The Basic Science of Human Knee Menisci: Structure, Composition, and Function

CONTEXT: Information regarding the structure, composition, and function of the knee menisci has been scattered across multiple sources and fields. This review contains a concise, detailed description of the knee menisci—including anatomy, etymology, phylogeny, ultrastructure and biochemistry, vascular anatomy and neuroanatomy, biomechanical function, maturation and aging, and imaging modalities. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A literature search was performed by a review of PubMed and OVID articles published from 1858 to 2011. RESULTS: This study highlights the structural, compositional, and functional characteristics of the menisci, which may be relevant to clinical presentations, diagnosis, and surgical repairs. CONCLUSIONS: An understanding of the normal anatomy and biomechanics of the menisci is a necessary prerequisite to understanding the pathogenesis of disorders involving the knee.