Where is the meniscus? The meniscus is 2 crescent-shaped pieces of fibrous cartilage located on the articular surface of the knee. What does the meniscus do? The function of the meniscus is to stabilize the knee joint, transmit load forces to the knee joint, and promote intra-articular nutrition. Why does the meniscus get damaged? Meniscal injuries are mostly caused by torsional external forces. When a leg is weight-bearing and the lower leg is fixed in semi-flexion with an external booth, the body and femur rotate violently inward and the medial meniscus, between the femoral condyle and the tibia, is subjected to rotational pressure, resulting in a meniscal tear. What are the symptoms of a meniscus injury? At the time of injury, there is a tearing sensation and ringing sound in the knee joint, followed by severe pain, swelling of the joint, and dysfunction of flexion and extension activities. Painful knee movement is evident when walking and walking up and down stairs, and some patients may experience weakness and locking of the knee. The ruptured meniscus may slide into the joint or even break into free bodies in the joint, causing mechanical impairment of joint movement and preventing joint extension and flexion. How to treat? The meniscus is a fibrous cartilage tissue and has no blood supply, so recovery from injury is slow. There are many ways to treat meniscal injuries conservatively. Physical therapy and massage can improve local circulation and promote nutrient supply to temporarily relieve the symptoms but cannot solve the problem at the root. Surgical treatment is currently the most popular method, using minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery to suture the damaged meniscus or remove the free meniscus fragments. Through surgical repair, the meniscus can heal and even resume more strenuous activities such as jumping.