

Recover from knee meniscus injury symptoms with Restore Physiotherapy in Kew, Victoria.

What is a Meniscus?

A meniscus is a 'C-shaped' cartilage pad that sits between your thighbone (femur) and shinbone (tibia). Its main role is to absorb force and weight, acting like a cushion to help distribute your body’s weight evenly.

Knee meniscus injuries usually happen when the knee unexpectedly twists as it's planted on the ground, which can be called a shock or trauma to the knee. During a tear, part of the meniscus moves under the femoral condyle (the two rounded ends of the thigh bone), which causes friction.

We typically see these types of injuries happen during sports, but they can also result from muscle degeneration (body wear and tear).

Knee meniscus injury symptoms

Getting better with Restore Physiotherapy

At Restore Physiotherapy, we understand that a knee injury can be debilitating and highly restrictive for many individuals. By accurately assessing your knee injury symptoms and guiding you with personalised rehabilitation strategies, we can get you back to life as usual.

Whether it's a sports-related knee injury or a degenerative meniscus tear, our team can help you manage your pain and prevent reinjuries.

How we diagnose knee meniscus tears

Clinical History

Understanding how the injury occurred, your symptoms over 24 hours, what makes it better or worse, and your medical history.

Physical Examination

Assessing your range of motion and strength. We also perform specialised tests such as Thessaly's test, McMurray's test, and Apley's grind test.

Imaging (if necessary)

MRI or other imaging may be recommended if you cannot bear weight, need to return to sport quickly, or if healing is slower than expected.

Non-surgical management of knee injuries

Most meniscus injuries can be successfully treated without surgery. Our physiotherapists can recommend a rehabilitation approach to help you recover naturally.

Education and Pain Management:

Learning about your condition, helping you avoid aggravating activities, managing pain, and controlling swelling in the first few days

Soft Tissue Work:

Treatment of surrounding muscles, including quadriceps, hamstrings, and calf muscles

Strengthening Program:

Progressive exercises that start with gentle isometric exercises and advance to resistance training

Balance and Proprioception:

Exercises to improve your knee's position and stability

Joint Mobilisation:

Manual therapy techniques to restore normal joint movement if necessary

Physio for knee surgery recovery

While many knee meniscus injuries can be solved without surgery, there are some cases where surgery is the best option. These include peripheral, longitudinal tears, bucket handle tears, and injuries involving multiple knee structures (ACL, MCL, and meniscus).

The Restore team is here to support you in your post-operation recovery. Our knee surgery physio focuses on strengthening the surrounding muscles and building balance and proprioception, all while providing you with the care and tools you need to return to your activities.

Your recovery: Step-by-step

Acute Phase (0-2 weeks)

Focus on reducing swelling and pain management. Gentle isometric exercises may begin, as we avoid twisting, kneeling, and deep squats.

Subacute Phase (2-6 weeks)

Gradually improve range of motion and begin closed-chain exercises. We introduce balance and proprioception training, increase walking tolerance, and consider low-impact activities like swimming.

Strengthening Phase (6-12 weeks)

Increase strength and endurance training. We also introduce functional movements and gradually progress to light jogging if you are pain-free and stable.

Return to Sport (12+ weeks)

Sport-specific drills are introduced, including change of direction, cutting, and pivoting movements. We will monitor progress based on our assessment and functional testing.

Physiotherapy case study: Knee meniscal tear at 62

Knee meniscal tear at 62

Scenario

A 62-year-old active female came to our clinic with symptoms of a degenerative knee meniscal tear. She was experiencing knee pain that was preventing her from enjoying her regular activities. Her primary goal was to return to hiking with her partner, as she wanted to complete a 10km hike they had planned together.

Like many patients her age, she was concerned about needing surgery and wanted a more natural treatment option.

Solution

We developed a comprehensive one-on-one treatment that focuses on pain management, strengthening the muscles around the knee, improving range of motion, and addressing any movement patterns that could exacerbate her condition.

The patient also joined our clinical Pilates classes, which helped her strengthen her core, improve balance and proprioception, and get group support for her recovery.

Results

After 10 months of dedicated treatment and rehabilitation, she successfully avoided the need for surgery, which was her primary concern when she first came to see us. She also successfully completed her 10km hike with her partner.

Frequently asked questions

How does treatment differ between sports-related and degenerative knee meniscus symptoms?

For traumatic (sports-related) tears, we treat them with greater urgency, as our primary goal is to return the athlete to their sport as quickly and safely as possible. Meanwhile, degenerative tears are commonly seen in older adults, so treatment focuses heavily on education, pain management, setting realistic expectations, and comprehensive rehabilitation. The approach is typically more gradual and holistic.

What are the risks of doing too much too soon?

We consistently educate our patients on the key risks of progressing too quickly, which can damage the already injured meniscus, compromise other knee structures, and potentially prolong overall recovery time.

Do you work with other healthcare professionals for complex cases?

Absolutely! We have Dr. Zeeshan Arain, a sports medicine physician, who works directly at our clinic to discuss complex cases regularly and ensure coordinated care. Our physios typically discuss cases with Dr Zeeshan and consistently refer high-level athletes to him to ensure their rehabilitation is running smoothly.

	Ground Floor 260 High Street, Kew Victoria 3101
	03 9855 1122