Meniscus tears are among the most common reasons people walk into an orthopedic office, and also among the most misunderstood. The word tear carries a psychological weight that often sends people straight to panic mode—and straight to a surgeon—before anyone has examined them, before we know if the tear even matters, and before they understand that many tears have nothing to do with their pain. In this episode, the three of us walk through what meniscus tears really mean, what they don’t mean, and why the overwhelming majority of these findings do not require surgery.
We also get into the nuance that rarely shows up in MRI reports or quick clinic visits: degenerative tears that coexist with arthritis, meniscus findings in people with no symptoms at all, and the small subset of tears that actually compromise knee function—like bucket-handle or true radial tears. We talk about why so many people are told they “need surgery” based on imaging alone, why that approach fails patients, and how good clinical evaluation changes everything. And toward the end, we cover biologics like PRP, where they fit, and where they absolutely do not.
If you or someone you know has been given an MRI report with the word "meniscus tear" highlighted, this conversation will help you understand what matters, what doesn’t, and how to make decisions that align with your symptoms. Not with fear, quick assumptions, or rushed recommendations.
Key Topics Covered
* Why “meniscus tear” is one of the most misleading diagnoses in orthopedicsMost tears seen on MRI—especially in people over 40—are age-related changes, not injuries and not sources of pain.
* Degenerative vs. traumatic tearsHow to tell them apart clinically, why degenerative tears rarely require surgery, and why symptoms—not MRI findings—should guide decisions.
* MRI pitfallsWhy imaging often overcalls pathology, why radiology language can scare patients unnecessarily, and how to interpret findings in the right clinical context.
* When a meniscus tear actually mattersThe small subset that truly cause mechanical dysfunction, including:
* Bucket-handle tears with loss of extension
* True radial/root tears that destabilize the meniscus
* Acute traumatic tears in younger athletesEverything else is typically non-operative.
* Pain generators that mimic meniscus tearsIncluding early arthritis, synovitis, patellofemoral overload, and deconditioning.
* Non-operative managementActivity modification, loading strategies, strengthening, neuromuscular work, and time—plus why most patients improve without surgery.
* PRP and other biologicsWhere they fit, where they don’t, and what current evidence actually supports.
* When surgery is reasonableClear criteria: loss of extension, true locking, mechanical block, or failure of adequate conservative care in clearly defined traumatic tears—not degenerative fraying.
Takeaways
* The presence of a tear on MRI does not mean it’s causing pain.
* Most degenerative tears behave like wrinkles—common, expected, and not surgically correctable.
* Good clinical evaluation matters far more than imaging.
* Surgery is for mechanical problems, not MRI findings.
* The right rehab plan resolves symptoms for most people.
-Howard, Jeff, and Jon
