Torn Meniscus

A torn meniscus is a tear in the tough cartilage inside your knee. Two pieces of cartilage sit inside your knee between your thighbone (femur) and shinbone (tibia). This cartilage is the meniscus. The rubbery wedges of cartilage act like shock absorbers for your knee, providing cushioning for your bones and knee joint. It can tear after a hard twist or rotation of your knee.

As you get older, the cartilage in your knees wears down and gets weaker. This thinner cartilage can tear more easily. Arthritis (a breakdown of cartilage in the joints) can also lead to a meniscus tear. It’s also a common sports injury in people who play sports, even in children and teenagers.

Types of meniscus tears

Each of your knee joints has two menisci:

• Medial meniscus: A medial meniscus tear affects the cartilage on the inside of your knee.
• Lateral meniscus: A lateral meniscus tear affects the cartilage on the outside of your knee.

How common are meniscus tears?

A torn meniscus is a very common sports injury. Often, athletes and people who play sports for fun get meniscus tears. The injury also commonly affects older people and those with arthritis in their knees. Meniscal tears affect 61 out of every 100,000 people in the U.S.