The meniscus is a circular shaped disc of cartilage tissue. There are two menisci (plural of meniscus) in the knee – one on the inside, called the medial meniscus, and one on the outside, called the lateral meniscus. Their main function is to act as shock absorbers in the knee, helping to reduce wear and tear on the joint.

The medial and lateral menisci are fixed between the two weight-bearing surfaces within the knee, and as such can become “pinched” by the other structures of the knee between the joint when an injury occurs. Typically, the injury involves twisting on a bent knee. When this happens the menisci can become torn (“torn cartilage”). Any form of physical movement can potentially cause a meniscal tear, although they tend to be associated with sporting activities.

A meniscus is a"C" shaped structure in your knee that is made of fibro-cartilage. It acts as a cushion for the knee when weight bearing. Most meniscal tears in adults are attritional. That is the meniscus simply wears out from years of use. Most adult patients do not recall the moment they tore their meniscus. The presentation is usually quite different in children or adolescents. Their tears are usually traumatic in nature and will usually arise from a non-contact twisting injury.

Many adults have a tear and do not even know it. These are typically degenerative or attritional tears. Painful tears in adults are usually larger, "flap" tears. They will cause pain with kneeling, squatting, pivoting, going downstairs and occasionally they will even hurt at night when you roll over in bed.

No. Many degenerative or attritional tears can be managed non-operatively and allow you to return to your "normal" lifestyle.

The meniscus is a tough fibrocartilage structure and can be injured with twisting, stopping, and turning motions of the knee. Meniscus tears are usually traumatic in origin. However, as we age, hydration decreases in this tissue and tears can happen with twisting motions that pinch and tear or shear the meniscus between the end of the femur and the tibia bone.

Symptoms of a damaged meniscus are pain and catching, clicking, or locking during certain twisting knee activities. These mechanical sensations are very commonly felt by the patient. The knee can also have swelling. Generally, meniscus tears do not heal because they have a poor blood supply. However, they can occasionally become asymptomatic.

Surgery for the common meniscus tear is an outpatient arthroscopic surgical procedure. A couple of portals (holes) are made in the knee so that an arthroscope and the trimming instrument(s) can be inserted. Often a motorized or radiofrequency (electro-thermal) device is used to help trim and contour the torn area of the meniscus to create a smooth surface.

DonJoy makes several functional braces to address instabilities in the knee joint from the custom Defiance to the Playmaker. Since many of these braces are sold by prescription only, we suggest patients seek advice from their medical provider to ensure they get the correct brace for their specific condition. Of course we are always available to answer your questions. For further information, check our product detail pages here or contact our Customer Service Department at 800-336-6569.

If the meniscus is shredded, it can't be repaired. If the tear is clean and fresh (acute) then the fragment may be repaired with sutures or absorbable fixators. Yes, but it depends upon how much. The more meniscus that is removed the faster the knee will wear out.

The torn fragments of the meniscus may become trapped between the ends of the bone and cause a painful locking or catching sensation.

My bitch (Labrador mix, 4 years old) had a meniscus operation 8 weeks ago (meniscus was removed completely). I was told that she had a play and jumping ban for months. Is that correct? Unfortunately, I have not noticed an improvement so far. After putting weight on the leg (e.g. today), she pulled it all the way up again (but she did run/swim a lot). Is that normal? It is now two months since the operation. The knee is a very sensitive joint.