Tear of Cartilage or Meniscus of Knee Diagnosis/Condition: Discipline: ICD‐9 Codes: ICD‐10 Codes: Origination Date: Review/Revised Date: Next Review Date:
Other tears of cartilage or meniscus of knee DC, ND 836.2 S83.209A, S83.30XA 11/1996 07/2014 07/2016
Soft tissue disorders of the knee are common. 10‐15% of adults report knee symptoms and over 3 million office visits occur annually for knee complaints. The knee is the largest joint in the body. Stability is provided by the ligaments and the menisci. Because of its location and anatomy, the medial meniscus is more susceptible to injury. Meniscus tears are classified as traumatic or degenerative. Trauma to the meniscus usually involves some combination of compression and rotation. With increasing age, degeneration of the menisci can lead to tears without overt trauma. Meniscus tears are often asymptomatic and up to 36% of patients over 45 years show meniscal tears. Evaluation of the accuracy of clinical examinations for diagnosing meniscus tears show relatively low specificity and sensitivity for specific tests when compared to the gold standard of MRI. However, there is acceptable utility of the composite of history and physical examination findings to produce an accurate diagnosis.
Subjective Findings and History
May or may not be due to a single traumatic event. Trauma more likely causative in younger patients. May be associated with chronic activity, e.g. occupational kneeling. Seen as a degenerative process in older individuals. Risk factors include obesity. Knee pain localized to the joint line Clicking, sense of something loose Mechanical symptoms, locking Positional pain, especially at night
Objective Findings
Decreased range of motion, pain at end‐range Swelling Provocative tests such as Thessaly, joint line tenderness, McMurray and Apley compression have variable sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value. Evaluate kinetic chain and spine for joint dysfunction. The Ottawa Knee Rules should be applied in the evaluation of acute knee injuries to assist clinicians in making decisions about the need for radiography to exclude fractures. Definitive test is MRI and the confirmation is a tear seen at surgery.
The CHP Group 1 Meniscus or Cartilage Tear of Knee Clinical Pathway Copyright 2014 The CHP Group. All rights reserved.
Assessment The clinical impression should indicate the specific anatomical structures involved and clinically correlate with mechanism of injury, history, subjective complaints, and objective findings
Plan Non‐operative treatment has been shown to be successful in nearly 50% of cases and should be considered a first line therapy before surgical treatment is contemplated. Passive Care: Physical therapy modalities such as ultra sound Passive range of motion exercises Brace Evaluate and fit (or refer) for foot orthotics NSAIDS, analgesics Supplementation Lower extremity and spinal manipulation to correct joint dysfunction Active Care: There is insufficient evidence to support the efficacy of one specific exercise intervention over another Exercises to improve strength, range of motion, and function Structured training programs that emphasize neuromuscular and proprioceptive training offer encouraging evidence for the prevention of knee injuries Training in proper mechanics of joint protection and self exercises Activities/work restrictions: Limit activity depending upon diagnosis, degree of symptoms, and type of daily activities
Length of Treatment
Up to 16 weeks
Referral Criteria
Referral to orthopedist if moderate or severe (meniscal tear often requires surgical intervention); and/ or progressive significant loss of range of motion or strength. Referral to physical therapy if not available in your office Continued worsening of condition Failure to respond to care, surgery required in 60‐70 per 100,000
Resources for Clinicians The diagnosis and management of soft tissue knee injuries: internal derangements. New Zealand Guidelines Group ‐ Private Nonprofit Organization. 2003 Jul. 100 pages. NGC:003270 Available at the National Guidelines Clearing House: http://www.guideline.gov/summary/summary.aspx?doc_id=4337&nbr=003270&string=meniscus+AND+tears
Resources for Patients Should I have surgery for my torn meniscus? Search the Healthwise® Knowledgebase http://www.questdiagnostics.com/kbase/dp/topic/te7366/dp.htm The CHP Group 2 Meniscus or Cartilage Tear of Knee Clinical Pathway Copyright 2014 The CHP Group. All rights reserved.
Medline Plus. Meniscus Tears. MedlinePlus will direct you to information to help answer health questions. MedlinePlus brings together authoritative information from NLM, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies and health‐related organizations. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001071.htm
The Evidence Lento, P.; Akuthota, V.; Meniscal Injuries: A Critical Review JOURNAL OF BACK AND MUSCULOSKELETAL REHABILITATION . 2002 Vol. 15(2,3) Pgs. 55‐62 Ford, G.M.; Hegmann, K.T.; White, G.L.; Holmes, E.B.; Associations of body mass index with meniscal tears AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PREVENTIVE MEDICINE . 2005 MAY Vol. 28(4) Pgs. 364‐8 Lower extremity musculoskeletal disorders. A guide to diagnosis and treatment. Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston) ‐ Hospital/Medical Center. 2003. 11 pages. NGC:003437 URL: http://www.guidelines.gov/summary/summary.aspx?doc_id=4744&nbr=003437&string=meniscal+A ND+tear The diagnosis and management of soft tissue knee injuries: internal derangements. New Zealand Guidelines Group ‐ Private Nonprofit Organization. 2003 Jul. 100 pages . NGC:003270 Muche JA Efficacy of therapeutic ultrasound treatment of a meniscus tear in a severely disabled patient: a case report. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2003 Oct;84(10):1558‐9. Manson TT. Cosgarea AJ. Meniscal injuries in active patients. Advanced Studies in Medicine. 2004 Nov‐Dec; 4(10): 545‐52, 518. Howell JR, Handoll HHG. Surgical treatment for meniscal injuries of the knee in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 1999, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD001353. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD001353 Accessed 2/28/08 at http://www.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab001353.html Solomon DH. Simel DL. Bates DW. Katz JN. Schaffer JL. The rational clinical examination. Does this patient have a torn meniscus or ligament of the knee? Value of the physical examination. JAMA. 286(13):1610‐20, 2001 Oct 3. Thomson LC. Handoll HH. Cunningham A. Shaw PC. Physiotherapist‐led programmes and interventions for rehabilitation of anterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament and meniscal injuries of the knee in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. (2):CD001354, 2002. Scholten RJ. Deville WL. Opstelten W. Bijl D. van der Plas CG. Bouter LM. The accuracy of physical diagnostic tests for assessing meniscal lesions of the knee: a meta‐analysis. Journal of Family Practice. 50(11):938‐44, 2001 Nov. The CHP Group 3 Meniscus or Cartilage Tear of Knee Clinical Pathway Copyright 2014 The CHP Group. All rights reserved.
