write a 2 mark reasoning answer on why medial meniscus of knee joint i

write a 2 mark reasoning answer on why medial meniscus of knee joint is prone to injury than lateral meniscus

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Why the medial meniscus is more prone to injury than the lateral meniscus (2 marks)

Reduced mobility due to firm capsular attachment: The medial meniscus is firmly attached to the joint capsule and the deep part of the medial (tibial) collateral ligament, which restricts its movement on the tibial plateau. This makes it far less mobile than the lateral meniscus, which is not attached to the fibular collateral ligament and moves more freely - Thieme Atlas of Anatomy: General Anatomy and Musculoskeletal System, p. 449.
Entrapment during rotational stress: Because it cannot glide or adjust position quickly, during sudden rotation of the flexed knee combined with extension (e.g., pivoting on a fixed foot), the medial meniscus gets caught and compressed between the femoral and tibial condyles, leading to tears - Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics, 15th ed.

In short: limited mobility (fixed by capsular/MCL attachment) → meniscus cannot escape the compressive/rotational forces → higher tear risk, unlike the more mobile, loosely attached lateral meniscus.

Note: This is often clinically compounded by its close relation to the ACL and MCL (the "unhappy triad"), which is why medial meniscal tears frequently accompany ACL injuries.

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