Another Meniscus Question

[GammaFlat]

Rip,
I'm 56 YO, 5'10", 203. I was in LP and got to 3x5x330 squat about 5 months ago at which time my knee started to swell.. ironically it was the first time I used knee wraps. Tried to back up to just bar and add weight over time but just using it caused swelling. Has never locked. I don't know if this is a new injury or old one that got aggravated. I have been known to (foolishly) break into dead sprint with my son just to show him (or me) I still got it. Point being, if it's a new injury, it could be from non-weight training activities.

IMPRESSION from MRI Report:
1. Large tear involving the posterior horn and posterior root ligament of the medial meniscus superior surface with a small flopped meniscal flap projecting within the intercondylar notch.
2. Large suprapatellar joint effusion with a thin medial plica.
3. Focal moderate grade cartilage narrowing at the central weightbearing medial femoral condyle as well as chondromalacia throughout the patellar cartilage with mild thinning overlying the median ridge.
There's a more detailed report called "findings" I'm happy to share but the above section seems to cover the highlights.

DOC SAYS a) scope it to clean it up, b) keep body weight down and c) keep legs strong to avoid arthritis after meniscus trim. He says I can try to live with it "as is" but suspects it will continue to swell and cause problems.

1. Do you agree with Doc? Surgery advisable?
2. Is it possible that my meniscus tear is from "bad form" squats? If so, what kinds of mistakes could do this? One infrequent flaw that I resolved around 270 lbs was that I had a slight inward knee on the way up.

[Mark Rippetoe]

1. I'd let him trim the flap, and nothing else.
2. Dunno. Maybe you aren't squatting correctly. I've never seen a properly performed squat cause a meniscial tear.