The fibrocartilage that separates your thigh bone (femur) from your shin bone (tibia) is called your meniscus. Each knee as two menisci (lateral and medial) that make up the meniscus. They act as shock absorbers and add stability to the knee joint. Injuries or tears to the meniscus cause inflammation, pain and may also lead to a click or lock of the knee.

Acute meniscal tears usually occur when your knee meniscus is torn abruptly (twisting while knee slightly flexed). These occur most often during sport activities in younger adults. In older adults, meniscal tears may be related to degenerative changes in the meniscal structure or due to arthritic changes in relating knee bones. In these cases surgery may be necessary to fix the interior structures prior to physiotherapy.

Depending on the case, repairing the meniscus may be complicated. Further, without proper treatment arthritic changes may occur that may lead to chronic conditions further on.