Thacker SB. Stroup DF. Branche CM. Gilchrist J. Goodman RA. Porter Kelling E. Prevention of knee injuries in sports. A systematic review of the literature. Journal of Sports Medicine & Physical Fitness. 43(2):165‐79, 2003 Jun. Theofilos K., et.al. Diagnostic Accuracy of a New Clinical Test (the Thessaly Test) for Early Detection of Meniscal Tears. The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (American). 2005;87:955‐962. Trees AH. Howe TE. Grant M. Gray HG. Exercise for treating anterior cruciate ligament injuries in combination with collateral ligament and meniscal damage of the knee in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. (3):CD005961, 2007. Hegedus EJ, Cook C, Hasselblad V, Goode A, McCrory DC. Physical Examination Tests for Assessing a Torn Meniscus in the Knee: A Systematic Review With Meta‐analysis. Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy 2007 Sep;37(9):541‐50. Brantingham JW; Globe G; Tong V; Bates CC; Jukes G; Van‐Houten C; Doorly K; Diversified chiropractic adjusting and management in the treatment of five clinically diagnosed meniscus injury patients with MRI imaging in four case. Journal of the American Chiropractic Association, 2008 Jul; 45 (5): 11‐24. Rytter S; Jensen LK; Bonde JP; Jurik AG; Egund N Occupational kneeling and meniscal tears: a magnetic resonance imaging study in floor layers. Journal of Rheumatology, 2009 Jul; 36 (7): 1512‐9. Konan S, Rayan F, Haddad FS. Do physical diagnostic tests accurately detect meniscal tears? Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2009 Jul;17(7):806‐11. Epub 2009 Apr 28. Rimington T, Mallik K, Evans D, Mroczek K, Reider B. A prospective study of the nonoperative treatment of degenerative meniscus tears. Orthopedics. 2009 Aug;32(8). Mirzatolooei F, Yekta Z, Bayazidchi M, Ershadi S, Afshar A. Validation of the Thessaly test for detecting meniscal tears in anterior cruciate deficient knees. Knee. 2009 Sep 12 Ockert B, Haasters F, Polzer H, Grote S, Kessler MA, Mutschler W, Kanz KG [Value of the clinical examination in suspected meniscal injuries: A meta‐analysis.] . Unfallchirurg. 2009 Dec 5. Chivers MD; Howitt SD. Anatomy and physical examination of the knee menisci: a narrative review of the orthopedic literature. Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association, 2009 Dec; 53 (4): 319‐ 33. Brantingham JW, Bonnefin D, Perle SM, Cassa TK, Globe G, Pribicevic M, Hicks M, Korporaal C, Manipulative therapy for lower extremity conditions: update of a literature review. J MANIPULATIVE PHYSIOL THER 2012 FEB; 35(2) pp. 127 ‐ 66. Jarosz BSJ, Ames RAA, Chiropractic management of a medial meniscus tear in a patient with tibiofemoral degeneration: a case report. J CHIRO MED 2010 DEC; 9(4) pp. 200 ‐ 208. The CHP Group 4 Meniscus or Cartilage Tear of Knee Clinical Pathway Copyright 2014 The CHP Group. All rights reserved.
Tilscher HT, The aging knee: A task for the practice. MANUELLE MEDIZIN 2011 DEC; 49(6) pp. 429 ‐ 433. Hudes K. Two cases of medial knee pain involving the medial coronary ligament in adolescents treated with conservative rehabilitation therapy. J Can Chiropr Assoc. 2011 Jun;55(2):120‐7. Yan R, Wang H, Yang Z, Ji ZH, Guo YM. Predicted probability of meniscus tears: comparing history and physical examination with MRI. Swiss Med Wkly. 2011 Dec 14;141:w13314. doi: 10.4414/smw.2011.13314. Yim JH, Seon JK, Song EK, Choi JI, Kim MC, Lee KB, Seo HY, A comparative study of meniscectomy and nonoperative treatment for degenerative horizontal tears of the medial meniscus. AM J SPORTS MED 2013JUL; 41(7) pp. 1565 ‐ 70. Dzoleva‐Tolevska R, Poposka A, Samardziski M, Georgieva D. Comparative analysis of diagnostic methods in meniscal lesions. Prilozi. 2013;34(3):79‐84. Hwang YG1, Kwoh CK. The METEOR trial: no rush to repair a torn meniscus. Cleve Clin J Med. 2014 Apr;81(4):226‐32. doi: 10.3949/ccjm.81a.13075. Englund M1, Roemer FW, Hayashi D, Crema MD, Guermazi A. Meniscus pathology, osteoarthritis and the treatment controversy. Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2012 May 22;8(7):412‐9. doi: 10.1038/nrrheum.2012.69.
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The CHP Group 5 Meniscus or Cartilage Tear of Knee Clinical Pathway Copyright 2014 The CHP Group. All rights reserved.