Knee Meniscal Tears

The knee consists of two types of cartilage. There is lining or articular cartilage which lines the bones. In between the articular cartilage (like meat in the sandwich) is floating or meniscal cartilage. There are two menisci, the medial (inside) and lateral (outside).

When injured, the articular cartilage tends to wear, whereas the meniscal cartilage tends to tear. Meniscal tears can either be repaired or debrided with a knee arthroscopy.

Articular cartilage problems are more complex and ultimately lead to knee arthritis . While there is good evidence for surgery in severe arthritis, the surgical strategies for mild to moderate articular cartilage degeneration are still in development.

Brett Stewart of the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles sustained a meniscal tear during a try saving tackle on Lote Tuqiri of the Wests Tigers in Round 1 of 2010. He was sidelined for almost the whole season after undergoing extensive knee surgery.

A knee brace may sometimes be required to help provide support and pain relief in meniscal tears.