Longitudinal tear

Written by Dr Sheila Strover on March 14, 2025

A longitudinal tear of the meniscus follows the curvature of the crescentic shock absorber that comprises the meniscus.

longitudinal tear of the knee meniscus

Significant longitudinal tear of the meniscus - running along in the same direction as the main fibre bundles.

displaced longitudinal tear of the knee meniscus

Displaced longitudinal tear - or bucket-handle - may cause episodes of catching and locking.

to show MRI appearance of a longitudinal tear of the meniscus

To show how the tear would show up on a single MRI 'slice' through the tear (red line).

Healing of a longitudinal tear of the meniscus

Longitudinal tears are easier to repair than radial tears. They hold sutures well. If the tear is close to the outer rim where blood supply is good, a tear may often heal by itself.