Arthroscopic meniscus repair is an outpatient surgical procedure to repair torn knee cartilage. The torn meniscus is repaired by a variety of minimally invasive techniques and requires postoperative protection to allow healing.
Meniscus Repair Surgery
To repair the meniscus, doctors perform arthroscopic surgery, which requires making two to three small incisions in the knee, rather than one large open incision. Your surgeon inserts a tiny camera through one of these incisions to provide a live view of the meniscus and the surgical repair.
If a meniscus tear is considered appropriate for an attempt at repair, a number of techniques can be used. The surgery is primarily arthroscopic (minimally invasive) although additional small incisions, or cuts, may be necessary to perform the repair. A variety of devices or sutures can be used to perform a repair.
In arthroscopy, part of the meniscus is removed. As a result, the knee has considerably less support and absorbancy. In time, osteoarthritis in the knee worsens, and the only option for successful treatment is a total knee replacement.
Overview. Arthroscopic meniscectomy is an outpatient minimally invasive surgical procedure used to treat a torn meniscus cartilage in the knee. The meniscus is often torn as a result of sport-related injury in athletic individuals.
It has also been shown that a knee that has undergone meniscus surgery has weaker thigh muscles and poorer quality of cartilage 4 years after the surgery [3]. This is also thought to increase the risk of arthritis.
Knee pain, osteoarthritis, re-injury, inadequate rehabilitation, and spontaneous osteonecrosis are potential long-term problems after meniscus surgery. Talk with your healthcare provider about treatments to help you find relief if you're experiencing pain or other post-surgery problems.
What type of meniscus tear is the worst? Bucket-handle meniscus tears are the most serious type of meniscus injury. They often occur alongside a ligament injury. Bucket-handle tears require prompt surgery in order to have the best possible chance of recovery.
You should soon start seeing improvement in your knee. You may be able to return to most of your regular activities within a few weeks. But it will be several months before you have complete use of your knee. It may take as long as 6 months before your knee is strong enough for hard physical work or certain sports.
Living without a meniscus can increase your risk of osteoarthritis and chronic (long-term) knee pain. A torn or injured meniscus can also lead to osteoarthritis. This condition happens when other cartilage in the knee wears away, causing pain and stiffness.
Most people can walk with crutches soon after meniscus surgery. Many return to normal activities within six to eight weeks. Your healthcare provider may recommend low-impact activities rather than high-impact (such as walking rather than running). If you have a physical job, you may need extra time off work to recover.
Operative management. Currently, there are three main methods for the surgical management of meniscus tears: meniscectomy, meniscal repair, and meniscal reconstruction.
In most patients, meniscus tear repair is preferred over meniscus removal. That's because studies have shown when the meniscus is repaired and preserved, patients tend to experience better overall healing and better long-term joint function.
Success rates after meniscal repair range from 60% to 95%, but many reports are based on a small number of patients.
Meniscus (cartilage) Repair patients cannot do twisting, pivoting, squatting, deep knee bends or impact activities for four months. It is vital that meniscus repair patients do not squat for at least four months after the repair.
Surgery to repair tears in the meniscus relieves symptoms 85% of the time. That means that of 100 people who have this surgery, 85 have relief from pain and can use their knee normally, while 15 do not. Surgery to repair tears may reduce the risk of long-term joint problems.
Continuing to walk on the affected leg can aggravate your symptoms, making pain and stiffness worse in as little as a few days. Plus, suffering a torn meniscus may also increase your risk of complications, like developing osteoarthritis in that knee.
Many ACL tears we see only have problems ascending stairs, jogging, or walking downhill but can walk up hills and on flat roads without an increase in pain. A meniscus tear, on the other hand, will cause fairly severe pain even just standing on it.
Meniscus tears, indicated by MRI, are classified in three grades. Grades 1 and 2 are not considered serious. They may not even be apparent with an arthroscopic examination. Grade 3 is a true meniscus tear and an arthroscope is close to 100 percent accurate in diagnosing this tear.
The medial meniscus is more vulnerable to injury to due to its intimate attachment to the medial collateral ligament. The moveable lateral meniscus is less prone to tear except when the ACL is injured.
If a person experiences persistent pain, swelling, or other symptoms following meniscus surgery, they should contact their doctor. These could be signs that the person has reinjured their knee or developed postsurgical complications that require treatment.
Most people are able to start driving 1-2 weeks after surgery, but use your judgment as to when you feel ready and safe to drive. Crutches are required following surgery. You should not put weight on the surgical leg until otherwise instructed by physical therapy or your physician.
Recovery from arthroscopic meniscus tear surgery is relatively quick, and most people can resume normal activities within a few weeks depending on the size of the tear and the repair involved. The pain relief is dramatic, and the postoperative incision pain is quite minimal.