# Meniscus Surgery

> Citation bundle for Meniscus Surgery on The Treatment Registry.
> URL: https://thetreatmentregistry.com/procedures/meniscus-surgery
> Bundle URL: https://thetreatmentregistry.com/api/citations/procedures/meniscus-surgery

- Category: orthopaedic

## Description

A tear of a meniscus is a rupturing of one or more of the fibrocartilage strips in the knee called menisci. When doctors and patients refer to "torn cartilage" in the knee, they actually may be referring to an injury to a meniscus at the top of one of the tibiae.

## Overview

A tear of a meniscus is a rupturing of one or more of the fibrocartilage strips in the knee called menisci. When doctors and patients refer to "torn cartilage" in the knee, they actually may be referring to an injury to a meniscus at the top of one of the tibiae. Menisci can be torn during innocuous activities such as walking or squatting. They can also be torn by traumatic force encountered in sports or other forms of physical exertion. The traumatic action is most often a twisting movement at the knee while the leg is bent. In older adults, the meniscus can be damaged following prolonged 'wear and tear'. Especially acute injuries can lead to displaced tears which can cause mechanical symptoms such as clicking, catching, or locking during motion of the joint.

*Reference text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. Verify with a qualified clinician before treatment.*

## Peer-reviewed outcome rates

- **Complication rate:** 6.00% (range 3.70–9.00%) — from 3 cited sources

## Sources

- [Surgical Management of the Discoid Lateral Meniscus: a Systematic Review of Outcomes.](https://doi.org/10.1007/s12178-025-09980-9) — Current reviews in musculoskeletal medicine (accessed 2026-07-13)
- [Surgical repair of radial meniscus tears yields favorable healing rates: a systematic review.](https://doi.org/10.1186/s13018-026-07080-z) — Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research (accessed 2026-07-13)
- [The repair of horizontal cleavage tears yields higher complication rates compared to meniscectomy: a systematic review.](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-019-05557-5) — Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA (accessed 2026-07-13)