Health A-Z

Medical Content Created by the Faculty of the
Harvard Medical School

Torn Meniscus

What Is It?

A meniscus is a disk-shaped piece of cartilage that acts as a shock absorber inside a joint. Each knee has one lateral meniscus under the outer knob of the thighbone and one medial meniscus under the inner knob of the thighbone. Each meniscus acts as a natural cushion between the thighbone (femur) and shinbone (tibia). The two cushions prevent excess wear and tear inside the knee joint by keeping the ends of the two bones from rubbing together. Each meniscus also absorbs much of the shock of jumps and landings and helps to distribute joint fluid evenly to lubricate and nourish the knee.

In the United States, a torn meniscus is the most common reason for knee surgery; approximately 850,000 operations for meniscal tears are performed in the U.S. each year.