Holly B. is an active professional in her late twenties who spends her free time playing recreational flag football and league basketball. She recently tore her ACL and will be sharing her experiences with us as she works towards getting back into sports.

One thing that surprised me about my ACL tear is that I also tore my meniscus. First off, I didn't think my knee injury was that big of a deal until the MRI revealed my torn ACL. Then I thought that the meniscus was another ligament in my knee. As it turns out, the meniscus is actually cartilage that helps cushion the structures in your knee as you move. During my ACL surgery, my doctor confirmed that my meniscus was torn and repaired it.

I soon learned that tearing a meniscus is fairly common. Meniscus tears can happen during sports or even when performing awkward movements during everyday activities. My physical therapist had her meniscus repaired just last year. She tore hers simply while running downhill - nothing too crazy, but it was enough to do damage to her knee.

Luckily, meniscus tears can be repaired with minimally invasive arthroscopic knee surgery. This can be a surgery on its own, like what my physical therapist had to do, or in conjunction with other knee injuries, as with my ACL surgery. Some meniscus tears even heal on their own, depending on the size of the tear and its location. Regardless, make sure you're protecting your knees and its structures when you're playing sports and participating in physical activity. (Hint: Check out these knee braces!)

P.S. If you think you may have torn your meniscus or injured your knee in any way, check with your doctor for the correct diagnosis and treatment.