How does the doctor know I have a meniscal tear?
A meniscal tear can be diagnosed based on your description of how your injury occurred, and by taking a specialized photograph of your knee known as a magnetic resonance imaging or MRI scan. An MRI scan uses very strong magnetic fields to look at the inside of the knee, and allows all the soft tissues, ligaments and cartilage to be seen clearly. X-rays are not very useful in making a diagnosis, as these show only the bony structures of the knee, but may be used in the emergency setting to check that there are no broken bones.