A meniscal tear can cause knee pain, swelling, stiffness, clicking, catching, locking, instability, and difficulty squatting or fully straightening the knee.
Knee pain, swelling, or catching may be signs of a meniscal tear. Dr. Siefferman discusses how these injuries are diagnosed and the treatment options that can help restore mobility and function.
Our team organizes conditions and treatments into related zones of expertise to make it easier to explore the care paths most relevant to your symptoms and goals.
Use the zone tags above to browse dedicated pages for each focus area, including services, providers, and what to expect during treatment.
Hi, I’m Dr. Jason Siefferman, medical director at Manhattan Pain Medicine. The meniscus is two rings which are cushions inside of the knee joint and it’s a cushion for the knee this way, but it also facilitates the bending of the knee. Now, the meniscus can tear and it can degenerate with use. This can happen for a variety of reasons.
When the meniscus is torn, it usually doesn’t happen in isolation. It’s very difficult to tear the meniscus without some sprain to the stabilizing ligaments. And this is important because there’s going to be extra motion on the meniscus. When we think about the meniscus and we think about the knee joint specifically, it’s meant to bend a certain way. It’s not meant to hyperextend. It’s not meant to bend off to the side like this. So if that joint is able to do these things because of primary laxity from Ehlers-Danlos, Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder, or from a chronic injury that never really healed, the meniscus will tear.
It will wear down. So prior to pursuing any primary treatment for the meniscus, we really want to evaluate the joint. We want to understand why the joint had a meniscal tear in the first place, fix that and then often the meniscus will calm down on its own or we can use regenerative medicine to heal the meniscus.
A meniscal tear is an injury to one of the C-shaped cartilage structures that cushion and help stabilize the knee between the thighbone and shinbone. A torn meniscus can cause pain, swelling, stiffness, catching, locking, giving way, blocked motion, and difficulty fully straightening the knee.
Meniscal tears may happen suddenly after twisting, pivoting, or deep knee bending, or they may develop gradually with degeneration and arthritis.
Knee pain should be evaluated carefully because similar symptoms can also come from ligament injury, cartilage damage, arthritis, tendon pain, hypermobility, referred hip or spine pain, or chronic pain sensitization.
At Manhattan Pain Medicine, evaluation begins by determining whether the meniscal tear is truly the primary pain generator or one part of a broader knee, hip, spine, or hypermobility pattern.
For patients looking for meniscus tear treatment in Manhattan, MPM evaluates knee pain, swelling, stiffness, clicking, catching, locking, instability, range of motion, imaging findings, arthritis, ligament injury, tendon pain, cartilage injury, EDS, and hypermobility-related joint instability.
Care may include diagnostic ultrasound, ultrasound-guided injections, PRP, BMAC, prolotherapy, regenerative medicine discussions, rehabilitation coordination, and orthopedic referral when mechanical symptoms or structural damage require surgical evaluation.
Many patients arrive with an MRI showing a meniscal tear and assume that the tear explains all of their knee pain. Sometimes it does. Other times, the tear is one finding among several possible pain drivers. Knee pain may also come from arthritis, ligament injury, cartilage damage, patellofemoral pain, tendon irritation, joint instability, hypermobility, referred hip or spine pain, or chronic pain sensitization.
MPM uses a diagnosis-first approach to clarify the source of pain before recommending treatment. The evaluation looks at whether symptoms match the meniscal finding, whether true mechanical locking is present, whether swelling or instability suggests another structure, and whether a diagnostic or image-guided injection may help clarify the pain source. This helps patients avoid both undertreatment and unnecessary escalation when another condition may be contributing.
Meniscal tears fit within MPM’s Musculoskeletal issues Zone of Expertise, with important overlap in Hypermobility when EDS, joint laxity, instability, repeated injuries, or compensatory movement patterns are present. This matters because the meniscus helps cushion and stabilize the knee, but symptoms may also involve ligament laxity, altered mechanics, arthritis, cartilage injury, tendon pain, or referred pain.
MPM uses the Zones of Expertise framework to evaluate whether symptoms appear meniscal, ligament-related, arthritic, tendon-related, instability-related, nerve-related, referred from the hip or spine, or mixed. For some patients, the meniscal tear is the main pain generator. For others, the tear is one part of a broader knee and movement pattern that requires coordinated care.
