Meniscus Tears

The meniscus is a crescent-shaped piece of cartilage in the knee. It is most often torn or damaged by a sudden twisting action. The medial meniscus is the piece of cartilage on the inside of the knee joint (facing the opposite knee) and the lateral meniscus is the piece of cartilage on the outside of the knee.

Surgery to repair a torn medial or lateral meniscus can involve removing a small piece of the damaged cartilage or actually repairing the cartilage. Repair is usually made through a technique called arthroscopy.