The importance of the menisci in providing joint stability and their role in load transmission within the knee are well understood. A growing body of literature has emerged on 2 distinct injury patterns to these crucial anatomic structures, ramp lesions and root tears. Ramp lesions may be characterized as tears at the posterior meniscocapsular junction, while root tears involve bony or soft tissue avulsion of the meniscal insertions at the anterior or posterior intercondylar regions. In this 2-part review, we present an overview of the current available literature on ramp lesions and meniscal root tears, summarizing the unique anatomic considerations, etiology, biomechanics, management decisions, clinical outcomes pertinent to these very distinct injuries.

T his issue of Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy Review is an encompassing discussion on the meniscus and related issues. The articles start with a detailed explanation on the anatomy and basic science followed by injury mechanism and classification. The next group of articles highlight the epidemiology of meniscus injuries followed by meniscus repair techniques. One article focuses on the expanding knowledge of meniscus ramp and root tears including a review of the current literature and repair techniques. The issue then transitions to meniscus allograft transplantation followed by an article on the postmenisectomy degenerative knee. Lastly, a thorough article discusses rehabilitation and return to play after meniscus injury and repair. The authors all work in military treatment facilities and have the honor of taking care of our military service members who continuously push the limit with regards to physical activities. We have all unfortunately evaluated many young service members who have degenerative knees well beyond their years due to past meniscal injuries. As such, the authors are strong advocates of meniscal preservation.

Successful rehabilitation of sports-related orthopedic injuries remains a challenge for both orthopedic surgeons and their patients. Team physicians are tasked with the complex problem of minimizing time away from competition, while simultaneously mitigating the risk of reinjury. Varying levels of expectation and demand between recreational and competitive athletes coupled with the already complex nature of sports-related injuries present a multifactorial challenge for the even the most experienced physicians. In the realm of sports medicine, timing of return to sport has become a controversial yet ubiquitous criterion by which treatment outcomes are measured. While accelerated rehabilitation may be desired in many cases, surgeons must also recognize the identifiable risk factors for potential reinjury. With these principles in mind, we present a summary of the available literature on data pertaining to return to sport, with coverage of injuries commonly seen within an orthopedic sports medicine practice.