Diagnosis
A meniscus tear is diagnosed by a physician, who first asks questions about the symptoms and the course of the accident during the anamnesis interview. Then, in the following examination of the knee joint, he will look for the presence of symptoms that indicate a torn meniscus, such as a pressure pain over the joint gap, a knee joint effusion or pain in typical movement patterns. This pain can be provoked by special meniscus tests by passively rotating and moving the knee.
If the tests, which include Steinmann I and II, the Payr test or Apley-Grinding, are positive, it can be determined which of the two menisci, the inner or outer meniscus, is injured. The examination is followed by a diagnostic imaging procedure, which usually starts with an x-ray to rule out any accompanying bony injury. Torn menisci can also be visualized very well in the MRT (magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic resonance imaging).
Another diagnostic method is arthroscopy. Here a small camera is inserted into the knee joint under general anesthesia and possible meniscus injuries can be examined directly. A great advantage of this examination is that therapeutic intervention can be carried out in the same session and thus a meniscus tear can be treated directly at the time of diagnosis.
