Your knee joint is cushioned by two round pieces of cartilage, each called a meniscus. The lateral meniscus lies on the outside of your knee joint, and it can be torn or strained during physical activity. Injury to your lateral meniscus can affect your knee joint, creating range-of-motion difficulty in addition to pain. Strengthening exercises can improve the condition of an injured lateral meniscus. Check with your doctor to make sure these exercises are safe for you.
Step 1
Place a rolled up towel or foam "noodle" under your knee if you can't straighten the joint all the way when your leg is stretched out straight. Tighten your thigh muscles and hold for 10 seconds. These quadriceps contractions strengthen your lateral meniscus and other support systems of your knee. They can be performed early in the rehab process, as soon as the pain becomes manageable, if your doctor give you the go-ahead..
Step 2
Sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of you. Point your toes and raise your leg as far off the floor as you can while keeping your knee straight. Hold the position for up to 10 seconds before relaxing. Perform these straight leg raises to develop strength in your thighs, which in turn helps support your meniscus.
Step 3
Stand with your feet a shoulder-width apart from one another and both knees slightly bent to begin a squat. Keep your back straight and bend at the knees until you are in a seated position; your knees should be directly over your toes. Hold as long as you can before resuming the neutral position. Squats strength your knee joint itself after a lateral cartilage injury.
Step 4
Sit at a leg extension machine, and place the resistance bar just below your knees, with your toes pointing up. Using your feet and upper leg muscles, push against the resistance bar by extending and flexing your legs. These leg extensions strengthen your lateral meniscus.
Step 5
Lie on your stomach with the resistance bar below your knees, with your heels pointing up. Bend your knees and push up against the resistance bar, then slowly straighten your legs. These leg curls will also strengthen your lateral meniscus.
Things You'll Need
- Towel or foam noodle
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