These guys are the best. I've been going here for over 6 years and their familiarity with my Schwannomatosis (most ppl have never even heard of it - its rather rare) and their ability to diagnose my CRPS quickly and accurately and then treat it like I was merely getting a flu shot is just incredible...
Highly recommended for those who need Pain Management. Everyone at Manhattan Pain Medicine is extremely nice and helpful. I have had very good interactions with both Dr. Siefferman and Dr. Louis. All of the staff is very responsive. 5 stars.
The providers at Manhattan Pain Medicine are exceptional. I wish I had found them 30 years ago!
I genuinely can’t say enough good things about the team at Manhattan Pain Medicine. I have MCAS, EDS, and an inflammatory autoimmune disease, and I’ve basically been searching for answers since I was a kid. I had years of unexplained inflammation markers, chronic pain, and allergic reactions despite...
I have a complex medical history and have seen a lot of doctors over the years. Dr. Mikaberidze and Dr. Siefferman each took the time to really listen and understand everything I had been dealing with. I also appreciated how they work together and communicated about my care. I left with a plan that...
Sharing my gratitude for the pleasant experience last week during my visit, the medical team provided great care and also treated my session as a learning experience, I left my session with a wealth of knowledge. A big thank you to the kind, and professional staff who welcomed me to the office as a...
I cannot say enough good things about Manhattan Pain Medicine. From the moment I walked in, I felt truly cared for and taken seriously. Dr. Nino Mikaberidze, Director of Rheumatology, is exceptional — knowledgeable, compassionate, and incredibly thorough. She takes the time to listen, explains every...
Dr Siefferman is the most thorough, patient doctor I have even been to. Currently I travel from miami to nyc to see him because his bed side manner and desire to help is incomparable.
ZocDoc
This practice is wonderful. I have been a patient of Dr. Siefferman’s since 2019 and he’s extremely helpful and kind. He has brought in a Rheumatologist who is also great. They handle very complex pain issues and always try to find new ways to help me.
Dr. Siefferman is an incredible doctor! He is extremely diligent and knowledgeable. It feels like you are his only patient. He invests a lot of time and effort into your injuries and concerns. I did not find these wonderful qualities with other pain specialists before, who were always rushed and som...
ZocDoc
Dr. Siefferman is a doctor who combines the old world bedside manner of doctors from my childhood (60 years ago) with a sta te of the art embrace of modern technology. It is always a pleasure to have an appointment with him...always has options and solutions to my medical issues. He is truly the doc...
ZocDoc
Dr. Siefferman is a genius. He is very informed and listens attentively.
ZocDoc
Dr. Siefferman and his entire team continue to be efficient, dedicated, and driven by precision and a genuine desire to give fantastic care. Will always recommend.
ZocDoc
Doctor Siefferman is fantastic. Have been seeing him for 5 years. Couldn’t recommend more.
ZocDoc
Dr. Siefferman is the ONLY doctor who has ever been able to diagnose my pain and treat it. He is hands down the best
ZocDoc
A meniscal tear is an injury to one of the menisci, the C-shaped cartilage structures that cushion the knee between the thighbone and shinbone. The menisci help absorb force, support smooth movement, and contribute to knee stability. A tear may happen suddenly during twisting, pivoting, sports, or deep knee bending, or it may develop gradually with degeneration or arthritis. A torn meniscus can cause pain, swelling, stiffness, catching, locking, giving way, blocked motion, and difficulty fully straightening the knee. (Mayo Clinic)
A meniscus tear may feel like knee pain, swelling, stiffness, clicking, catching, locking, or a sensation that the knee gives way. Some patients feel pain with twisting, pivoting, stairs, squatting, kneeling, sports, or deep knee bending. Others notice that the knee does not fully straighten or feels blocked. AAOS lists pain, stiffness, swelling, catching or locking, giving way, and inability to move the knee through full range of motion as common symptoms. (OrthoInfo) Similar symptoms can also occur with arthritis, ligament injury, cartilage damage, tendon pain, or patellofemoral pain.
Meniscal tears may occur from sudden trauma, such as twisting, pivoting, turning, or deep knee bending, especially during sports or activity. They can also develop gradually from degeneration or wear and tear, particularly in people with knee arthritis. Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine notes that meniscus damage can occur from sudden trauma or gradually as part of degeneration. (Mayo Clinic Orthopedics) Cleveland Clinic notes that people with knee arthritis are more prone to meniscus tears. (Cleveland Clinic) Hypermobility, EDS, ligament laxity, and joint instability may also contribute to repeated knee stress in selected patients.
