Level 1 · Knee · Musculoskeletal
Meniscus tear: when this helps and when it does not
Not all tears are the same. In degenerative tears we can try to bring pain and inflammation down. If your knee catches or locks, what you need is a surgeon, and we will tell you so.
- 2–4
- days in Mexico
- 1–2
- applications in the base protocol
- $4,000–9,000
- USD, base protocol range
What meniscus tear does to your day
The click
You feel a click or a catch when you twist the knee.
Squatting
It hurts to squat or to get out of the car.
The swelling
It swells after you walk more than usual.
Not trusting it
Sometimes the knee feels unsafe, as though it might give way.
What it can do and what it does not
Both lists carry the same weight because both matter equally to your decision.
Safety notice
If your knee locks and you cannot straighten it fully, the right treatment is surgical. See an orthopaedist before you consider anything else.
What it can do. In documented cases
- It may reduce pain and inflammation in degenerative tears.
What it does not do. And we will not imply otherwise
- It does not knit a torn meniscus back together.
- It does not replace surgery when the knee is mechanically locked.
- It does not correct instability when there is also ligament damage.
The protocol, step by step
| Item | meniscus tear · base protocol |
|---|---|
| Days in Mexico | 2–4 days |
| Price range | $4,000–9,000 USD |
| Applications | 1–2 |
| Route of administration | Ultrasound-guided intra-articular injection |
| Session length | 90 minutes |
| Follow-up | 30 · 90 · 180 days |
| Signed protocol | Current protocol · 2026 |
The treating physician sets the final protocol for each case
Questions about meniscus tear
Written by the treating physician. The first one prevents the most wasted trips.
If you have mechanical locking — the knee gets stuck and you cannot straighten it — or a bucket-handle tear, your answer is surgery. This treatment is for degenerative tears, the ones that come with the years and not from an accident.
The MRI says so, and so does how it started. If it happened turning on a pitch, it is usually traumatic. If it came on gradually after fifty, it is usually degenerative. We ask for the MRI before accepting you.
It can be assessed. Many patients left with pain after a meniscectomy also have joint wear, and what we treat there is that component, not the meniscus that is no longer there.
We do not promise that. Some patients get back to low-impact activity; distance running on a degenerative meniscus is still a load your knee notices. Talk about your real goal at the assessment.
One or two depending on the case, and the number is decided at the assessment, not on arrival. If the specialist sees that one is enough, it is one.
Two to four days, counting the assessment, the procedure and a check-up before you leave.
Send us your MRI and we will tell you if you are a candidate
The assessment is with the specialist who performs this protocol. If your case is outside what it can help, we tell you on the first call.
What we need from you
- An MRI or X-ray less than 12 months old
- A list of the medication you take today
- What you have already tried: physiotherapy, injections, surgery