Everything You Need to Know About a Lateral Meniscus Tear
What is a Lateral Meniscus Tear?
A lateral meniscus tear is an injury to the cartilage on the outer side of the knee joint. The meniscus is a C-shaped piece of cartilage that acts like a cushion between the thigh bone (femur) and shin bone (tibia). A tear in the lateral meniscus can cause pain, swelling, locking, or instability in the knee, especially during twisting or squatting movements.
An analogy…
Imagine the meniscus like a rubber washer inside a door hinge. If that washer gets cracked or torn, the door (your knee) won’t move smoothly and may even get stuck or squeak. That’s how your knee feels with a torn meniscus.
What are other names that lateral meniscus tear can be called?
- Lateral Meniscal Tear
- Outer Meniscus Tear
- Cartilage Tear (Knee)
- Lateral Knee Cartilage Injury
What causes a lateral meniscus tear?
Lateral meniscus tears are usually caused by twisting the knee while it is bent and bearing weight. This often happens in sports that involve pivoting, cutting, or rapid direction changes (e.g. football, soccer, basketball). They can also occur from:
- Sudden awkward movements
- Deep squats or lunges
- Lifting heavy objects with poor form
- Age-related degeneration, where cartilage becomes more brittle over time
What are the signs and symptoms of a lateral meniscus tear?
- Sharp pain on the outer side of the knee
- Swelling and stiffness, usually within a few hours of injury
- Clicking, popping, or locking when moving the knee
- Difficulty squatting or twisting the knee
- Sensation of the knee “giving way” during activity
- Tenderness along the outer joint line
What tests are used to diagnose a lateral meniscus tear?
- McMurray’s test: the knee is bent and rotated to check for clicking or pain
- Joint line palpation: pressing on the outer knee reveals tenderness
- Apley’s compression test: tests for pain with downward pressure and rotation
- MRI scan: confirms the presence, size, and location of the tear
- Arthroscopy: occasionally used for diagnosis and treatment
How long does a lateral meniscus tear take to heal?
Healing depends on the severity and location of the tear:
- Small tears in the outer edge (better blood supply) can heal in 4–6 weeks with rest and rehab
- Larger or inner tears may take 6–12 weeks or longer
- If surgery is required (e.g. meniscus repair or trimming), recovery can take 3–6 months, depending on the procedure
How does a lateral meniscus tear happen?
The tear usually occurs when the knee is twisted forcefully while slightly bent, especially with weight on it. It can also happen gradually from repetitive stress, especially in people with weak glutes or poor hip-knee control, leading to uneven pressure on the meniscus.
What treatment can help a lateral meniscus tear?
- R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) in the first 48–72 hours
- Physiotherapy to restore range, strength, and control
- Activity modification – avoid deep squats or pivoting movements
- Manual therapy – joint mobilisation and soft tissue release
- Strengthening exercises for quads, glutes, and hamstrings
- Surgery (if needed):
- Meniscus repair – stitches the tear (longer recovery but preserves cartilage)
- Meniscectomy – trims the damaged part (faster recovery, but long-term wear risk)
What exercises or stretches can I do for a lateral meniscus tear?
(Always guided by a health professional and progressed based on your symptoms and healing.)
- Quad sets and straight leg raises
- Heel slides and gentle knee bending
- Glute bridges and side-lying leg lifts
- Mini-squats and wall sits (as pain allows)
- Step-ups, balance drills, and low-impact cardio (e.g. cycling, pool walking)
- Hamstring and calf stretches
What products can help with a Lateral Meniscus Tear?
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A hip flexor strain happens when one of the muscles at the front of your hip, mainly the iliopsoas or rectus femoris, gets overstretched or torn. It’s a common injury in sports that involve kicking, sprinting, or sudden movements, causing pain at the front of the hip or groin.
An analogy…
Think of the hip flexor muscles like strong elastic bands that lift your knee toward your chest. If they are stretched too quickly or too far, they can tear like a snapping rubber band.
What are other names that a hip flexor strain can be called?
Hip Flexor Injury, Iliopsoas Strain, Psoas Strain, Hip Flexor Tear, Strained Iliopsoas Muscle, Torn Iliopsoas Muscle, Pulled Hip Flexor
What causes a hip flexor strain?
The hip flexors are a group of muscles that help you lift your thigh toward your body. A strain happens when the muscle fibres are overloaded, usually from a sudden burst of force or a rapid stretch beyond their limit. This causes small (or large) tears in the muscle or its tendon near the pelvis.
What are the signs and symptoms of a hip flexor strain?
- Sharp pain at the front of the hip or groin area
- Tenderness when pressing the hip flexor muscles
- Pain with lifting the knee, sprinting, kicking, or climbing stairs
- Stiffness or weakness in the hip, especially when bending forward
- Swelling or bruising in the front of the hip
- Pain when stretching the hip backward
What tests are used to diagnose a hip flexor strain?
Palpation: Feeling for tenderness in the front of the hip
Resisted hip flexion test: Pain when lifting the knee against resistance
Stretching tests: Extending the hip backward reproduces symptoms
How long does a hip flexor strain take to heal?
Grade 1 (mild) strains often heal in 1 to 2 weeks. Grade 2 (moderate) strains usually take 3 to 6 weeks. Grade 3 (severe) strains (significant tearing) can take 8 to 12 weeks or more to fully recover.
How does a hip flexor strain happen?
- Sudden sprinting or kicking movements
- Explosive acceleration or direction changes
- Tight hip flexor muscles
- Poor warm-up or muscle preparation
- Weak glutes and core, causing the hip flexors to overwork
- Fatigue or previous hip injuries increasing the risk
What treatment can help a hip flexor strain?
- Relative rest from aggravating activities early on
- Ice application for the first 48–72 hours to control swelling
- Manual therapy (massage, dry needling, and stretching)
- Progressive strengthening and controlled stretching of the hip flexors
- Postural retraining and core strengthening
- Gradual return to running, kicking, and sport-specific drills
What exercises or stretches can I do for a hip flexor strain?
- Isometric hip flexor holds
- Glute and core strengthening exercises
- Gentle hip flexor stretches
- Straight leg raises to rebuild control
What products can help with a hip flexor strain?