How common is a meniscus tear?
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How common is a meniscus tear?
A meniscus tear is a common knee joint injury. More than one-third of meniscus tears are sports-related, often when the knee is twisted while the knee is partially flexed and the foot is firmly planted on the ground. Men are twice as likely to have a meniscus tear than women.1 Meniscus tears also are common with normal movement in people older than age 40 whose menisci are worn down.2
More than one-third of meniscus tears occur along with tears of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).1
References
Citations
Smith BW (2002). The acutely injured knee. In JC Puffer, BD Weiss, eds., 20 Common Problems in Sports Medicine, pp. 173–199. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Urquhart MW, et al. (2003). Meniscal injuries. In JC DeLee et al., eds., DeLee and Drez's Orthopaedic Sports Medicine: Principles and Practice, 2nd ed., vol. 2, pp. 1668–1696. Philadelphia: Saunders.
Credits
| Author | Kathe Gallagher, MSW |
| Editor | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS |
| Editor | Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | David Bardana, MD, FRCSC - Orthopedic Surgery/Sports Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Kathie Hummel-Berry, PT, PhD - Physical Therapy |
| Last Updated | September 22, 2006 |
| Last updated: | September 22, 2006 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Kathe Gallagher, MSW |
| Reviewed By: | William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine, Kathie Hummel-Berry, PT, PhD - Physical Therapy |
| Editors: | Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC, Pat Truman |
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