The meniscus refers to a semi-circular shaped cartilage structure which sits in your knee joint. It is located between the long thigh bone (femur) and the top of the shin bone (tibia). These two bones make up the knee joint. The main role of the meniscus cartilage is to work as a shock absorber for your knee joint. It also creates a deeper surface for the end of the femur to sit in which helps increase the stability of your joint.

As we get older, a normal aging process occurs to the joints of the body and is more common in the weight bearing joints, such as the knee. This aging process can cause some normal wearing of the meniscus but it is rarely problematic before the age of 40. Additionally, research shows many people over the age of 40 can have signs of wearing and little to no symptoms.

In younger people it maybe more likely you have sustained an injury to cause a tear. This will normally occur following a twisting injury to the knee and more commonly seen in athletes who participate in multidirectional sports such as; Football, Squash, Rugby, Netball etc. In most cases, across all ages, these tears in the cartilage can be very small and, although very uncomfortable, it does not necessarily mean that the joint will deteriorate further.

Common symptoms include:

  • you have swelling
  • you have pain on weight bearing especially landing or twisting
  • you have weakness around the knee

Fortunately, most meniscal injuries will gradually improve in 6-8 weeks, without the need for any specific intervention. However, it can take 6-9 months to return fully to normal function or sport. This is partly due to the poor blood supply to the meniscus but also because of the large role it plays in managing the loads applied on the body, especially with walking and running.