Some meniscal tears improve with nonsurgical care, especially when symptoms are not severe, the knee remains stable, and there is no true locking or major mechanical block. Conservative care may include rest, avoiding twisting or pivoting, ice, compression, elevation, bracing, activity modification, and physical therapy. Treatment depends on tear type, location, size, age, activity goals, knee stability, arthritis, and symptoms. Some tears require orthopedic evaluation, especially when there is true locking, a root tear, major trauma, persistent mechanical symptoms, or failure of appropriate nonsurgical care.
A meniscal tear is evaluated through medical history, physical examination, knee movement testing, assessment of swelling and mechanical symptoms, imaging review, and MRI when appropriate. The clinician may evaluate joint line tenderness, range of motion, catching, locking, stability, gait, and whether symptoms match imaging findings. Diagnostic ultrasound may help assess selected findings such as joint effusion, meniscal extrusion, or nearby soft tissue structures, but MRI is commonly used for internal meniscal detail. In selected cases, diagnostic injections may help clarify whether knee pain is coming from the joint.
Diagnostic ultrasound may help evaluate selected knee findings, including joint effusion, soft tissue structures, and meniscal extrusion, and it may guide certain injections. It can be useful when a clinician needs dynamic or point-of-care information about the knee and surrounding tissues. However, ultrasound does not replace MRI for detailed internal meniscal assessment in many cases. MPM uses diagnostic ultrasound when it may help clarify the pain generator, evaluate surrounding structures, or improve precision for ultrasound-guided procedures. The test is selected based on the clinical question.
PRP, BMAC, and prolotherapy may be considered in selected cases after the diagnosis, anatomy, tear pattern, arthritis burden, symptoms, risks, and goals are reviewed. These options should not be described as guaranteed meniscus repair, cartilage restoration, arthritis reversal, or a replacement for surgery when surgery is medically indicated. PRP evidence for meniscal injuries continues to evolve, and appropriateness varies by patient and tear type. MPM discusses regenerative options carefully as part of a diagnosis-first plan, not as automatic treatment for every meniscal tear.
Orthopedic referral may be appropriate for true locking, inability to fully straighten the knee, significant mechanical symptoms, major traumatic tears, suspected root tears, severe instability, advanced structural damage, inability to bear weight, or symptoms that persist despite appropriate nonsurgical care. Surgery may also be considered when the tear pattern and symptoms suggest that repair or arthroscopy may be needed. AAOS notes that physical therapy and corticosteroid injections may relieve symptoms but do not repair the structural tear itself. (OrthoInfo) MPM can help coordinate referral when surgical evaluation is appropriate.
Before care begins, our team helps patients understand the practical side of treatment, including insurance verification, out-of-network benefits, cost-share estimates, self-pay options, and billing questions. We believe patients should have as much clarity as possible before moving forward.
A meniscal tear is an injury to one of the menisci, the C-shaped cartilage structures that sit between the thighbone and shinbone. Each knee has two menisci. They help cushion the joint, distribute load, and support knee stability. When a meniscus is torn, patients may feel pain, swelling, stiffness, clicking, catching, locking, giving way, or difficulty fully straightening the knee.
A meniscal tear may happen suddenly during a twisting or pivoting movement, especially when the foot is planted and the knee rotates. It may also occur during sports, deep squatting, kneeling, or trauma. In other patients, the tear develops gradually as the meniscus weakens with age, arthritis, or degeneration.
A traumatic meniscal tear often happens during a specific injury. The patient may remember a twist, pop, or sudden pain, followed by swelling, stiffness, or difficulty continuing activity. This is common in sports and activity-related knee injuries.
A degenerative meniscal tear may develop more gradually. Patients may not remember a single injury. Symptoms may appear with stairs, squatting, walking, twisting, or prolonged activity. Degenerative tears often occur in knees that also have arthritis or cartilage wear. People with knee arthritis may be more prone to meniscal tears.
This distinction matters because treatment may differ. A young athlete with a traumatic tear and mechanical symptoms may need a different care pathway than a patient with degenerative meniscal findings and knee arthritis.
MRI can be helpful for identifying meniscal tears and related knee pathology. However, the presence of a meniscal tear on imaging does not always prove it is the main pain source. Some tears are highly symptomatic. Others may be incidental or part of a broader degenerative knee pattern.
