Menisci are triangular shaped fibro cartilages placed between the femur and the tibia. Its essential function is the transmission of load force and the distribution along the corresponding tibial plateau. There are two menisci in each knee, the medial (inner) and the lateral (outer).
The meniscus can be injured for many reasons, usually related with the patient's age:
- In the young, the meniscus injury usually happens after an accident, as a result of a labour or sport activity. The twisting of the knee and the compression of the meniscus between the femur and the tibia produces the injury.
- In adults, the meniscus grows weak as time goes by. This is related with a degenerative joint disease called arthritis. A minor traumatism (such as standing up after squatting, for example) can cause a meniscal injury often accompanied by painful knee symptoms.
