Three years ago, I had a swollen knee that was drained by my doctor. The joint fluid was found to have gout. About a year later, I had two separate occasions where I developed a swollen knee after playing golf. An MRI showed a meniscus cartilage tear in each knee. Could the gout have caused the meniscus tears or was it my consistently bad golf game?

I have yet to meet a golfer who says that they have a consistently good game of golf. Golf swings come in all forms, but those with excessive pivoting and rotation in the lower extremities can generate high shear stresses. These stresses can result in enough force to tear a meniscus cartilage in your knee. People with gout will form crystals from a high level of uric acid. These crystals can form in the joint and cause inflammation. Over time, the acidic crystals can deposit within the meniscus cartilage causing the tissue to become stiffer. A stiffer meniscus cartilage is less resistant to twisting stresses, becoming more prone to tearing. The combination of poor technique and poorly controlled gout could have contributed to your meniscus cartilage tears. Use medications and diet to control your gout. Golfing lessons may improve your technique and reduce the excessive rotational stresses on your knee that can cause meniscal tears.