The diagnosis of clinically-significant meniscal tears of the knee remains challenging, and it is unknown why only some injuries become painful. The limitations of diagnostic magnetic resonance imaging result in arthroscopy that is not always beneficial. Elucidation of biochemical pathways underlying pain in this condition may aid patient selection for surgery and provide pharmacotherapeutic targets. Cytokines may be involved in pain following meniscus injury and diagnostic cytokine assay may help physicians differentiate patients that may benefit from arthroscopy from those that may not.