The classic symptom of a torn meniscus is pain, often felt as a sharp, almost “knife-like” stabbing sensation on the inside (medial tear) or outside (lateral tear) of the knee. This pain is often felt in waves, with bouts of severe discomfort, followed by no pain, felt over the course of several days/weeks. However, the pain may also be felt as an aching sensation or even just as stiffness of the knee.

Most of the meniscus does not have its own blood supply, and so cannot always get the nutrients needed for self-repair. Whether or not the meniscus can heal therefore depends on where it becomes torn. Tears on the outer rim of the meniscus, which attaches to the knee capsule, do have the potential to heal because they are close to a blood supply.

Meniscal tears are treated using arthroscopic or keyhole surgery, but not everyone will need surgery. As with all injuries there are options and the most important thing to be considered is the level of discomfort and whether it interferes with your ability to function normally. All surgical procedures carry some element of risk, and your doctor must ensure that the benefits of any treatment you receive outweigh any potential risks.

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.

Symptoms involve sensations of clicking and catching with certain motions in the shoulder. Often times they can become very painful. The labrum does not generally heal on its own. The mechanical symptoms can increase over time and can become painful.

Many adults have a tear and do not even know it. These are typically degenerative or attritional tears. Painful tears in adults are usually larger, "flap" tears. They will cause pain with kneeling, squatting, pivoting, going downstairs and occasionally they will even hurt at night when you roll over in bed.

The main symptom is pain, especially pain that prevents you from sleeping or wakes you from sleeping at night. Other symptoms are general weakness and inability to use the shoulder, especially in the overhead position. Rotator cuff tears do not heal on their own. However, symptoms of pain can decrease and the function of the shoulder can improve with physical therapy such that surgery may not be necessary.

A sudden increase in number and size of floaters is a warning that small amounts of blood and debris have appeared in the vitreous. The flashes are sensations from the retina as it is pulled or torn, or is rubbed by the loosened vitreous. If a tear breaks a larger retinal blood vessel, the blood spilling into the vitreous can cause a massive increase in floaters or even total loss of vision in that eye.

In the majority of cases in people under 30 the meniscus can be repaired..or sewn together. As we age, and our tears become more degenerative in nature, the likelihood of a tear being "repairable" decreases dramatically and a removal of the torn portion is necessary to alleviate pain.

The famous "pop" is the most telling symptom of an ACL injury, although you may have a tear without ever experiencing the pop. The injury is usually followed by considerable pain and swelling within the first several hours. You may develop a feeling of instability in the knee or "giving way", making walking difficult.

The labrum is the fibrous rim of cartilage surrounding the perimeter of the shoulder socket. It can commonly become torn with excessive motions about the ball and socket (glenohumeral joint). Traumatic shifts of the ball in the socket or repetitive motions such as throwing can cause tears to this tough rim of tissue.

The ACL is the Anterior Cruciate Ligament. There are more than 4 major ligaments that essentially hold the knee together. Without one of more of these ligaments the knee would be loose and you would perceive that the knee was giving way or buckling. The ACL is the most commonly torn knee ligament. The ACL is usually torn as the result of a non-contact twisting injury. You will usually feel or hear a pop, the knee will buckle and within a short period of time, significant swelling will occur.

If you have stress incontinence, you may leak a small to medium amount of urine when you cough, sneeze, laugh, exercise, or do similar things. If you have urge incontinence, you may feel a sudden urge to urinate and the need to urinate often. With this type of bladder control problem, you may leak a larger amount of urine that can soak your clothes or run down your legs.