The meniscus is the fibrous tissue between the cartilage of the knee joint and the cartilage. There are two menisci in the knee joint, the medial and lateral meniscus, which is between the femur and tibia of the thigh and behind the patella. The medial meniscus is oval, thicker and larger, while the lateral is round, thinner and smaller. It is called meniscal cartilage because of its shape, which resembles a stringed moon. The meniscus is flexible and has a cushioning effect, absorbing the pressure on the knee joint and reducing cartilage to cartilage collisions and friction. For this reason, the meniscus has been described as a shock absorber for the knee joint. Under what circumstances is the meniscus vulnerable to injury? The knee, which bears the weight of the body, is most likely to be injured if it falls from a height at a critical point, is pronated or valgus, and is compressed. Sports injuries cause the most meniscus injuries, with ruptured meniscus being the most common, especially from playing basketball, followed by external factors such as car accidents. Therefore, young people who like to play sports and ride motorcycles account for a fairly high percentage of patients. As for meniscus problems in the elderly, they are mainly caused by degeneration. How to detect early when the meniscus is injured? When the meniscus is injured, you can often hear the sound of boing, and at first it does not hurt, but soon it becomes more painful and swollen. In severe cases, the pain may be so bad that you can’t walk the next day. To further confirm whether the meniscus is damaged, a hospital examination is required. Do I have to have surgery if my meniscus is damaged? There is no way to stabilize the meniscus because it is always in a dynamic state, and the joint has few self-healing factors and is unlikely to recover on its own. Therefore, if the meniscus ruptures, most of them must be treated by surgery. How should I take care of my meniscus after surgery? Initially, crutches are used as a walking aid after surgery, and then quadriceps training must be done. For quadriceps exercises, please reply with the keyword “quadriceps” and the system will automatically send you the exercises. Do not engage in strenuous exercise, especially those activities that put a burden on the knee, must be avoided. Also, you may want to take some chondroitin or other supplements. What exercises should I avoid? What exercises can I do? If there is no change in the cartilage after treatment of a meniscus injury, you can play the same sports. If there are changes in the cartilage, you should avoid intense sports such as basketball, badminton and tennis. As for the most suitable exercise is swimming, followed by cycling is also good. If you are walking or climbing, you should remember to wear knee pads to protect your knee.