16/01/2026
MENISCUS TEARS: not all tears are the same 🦵🏼💥
Meniscus tears come in different patterns. And the type can influence symptoms and management.
✅ Longitudinal tears run along the meniscus fibres and can sometimes remain more stable when smaller.
🚨 Bucket-handle tears are a displaced longitudinal tear and are one of the tear types most associated with true locking (Beaufils et al., 2017).
⚡️ Radial tears cut across the fibres and can significantly reduce the meniscus’ ability to manage load and distribute pressure through the knee (Beaufils et al., 2017).
Important point: mechanical symptoms (clicking/catching) don’t always mean surgery is required, and meniscal findings can also show up on imaging in people without pain (Englund et al., 2008).
In many cases, especially degenerative tears, exercise based rehab performs similarly to arthroscopic surgery for outcomes over time (Katz et al., 2013; van de Graaf et al., 2018).
