A bruised meniscus leads to acute pain and swelling in the knee joint caused by inflammation due to injury. The inflammation develops over a period of a few hours. If there is a lot of fluid accumulation in the knee, the joint becomes difficult to move, making it hard to straighten, bend and fully extend the leg. This difficulty is also experienced when a tear in the meniscus folds on itself. This condition is termed as locking, and it restricts the range of movement of the knee joint, explains MedicineNet.com.
Additionally, a popping sensation is experienced by an individual when the injury occurs, WebMD states. This sensation is also felt when climbing stairs. A tear in the meniscus gives a sensation of instability in the knee, making the individual feel as if the knee is buckling. Sometimes the knee joint may actually give way and cause a person to fall, explains MedicineNet.com
