- longitudinal tears, which usually involve the posterior portion of the meniscus, are the most common meniscal lesions;
- in many cases, gross inspection reveals only slight irregularities in inner border of the meniscus;
- probing is necessary to establish the presence of a tear;
- the meniscus should be probed from its inferior and superior surfaces;
- acute posterior longitudinal tears are frequently combined with a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament;
- if the longitudinal tear of the posterior segment of the meniscus propagates into the anterior segment, a bucket handle tear results