ANATOMY & REPAIR OVERVIEW Let’s review what the meniscus does in the knee and how we can help get you back to what you love doing if it is damaged.
The Knee
Where is the Meniscus?
The knee is made of 3 bones: The thigh bone (femur), the shin bone (tibia) and the knee cap (patella, not pictured).The meniscus sits between the thigh and shin bones highlighted in blue in the picture on the right.
Meniscus
What Does the Meniscus Do?
The meniscus acts as a cushion between the two bones and helps create smooth motion at the knee joint.
Top View of Tibia Back
How Does the Meniscus Become Damaged?
Tears usually occur during forceful loading of the meniscus with a pivoting or twisting motion. This can be when landing from a jump or during a quick change in direction while running.
Lateral Meniscus
Medial Meniscus Front
Medial Meniscus Tear
Detailed Repair:
Two sutures are placed through the meniscus. One is fed above the tear and the other below the tear. Both are attached to a small button on the outer edge of the meniscus. When these two sutures are tightend they bring the edges of the tear together so that they can heal nicely.
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