Meniscal Tear: How to Care for Your Child

The meniscus (meh-NISS-kiss) is a piece of cartilage in the knee that cushions the upper and lower bones of the knee. A meniscal tear is first treated with rest, ice, medicines, and physical therapy. If these treatments don't work, surgery may be needed. Follow these instructions to care for your child.

Follow your child's orthopedic specialist's recommendations for:

• Whether your child can bear weight on the knee.

• What movements (such as squatting and twisting) and sports your child should avoid.

• If your child needs to wear a brace and/or use crutches.

• Doing any exercises or going to physical therapy.

To help with pain and swelling:

• When your child is sitting, put the leg up on a chair or ottoman. When they're lying down, put the leg up on a pillow.

• Wrap ice in a towel and put it on the knee for about 15 minutes a few times a day.

• Wrap your child's knee with an elastic compression bandage.

• Give your child ibuprofen (Advil^®, Motrin^®, or a store brand) OR naproxen (Naprosyn^®, Aleve^®, or a store brand) as instructed by the orthopedic specialist.

Your child's:

• pain or swelling gets worse

• knee pops, catches, locks (won't straighten fully), or gives out (suddenly collapses)

• leg, foot, or toes are numb or tingling

How do meniscal tears happen in kids and teens? In kids and teens, a meniscus tear usually happens when the knee twists while bearing weight — for example, when landing from a jump or making a sudden change in direction. It can also happen when someone falls or gets hit in the knee. Meniscus tears often happen along with other knee injuries, such as when a ligament (connective band in joints) tears.

What are the signs of a meniscus tear? Symptoms of a meniscus tear vary and can include:

• knee pain, swelling, and/or stiffness

• trouble bearing weight on the injured knee

• knee "locking" or "popping"

• the knee giving out

Sometimes a torn meniscus causes no symptoms, so a person doesn't know the tear happened. Or they might have symptoms at first that get better with time and treatment.