Other Alternatives to Surgery The injection of cortisone or hyaluronic acid can offer temporary relief from meniscus pain. Regenerative treatments such as platelet-rich plasma therapy may help stimulate the growth of cartilage.
Your doctor may recommend the RICE regimen—rest, ice, compression, and elevation—to treat a meniscus tear. Resting your knee can help relieve your symptoms. Your doctor may suggest using a cane for a few weeks to keep weight off your knee and to stay away from physical activity that may have contributed to the injury.
For severely damaged menisci, meniscus repair implants may be possible. This procedure is fairly new and was first used about 10 to 15 years ago. Since then, two procedures have gained in popularity: meniscal allograft transplant and collagen meniscal implants.
Some people need surgery for a torn meniscus, but some don't. The decision depends on: Type, size and location of the tear.
Not necessarily. Left untreated, a meniscus tear can limit your daily life and ability to participate in exercise and sports. In serious cases, it can develop into long-term knee problems, like arthritis.
“You can live with a meniscus tear,” Dr. Parker says. “And it may heal on its own, or just not cause you problems.” However, you'll know pretty quickly when it is a problem.
The injury won't heal on its own, which means it may continue getting worse without proper care. For example, a partial tear may continue to worsen until it's a complete tear. Continuing to walk on the affected leg can aggravate your symptoms, making pain and stiffness worse in as little as a few days.
Can I cycle with a meniscus tear? Cycling is a good exercise for recovery from a meniscus tear, as it is a very low impact and straight-lined exercise. Issues may arise if the range of movement of the knee is very limited by the injury and swelling and unable to complete the revolution of the pedal smoothly.
Tears that occur in the outer one-third of the meniscus may be capable of healing on their own. This is due to having a rich blood flow, supplying necessary nutrients to the area. Conversely, the inner two-thirds of the meniscus lacks this nutrient blood supply.
In general, it's better to fix the meniscus than to remove it. Some types of tears can't be fixed. For example, radial tears sometimes can be fixed, but it depends on where they are. But most horizontal, long-standing, and degenerative tears—those caused by years of wear and tear—can't be fixed.
So unfortunately, having a meniscal tear which requires surgery may raise your risk of getting arthritis later in life. 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].
Tears of the frontal (anterior) portions of the menisci occur only with relative rarity. Because healthy menisci perform a useful function in the knee, when injured they should be repaired and preserved whenever possible and practical.
Research: For many patients who are between 50 and 70, arthroscopic meniscus surgery should not be offered. Instead, patients should continue with nonoperative management until total knee replacement is unavoidable.
A tear is usually labeled as severe if the meniscus has a big tear. Loose pieces may cause the knee joint to lock or catch. This level of injury may also keep you from bending or straightening your leg and can make walking difficult. Severe tears usually require surgery to repair.
Avoid activities that aggravate your knee pain, especially any activity that causes you to twist, rotate or pivot your knee. If your pain is severe, using crutches can take pressure off your knee and promote healing.
The patient should avoid pivoting and squatting and should work on keeping the quadriceps muscles strong. If the swelling and pain have not resolved in 6 weeks, they usually won't without surgical intervention.
What happens if you leave a torn meniscus untreated? Untreated tears can progress and become worse over time. Progressive meniscus loss can increase the risk that a person will develop degenerative knee arthritis. It is important to get a diagnosis and seek treatment early.
Over time, a meniscus tear may become more severe and cause further damage if left untreated. Further, certain activities may cause symptoms to flare up. Some patients might find it difficult and painful to climb stairs, or even to get out of bed.
Meniscus tears are the most frequently treated knee injuries. Recovery will take about 6 to 8 weeks if your meniscus tear is treated conservatively, without surgery. If your symptoms persist after 3 months or your symptoms become significant, your doctor may recommend surgery to repair the tear.
Those in severe pain and for whom basic treatments don't work may be candidates for meniscus surgery. The best way to ensure that this is the right course to take is by receiving an MRI. A physician may also look at the tear with an arthroscope, a thin tool with a camera and a light at the end.
Ordinarily, your doctor or physical therapist will ask you to reduce your sports activities while your meniscus tear heals. Healing could take between four and eight weeks. However, the time depends on the severity and position of the tear.