I can almost guarantee that you will need surgery to repair the meniscal tear. Those almost always require surgical intervention. My neighbor had it done and was up and walking in 2 days! She did have to go thru PT but it was not a life altering procedure. Effusion is usually water or fluid on the knee. Chondromalacia right patella is degeneration of the tissue under the patella. I used to work in xray, but not anymore :-(