MPM evaluates whether the imaging matches the symptoms. The exam considers pain location, swelling, range of motion, mechanical catching or locking, ligament stability, strength, gait, arthritis signs, patellofemoral pain, tendon involvement, hypermobility, and referred pain from the hip or spine. The goal is not to treat the MRI report. The goal is to treat the patient’s actual pain generator.
Knee pain can come from many sources. A patient with clicking or pain may have a meniscal tear, but similar symptoms can also come from arthritis, cartilage injury, ligament strain, patellofemoral pain, tendon irritation, bursitis, nerve irritation, referred hip pain, referred spine pain, or inflammatory arthritis.
True locking, where the knee cannot fully straighten because of a mechanical block, is different from occasional clicking or discomfort. True locking may require orthopedic evaluation, especially when it follows injury or is associated with significant swelling or loss of motion.
Hypermobility can make meniscal and knee symptoms more complex. Patients with EDS or hypermobility spectrum disorder may have increased joint laxity, altered movement control, and greater reliance on muscles for stability. This can place extra stress on ligaments, tendons, cartilage, and the meniscus.
In these cases, care may need to address stability, proprioception, load management, and movement patterns, not only pain. A patient with hypermobility-related knee pain may need a different plan than a patient with an isolated traumatic meniscal tear.
MPM begins with a detailed history and physical examination. This includes how symptoms started, whether there was a twisting injury, where the pain is located, whether the knee swells, whether it catches or locks, whether the patient can fully straighten the knee, and what activities are limited.
The exam may evaluate joint line tenderness, range of motion, swelling, ligament stability, patellar tracking, strength, gait, and functional movements such as squatting or stepping. Imaging is reviewed in context. MRI may be useful for internal meniscal detail. Diagnostic ultrasound may help assess selected findings such as effusion, meniscal extrusion, or surrounding soft tissue and may guide injections when appropriate.
Treatment depends on the tear type, symptoms, mechanical features, arthritis burden, age, activity goals, and knee stability. Conservative care may include rest, activity modification, avoiding twisting or pivoting, ice, compression, elevation, bracing, medication management, and physical therapy. Treatment often begins with avoiding aggravating activities and using supportive measures such as ice when appropriate.
Physical therapy may focus on restoring motion, reducing swelling, improving strength, improving control, and gradually returning to activity. For degenerative tears, the plan may also need to address arthritis and long-term load management.
In selected patients, ultrasound-guided or image-guided injections may be considered for pain control, inflammation, or diagnostic clarification. Steroid injections may reduce inflammation and symptoms in selected cases but do not repair the tear itself. AAOS notes that physical therapy and corticosteroid injections may relieve symptoms but do not address the structural injury. (OrthoInfo)
Some patients ask about PRP, BMAC, prolotherapy, or regenerative medicine. These may be discussed only after reviewing the tear pattern, arthritis burden, anatomy, symptoms, goals, risks, and evidence. They should not be presented as guaranteed meniscus repair, cartilage restoration, arthritis reversal, or a substitute for surgery when surgery is medically indicated.
Orthopedic referral may be appropriate when there is true locking, inability to fully straighten the knee, major traumatic tear, suspected root tear, persistent mechanical symptoms, severe functional limitation, or failure of appropriate nonsurgical care. Surgery may also be needed when structural damage requires repair or when symptoms remain significant despite a careful treatment plan.
MPM does not frame surgery as failure. For selected patients, orthopedic evaluation and arthroscopy may be the appropriate next step.
Knee pain should be evaluated when symptoms persist, worsen, limit walking or activity, cause true locking, catching, instability, swelling, inability to fully straighten the knee, or follow trauma. Urgent evaluation is important for inability to bear weight, major swelling after injury, visible deformity, fever, redness, calf swelling, loss of pulses, new weakness or numbness, or rapidly worsening pain.
MPM approaches meniscal tears through a diagnosis-first, coordinated model. The evaluation considers meniscal injury, arthritis, ligament instability, cartilage injury, tendon pain, hypermobility, EDS, referred hip or spine pain, peripheral nerve irritation, and chronic pain sensitization.
For patients looking for meniscus tear treatment in Manhattan, MPM offers a careful pain medicine perspective that can work alongside physical therapy, orthopedics, sports medicine, and rehabilitation. The goal is to determine whether the meniscal tear is the true pain generator, clarify whether nonsurgical care is appropriate, and coordinate referral when structural treatment may be needed.
