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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
A torn meniscus is one of the most common knee injuries. Any activity that causes you to forcefully twist or rotate your knee, especially when putting the pressure of your full weight on it, can lead to a torn meniscus.
Each of your knees has two menisci — C-shaped pieces of cartilage that act like a cushion between your shinbone and your thighbone. A torn meniscus causes pain, swelling and stiffness. Your knee might feel unstable, as if it's going to collapse.
Conservative treatment — such as rest, ice and medication — is sometimes enough to relieve the pain of a torn meniscus and give the injury time to heal on its own. In other cases, however, a torn meniscus requires surgical repair.
- Miller RH, et al. Menisci. In: Canale ST, et al. Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics. 11th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-03329-9..50046-5--cesec15&isbn=978-0-323-03329-9&sid=1090862192&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-03329-9..50046-5--cesec18&uniqId=228828360-3#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-03329-9..50046-5--cesec18. Accessed Dec. 2, 2010.
- Meniscal tears. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00358. Accessed Dec. 2, 2010.
- Anderson BC. Meniscal injury of the knee. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 2, 2010.
- Knee arthroscopy. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00299. Accessed Dec. 2, 2010.
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