Knee & Meniscus Injuries

The most common accident-related knee injuries seen at MAIC include meniscal tears (medial > lateral), MCL sprains from lateral impact, ACL tears from dashboard impact or rotational forces, patellofemoral injury from dashboard contact, and bone bruising (bone contusion) at the femoral condyles and tibial plateau. Bone bruises in particular are only visible on MRI and provide strong objective evidence of the impact force and mechanism, making them valuable documentation for the personal injury claim.

Yes, prompt evaluation is important both for your health and your claim. Acute swelling and hemarthrosis (blood in the joint) after a knee injury suggest significant structural damage and warrant immediate evaluation. Delayed treatment can allow injuries to progress and gives insurance carriers grounds to argue that the injuries are not accident-related. MAIC offers same-day intake for acute knee injuries from personal injury accidents.

Surgical necessity depends on the specific injury, its severity, and your response to conservative treatment. MAIC's orthopedic surgeons evaluate each patient individually. Complete ACL tears in active individuals typically require surgical reconstruction. Full-thickness meniscal tears that fail conservative treatment often require arthroscopic repair or partial meniscectomy. Complex ligamentous injuries or significant chondral damage may also require operative management. Our surgeons document surgical candidacy and causation opinions that are critical for the injury claim.

Knee MRI provides objective anatomical documentation of soft tissue injuries that cannot be seen on X-ray: meniscal tears (including root tears and radial tears that are mechanically significant), cruciate and collateral ligament injuries, articular cartilage defects, synovial abnormalities, and bone bruises. The bone bruise pattern on MRI can actually confirm the mechanism of injury — specific bruise patterns correspond to specific injury mechanisms (e.g., dashboard impact produces anterior femoral condyle bruising). MAIC's radiologist-interpreted MRI reports are written to address these medico-legal questions directly.

Yes. MAIC accepts New York State No-Fault and No-Fault for all knee injury evaluation and treatment including MRI imaging, orthopedic consultation, physical therapy, and aspiration or injection procedures when indicated. Our PI coordination team handles all prior authorizations. Medical liens are also accepted for patients without active coverage.