The meniscus is a piece of cartilage that acts as a “shock absorber” between your femur (end of thigh bone) and tibia (top of shin bone). There are two C-shaped menisci in each knee joint, one on the inside (medial) and one on the outside (lateral).
An acute meniscus tear is a common cause of pain in the knee. Patients can often recall a twisting injury to the knee. Common symptoms include clicking, catching, locking, swelling, and pain. The pain is usually localised to the inside or outside of the knee. Meniscal tears are diagnosed on MRI scan.