Is your knee pain coming from an ACL tear or Meniscus injury? How to tell.

- Dr. Amy Cannatta and Ashley Baratko review how to tell if you have an ACL tear or a meniscus injury at home.

It helps to know what you were doing when your knee started hurting. Ligament tears like the ACL tear are more often injuries suffered during sports. Meniscal injuries are more often a series of tiny tears that occur more gradually over time.

Swelling and a sense of instability are also important clues. Swelling is almost always present after an ACL tear. Once the ACL is torn you also get a sense that your knee is unstable: in other words, that your leg bone could slip abnormally on your thigh bone. This sense of instability is worse going up or down stairs.

Meniscal injuries are gradual, and can lock up on you.

There are tests you can do at home to help figure out what's wrong. In the video Dr. Amy and Ashley demonstrate Lachman's test. With the person with the painful knee sitting down you fixate the thigh bone and attempt to lift the leg bone upward. An intact ACL prevents the bones from moving. Lachman's test if more sensitive at detecting ACL injuries than the MRI (86 % vs. 87% sensitivity); and a negative Lachman test (91% specific) excludes an ACL injury almost as well as MRI as well (93 specific).

There is a test for meniscus injuries as well. McMurray's test is done to detect injuries to the meniscus. The test is done with the patient laying down. The knee if bent, and the examiner flexes then rotates the foot out to check the lateral meniscus, and in to check the medial meniscus. McMurray's test is a great way to exclude a meniscus injury (94% sensitivity); in fact, for the medial meniscus the McMurray test is more specific than the MRI (88% specific), and only one percent worse than the MRI for the lateral meniscus (95% specific). The McMurray test is not as great for detecting an injury to either meniscus (48-79% sensitive); however, the MRI is not enormously better (89% sensitive for the medial, and 78% lateral meniscus).

[vex]

Crazy how in HS Ashley helped me rehab my knee and now she's helping me again 😂 glad you're doing good Ashley !

[bobferrell]

A person will definitely know when there's a tear in an ACL! The knee will dislocate when moving horizontally especially if and when one runs or moves quickly! And in such case a surgical procedure is a must! I was a professional Baseball player but my career only lasted 7 game's as I tore the ACL in 1984! And back then it more than not ended a career!

[jaychoudhury]

Lochman test and Anterior Drawer for ACL. Mc Murray test for Meniscus.
Thanks Dr for elaborate demonstration.

[PatrickGalbraith]

a little knee pain from slipping hiking the other day, better today. Reading comments is tough and I feel bad for some peoples' situations. I hope all heal.

[dck]

Just recently a week ago had "t.k.r." (total knee replacement) had knee swelling and still doing knee therapy!! I believe I had both severe minicus tears and ruined A.C.L.!!! Thanks so much for breaking the knowledge of the knee problems to an average individual can really understands the do's and don't of pre-opt knee

[manthenvashishth]

Had pain near the meniscus apex in left knee from over a month the pain reduces with icing and ointments but reduce to only minimum and had not been vanishing away, no traumatic event or anything just overtrained a bit and was worried that I might have either a meniscular injury or an acl after doing these 3 test I was relieved that I had neither. Thank you for such succinct videos. I think I need to properly rest and do icing and take care of it more then it'll be fine.

[thomasbut]

For the mcmurray's test an internal rotation of the tibia tests for the lateral meniscus, and an external rotation tests for the medial meniscus.

[HumbleBearcat]

I am 60 years old. I love to play table tennis competitively at a club. 6 months ago I felt some pain in my left knee after playing 4 consecutive days, then gym(day 5), then hiking(day 6), then played table tennis again (day 7). I hurt my left knee. My knee had some pain and yet it often clicks if I walk a little fast or twist it. I waited 4 month without playing table tennis then went back after I didn't hear clicking anymore and played 2 months. 2 weeks ago, I went to the gym (day1), then played 2 consecutive days. When I got home, the left knee was gradually getting worse. It felt painful around 3 inches below the knee cap and 1 inch towards the inside. I had to use crutches in order to walk for the 9 days. 16 days gone by, the pain in that area has almost gone, but I feel something inside my knee had some injuries on the lower outer part of the knee cap. When I walk, I don't dare to bend my knee too much because it feels like something is torn there. I would feel a sudden sharp pain when I just barely twist my knee. What happened to my knee?

[dw]

TY for the info. I've got a torn meniscus & ACL from a traumatic knee twist & fall. Just as you said, I heard the pop. The pain was terrible. I've been using homeopathy for just over 2 months & I'm about 70% healed.

[salientrogue]

Well - this video was super helpful. I’ve had some knee pain for weeks and based off this exam at home it’s a medial meniscus injury. Off to the doc I go

[nancykioko]

I'm 76 yrs. My left knee pains alot when walking and some funny noise and I have compressed nerves which sometimes I get numbness on the legs. I'm going to try and follow the instructions.

[Museville]

I've had degenerative low Back pain for years but two months ago I was lifting a heavy setvof rims and I felt something in my back. The next two days I had Back pain. The third day began servere back pain and I couldn't walk. I ended up in the emergency room and was diagnosed with SCIATICA on my left side into my pelvis and down my leg to my knee. It also caused swelling on my left side groin and left knee. The pain was excruciating for weeks. I went on medication and a cane. I lead an active life and an arduousjob and active runner. I believe I need the surgery to maintain my lifestyle.

[lovewill]

Went to the hospital after I couldn't walk for two days, I Had been dancing, I heard 3 loud pops, Go through the outside, inside & inner portion of my knee. I went to the doctor, did some x-rays. (They didnt think i needed an MRI) They told me nothing was wrong with my knee. Minus an abnormality underneath my kneecap.
I went home, the best way I can describe what happened then, is what I believe to be my meniscus... rolled out, first on the inside. I had to roll/massage it back in to where it came out of, which stopped the pain. Then as of last night, in the same general area on the outside of my knee it rolled out, 🙃 I had to roll it back Into place.

[TrehanCreekOutdoors]

I watched this video because I have been recovering from knee and leg injury from a fall last year. I have to say the two of you got my full attention with your easy on the eyes video instructions. That said, you conveyed some very helpful information to give me a little better understanding of how those two parts of the knee function normally. I didn't need the actual tests as I did have an ACL tear injury as well as having some meniscus problems. What this video has helped me see is that the majority of my swelling, pain, and problems have come from my ACL tear and not so much from my meniscus. I am hoping you may have some other videos addressing treatment of these injuries. Thanks for sharing you knowledge.

[yolandabowman]

Great video! Thank you. I have a torn meniscus and have to have surgery. Thank you!

[elisapaguirigantv]

I love this.., I've been an accident before running with high heels and running always in 820steps stairways every day

[gregsettle]

Great info presented in a totally understandable way.

[HairyTee]

Never felt any popping or movement when I hurt my meniscus in my left knee, I was walking on a treadmill and went to a light jog and suddenly got a piercing pain on the inner part of my left knee. It felt like someone stabbed my knee with a needle! Worst pain I have ever felt in my life!

[themuzz]

Glad I found this video - Dr.'s are telling me I have Arthritis!! although I have explained the kind of pains I am experiencing!

[MrimhimmothyBetts]

I literally just got a couple of days ago and out of knowhere pain ! When I fully bend or lift at certain angles smh . I can still, walk, jog with no pain haven’t tried running yet