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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