Read our quick guide about damage to the meniscus and the possible causes behind it, symptoms and treatment. A damage to the meniscus may be sustained on both the inside and the outside of the knee. In younger people, the injury is often sustained during sports activities, and violent twisting is the most common cause of this. In middle-aged and elderly people, damage to the meniscus may be sustained with relatively little force, such as when standing up from crouching.