29/08/2025
For anyone concerned about knee cartilage (meniscal) tears, they're pretty resilient!
Is cartilage stronger than concrete⁉️
Beluzzi et al. (2023) say cartilage strength is approximately 9 to 40 Mpa. The compressive strength of standard concrete is 17 to 35 MPa.
They have comparable strength, but cartilage is a living, viscoelastic tissue which is far more resilient than concrete under repeated dynamic loading and manages millions of load cycles during its lifetime.
This strength and resilience allows it to function even with a tear. This may be why tears are often asymptomatic, even in runners.
As with everything, individual cases will vary and management will be influenced by the type of tear and symptoms such as locking, giving way or persistent loss of range.
The good news is that many meniscal tears can be managed conservatively without need for surgery. Reassuring people about the toughness of the knee and its cartilage can help them see that rehab is well worth a shot!!
