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Meniscus tears are also referred to as cartilage tears. There are two menisci located in your knee. The menisci are made of tough cartilage and conform to the surfaces of the bones upon which they rest. They rest between the thigh bone (femur) and the shin bone (tibia). Meniscus tears are usually accompanied by pain and swelling. People sometimes feel a joint locking and have problems straightening the knee completely.

There are two common causes of a meniscus tears or cartilage tears. A traumatic injury, which is more common in athletes, can cause a cartilage tear. In such a case the tear usually occurs when the knee is bent and then twisted. Another cause is the degenerative process which generally occurs in older adults. As we get older it becomes easier to wear and tear cartilage.

For clarification purposes, the meniscus are specifically the wedges of cartilage between the bone, while the articular cartilage is the joint surface that caps the end of the bone.

The most common symptoms of a meniscus tear are:

• Knee pain
• Swelling of the knee
• Tenderness when pressing on the meniscus
• Popping or clicking within the knee
• Limited motion of the knee joint

Meniscus Tear Treatment

Many meniscal tears, particularly chronic tears, can be treated non-operatively by physical therapy, strengthening exercises, medications and cortisone injections.

Sometimes surgery can be necessary. The most common type of surgery is a partial menisectomy. A partial menisectomy is performed to remove only the torn segment of the meniscus. This works very well over the short and long term if the meniscus tear is relatively small. A surgeon does have another option, instead of removing the torn meniscus (a partial menisectomy), the surgeon may perform a meniscus repair to place the edges together with sutures or tacks.

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