Fourth Meniscus tear for 15 year old

My son is 15, 6'6" and 280 pounds. He has always been larger than most and we continue to have meniscus problems. He has already had 2 surgeries on his left knee for three different tears. He has always recovered quickly with no complications. In fact, this last surgery (Feb 2012) he went through 4 weeks of serious rehab before returning to any activity. Last week during his first day at football camp running drills, he torn his medial meniscus in his right knee. I just have never heard of anyone so young having so many meniscus tears and was wondering if there could be any reason for him to continue to have this problem. Is there anything that can be done to prevent future tears other than putting him in a bubble?

[S. Kaul, MD]

Hi there!

Well, there could be a few reasons to this like increased level of activity and thus increased chance of injuries. Also people with tall statures may have connective tissue issues which could lead to an increased predisposition to injuries. I would suggest taking this up with an internist or an orthopedician if this could be a possible cause here.
Hope this helps.

Take care!