Background This study aims to investigate how the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) compensates for the change in knee joint stability and contact pressures due to partial horizontal cleavage tears (HCTs) in the meniscus and subsequent surgical interventions, such as partial meniscectomy and partial transplantation on knee joint stability and contact pressures. Methods Seven freshly frozen human cadaveric knees were used in a study to investigate the effects of different meniscal conditions and surgical interventions on the meniscus itself. The knees were carefully thawed, examined, and prepared for experimentation. Four testing scenarios were established: intact knees, knees with partial horizontal cleavage tears (HCT) of the meniscus, knees with partial meniscectomy, and knees with partial transplantation. Axial loading was applied to simulate single-leg standing, and contact pressures of the medial meniscus were measured using digital sensors. An axial load was applied at 0° and 30° for each testing condition. Additionally, a mathematical 3D finite element model was created to evaluate the behavior of the ACL under different meniscus scenarios, which could not have been measured experimentally. This model was used to assess the ACL's response and validate its contact and pressure response at the meniscus level. Results ACL contact pressure and stress analysis across various meniscal conditions demonstrated substantial variability. Horizontal cleavage tears (HCTs) resulted in heightened contact pressures and diminished joint stability, as evidenced by increased ACL stress attributed to compensatory mechanisms in the presence of meniscal tears. Conversely, transplantation procedures exhibited a mitigating effect, maintaining joint mechanics closer to intact conditions and minimizing alterations in ACL forces. These trends persisted at 30 degrees of knee flexion, where significant increases in ACL forces were observed in partial and complete HCT conditions, contrasting with minimal changes observed in transplantation scenarios. Conclusion This study uncovers the biomechanical impacts of meniscal injuries and surgical conditions on the ACL, demonstrating how the ACL compensates for various meniscus conditions. Due to the ACL’s role in providing stability, it takes on additional stress in conditions of increased contact pressure on the meniscus, as seen in HCT conditions. In contrast, transplantation and repair conditions only slightly increase the stress on the ACL, putting much less strain on the ACL and supporting structures of the knee joint than an unrepaired tear. It is important to note that the contact area and stress measure vary depending on the degree of flexion in the knee.