What Is a Meniscus Tear?
Your knee has two menisci. These pieces of tough cartilage rest between your thighbone (femur) and shinbone (tibia).
The menisci act as shock absorbers, allowing your thighbone and shinbone to glide against each other smoothly without causing joint damage.
A meniscus tear is an injury to one of the menisci in your knee.
Torn meniscus causes
The two most common causes of meniscus tears are:
- Traumatic injury to the knee — often by quickly twisting or turning on a bent knee joint.
- Degenerative tear — as people age the cartilage in their joints weakens away, increasing the risk for tears.
Meniscus tear risk factors
Anyone, at any age, can suffer a meniscus tear.
You're at higher risk for a torn meniscus if you play contact sports, such as football.
Meniscus tear complications
An untreated meniscus tear can lead to more damage in the joint and other serious conditions.
- Lead to more damage in the joint and other serious problems.
- Cause a piece of cartilage to become loose and drift into the joint. This can make your knee slip, pop, or lock. It can also make it hard to straighten the knee joint fully.
Learn more about sports-related meniscus tears
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