Meniscus repair is a knee surgery that repairs a torn piece of cartilage inside the joint. Meniscus tears are common knee injuries, especially among athletes. How do you know if you have a torn meniscus — and if surgery is required to fix it?
A meniscus is a c-shaped piece of cartilage that functions as a shock absorber between the bones of the knee. Each knee has two menisci, a medial meniscus (in the inner side of the knee) and lateral meniscus (in the outer side of the knee).
The primary job of the menisci is to absorb pressure and distribute your body weight. Menisci also protect your leg bones from rubbing together, which can lead to osteoarthritis.
Meniscus tears are often caused by sudden twisting motions. Sports injuries are the most common causes of these, but anyone at any age can injure their meniscus.
People sometimes tear their knee cartilage doing the following:
You're more at risk for an injury to the meniscus if you meet the following criteria:
If you experience any of the following in your knee, you may have torn your meniscus:
Keep in mind, many meniscus tears are small and may not present as acute injuries. You may find, instead, that you notice your knee behaving differently over time.
Subtler, intermittent symptoms may include:
In some cases, you can treat the pain and discomfort of a meniscus tear with RICE therapy (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) or NICE therapy (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, like ibuprofen or naproxen), ice, compression, and elevation).
However, if you suspect you've injured your meniscus, you should see a doctor. Many meniscus injuries occur in the inner two-thirds of the meniscus, in the "white" zone where blood supply is not as rich. Without nutrients, these injuries seldom heal on their own.
Left untreated, a damaged meniscus can lead to other problems in your knee. Loose meniscus cartilage may move around inside your joint, leading to locking or popping of the knee and knee instability. A chronically injured meniscus can also lead to arthritis.
Your orthopedic surgeon may recommend minimally invasive knee arthroscopy: the use of an arthroscope (a tube with a camera attached to it) to look inside the knee and diagnose and repair your injury.
Meniscus repair arthroscopy usually proceeds as follows:
If using arthroscopic techniques, meniscus surgery repair takes about one hour.
Post-surgery, recovery from meniscal repair takes from a few days to six weeks or even months, depending on the individual.
Many people are able to get off crutches in a day, but others may need to keep the weight off their knees for a longer period of time. You may need to walk with crutches and/or wear a brace until your knee heals.
Remember that everyone is different. No two people heal at the exact same speed. Your recovery time may be faster or slower depending on your age, weight, general health, lifestyle, and other factors (including how well you adhere to your surgeon's post-surgical recovery instructions!).
If your surgeon finds evidence of arthritis in other areas of your knee, your recovery may progress more slowly, with more discomfort and pain. To get relief from arthritis pain, some people opt to wear a compression sleeve during recovery.
Most surgeons will recommend an at-home exercise regimen to help stimulate healing and get back to your normal activities. How much you do will depend on your general health and any underlying conditions you may have.
In some cases — for example, if you need to return to athletics quickly — physical therapy or sports medicine at a rehabilitation center may be recommended. If you are relatively young and in good shape, you may be able to return to running and walking after meniscus repair within a few weeks.
For most patients, the pain after arthroscopic surgery is minimal and can be handled by taking over-the-counter pain NSAIDs like ibuprofen or naproxen.
If you think you have a torn meniscus, give Coastal Orthopedics located in Corpus Christi, TX a call. Our orthopedic specialists can examine you, assess your condition, and discuss whether surgical meniscus repair may be an option for you. Telephone: 361.994.1166.
Article written by: Rob Williams, MD
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