Does a ultrasound of your knee show cartilage and meniscus tear?

Ultrasound works : Poorly in the vicinity of air or bones. It could be useful if you have cysts or fluid around the joint. It will not be real good for cartilage and ligaments, better an mri.

Not the best test: Ultrasound is not the best test to evaluate the meniscus and cartilage in the knee. Technically, with the right transducer and a trained operator, ultrasound may be able to see these structures pretty well, but it is likely to miss anything but major abnormalities. Mri is the best test to evaluate the cartilage and menisci.