Meniscus

This Primer considers the types of injury that can occur to the shock-absorbing knee meniscus, and also the longer-term outlook of people with an incompetent meniscus.

The consequences of some meniscus tears can be far-reaching. A patient with a meniscus tear will be pre-occupied with the immediate discomfort, but the reality is that when the meniscus is incompetent or has been removed, there is no shock absorption to protect the joint from damaging the vulnerable joint cartilage, which may eventually lead to arthritis and destruction of the joint.