title: The human meniscus: a review of anatomy, function, injury, and advances in treatment.
abstract: Meniscal injuries are recognized as a cause of significant musculoskeletal morbidity. The menisci are vital for the normal function and long-term health of the knee joint. The purpose of this review is to provide current knowledge regarding the anatomy and biomechanical functions of the menisci, incidence, injury patterns and the advancements in treatment options of meniscal injury. A literature search was performed by a review of PubMed, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, and OVID for all relevant articles published between 1897 and 2014. This study highlights the anatomical and biomechanical characteristics of the menisci, which may be relevant to injury patterns and treatment options. An understanding of the normal anatomy and biomechanical functions of the knee menisci is a necessary prerequisite to understanding pathologies associated with the knee.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Soft Tissue Research, Hospital for Special Surgery, 535 East 70th Street, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Alice J S
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wanivenhaus
authors.forename: Alissa J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Burge
authors.forename: Russell F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.forename: Scott A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Rodeo
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D006801:Humans; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D000070600:Tibial Meniscus Injuries
keywords: anatomy; biomechanics; injury; knee; menisci; meniscus; treatment