Torn Meniscus

• The knee is the largest joint in the body.
• Cartilage within the knee joint helps protect the joint from the stresses placed on it from walking, running, climbing, and bending.
• The medial and lateral menisci are two large C-shaped cartilages that sit on the top of the tibia.
• A torn meniscus occurs because of trauma caused by forceful twisting or hyper-flexing of the knee joint.
• Symptoms of a torn meniscus include pain, swelling, popping, and giving way.
• Treatment of a torn meniscus may include surgery to repair the damage. Some meniscal tears can be watched and treated with physical therapy and muscle strengthening to stabilize the knee joint.

The knee is the largest joint in the body. The knee allows the leg to bend where the femur (thighbone) attaches to the tibia (shinbone). The knee flexes and extends, allowing the body to perform many activities, from walking and running to climbing and squatting. There are a variety of structures that surround the knee and allow it to bend and to protect the knee joint from injury.

The quadriceps and hamstring muscles are responsible for moving the leg at the knee. When the quadriceps muscles (located on the front the thigh) contract, the knee extends or straightens. The hamstring muscles, located on the back of the thigh, are responsible for flexing or bending the knee. These muscles are also important in protecting the knee from being injured, acting to stabilize the knee, and prevent it from being pushed in directions it isn't meant to go.

There are four ligaments that stabilize the knee joint and provide stability during knee movement, the medical and lateral collateral ligaments (MCL, LCL) and the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments (ACL, PCL).

Cartilage within the joint provides cushioning to protect the bones from of the routine stresses of walking, running, and climbing. The medial and lateral meniscus are two thicker wedge-shaped pads of cartilage attached to top of the tibia (shin bone), called the tibial plateau. Each meniscus is curved in a C-shape, with the front part of the cartilage called the anterior horn and the back part called the posterior horn.

There is also articular cartilage that lines the joint surfaces of the bones within the knee, including the tibia, femur, and kneecap (patella). The term torn knee cartilage refers to one of the C-shaped menisci of the knee between the femur and tibia.

As with any injury in the body, when the meniscus is damaged, irritation occurs. If the surface that allows the bones to glide over each other in the knee joint is no longer smooth, pain can occur with each flexion or extension. The meniscus can be damaged because of a single event or it can gradually wear out because of age and overuse.

Source: MedicineNet.com
http://www.medicinenet.com/torn_meniscus/article.htm