Book consultationDoes every meniscus tear need arthroscopy?
No. Treatment depends on tear type, symptoms, age, activity and knee condition.
Knee Arthroscopy
Meniscus Tear and Knee Locking: When to See an Orthopaedic Surgeon
5 min read
Understand meniscus tear symptoms, locking, swelling and treatment choices including knee arthroscopy.
Written byJayam Hospital Orthopaedic Team
Medically reviewed byDr. Aravind Ravichandran, M.S. Ortho., FIAS (ISAKOS)
Last reviewed25 September 2026
What the meniscus does
The meniscus is a shock-absorbing structure inside the knee. A tear may occur after twisting injury, sports trauma or age-related degeneration.
Symptoms can include pain along the joint line, swelling, catching, locking, difficulty squatting or pain while climbing stairs.
Treatment decisions
Small degenerative tears may improve with medicines, activity changes and physiotherapy. Larger tears, displaced tears or tears causing locking may need arthroscopic treatment.
In selected patients, repairing the meniscus may be preferred to preserve tissue. In others, trimming the torn unstable part may be considered.
Why early assessment helps
Persistent locking or repeated swelling should be assessed because untreated mechanical symptoms can limit movement and delay recovery.
This article is for patient education only. Diagnosis, treatment choice and surgery suitability must be decided after consultation, examination and required investigations.
FAQs
Common questions
What is knee locking?
Locking means the knee gets stuck or cannot fully bend or straighten, sometimes due to a displaced meniscus tear.
Can physiotherapy help?
Physiotherapy can help many knee pain cases, but mechanical locking or unstable tears need specialist assessment.
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