how to repair knee meniscus

Medication

Depending on the extent of your meniscus tear, your surgeon may recommend removing or repairing part of the meniscus via a knee arthroscopy. During a knee arthroscopy, your surgeon makes a small incision in the knee joint so they can place a small camera (arthroscope) inside to guide them as they perform surgery on the affected meniscus.

Procedures

If there is no catching in the knee, then it would not warrant any surgery to remove that part of the meniscus. If it is causing some catching or altering motion of the knee that might be a rare case where surgery may be indicated.

Therapy

In order for the meniscus repair to heal, the tear must be near the outer edge in an area of good blood supply. Tears in the central portion of the meniscus will not heal after a meniscus repair because this part of the meniscus does not have a good blood supply.

Self-care

Nutrition

How is a meniscus tear treated?

Should I have my meniscus removed from my knee?

Why won't my meniscus repair heal after surgery?

Can a meniscus tear heal on its own?

In the case of meniscus tears, some people think the injury will heal over time on its own. But the truth is that there are different types of meniscus tears — and some tears won't heal without treatment. If your tear is on the outer one-third of the meniscus, it may heal on its own or be repaired surgically.

How long does it take for a torn meniscus to heal without surgery?

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.

What is the best way to heal a torn meniscus?

To speed the recovery, you can:Rest the knee. ... Ice your knee to reduce pain and swelling. ... Compress your knee. ... Elevate your knee with a pillow under your heel when you're sitting or lying down.Take anti-inflammatory medications. ... Use stretching and strengthening exercises to help reduce stress to your knee.More items...•

What are the 3 types of repairs for a meniscus injury?

Your doctor might choose to do any of the following:Arthroscopic repair. Your doctor will make small cuts in your knee. ... Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy. Your doctor will remove a piece of the torn meniscus so your knee can function normally.Arthroscopic total meniscectomy.

Will walking on a torn meniscus make it worse?

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.

What aggravates a torn meniscus?

Lifestyle and home remedies. Avoid activities that aggravate your knee pain — especially sports that involve pivoting or twisting your knee — until the pain disappears.

What are 3 signs of a meniscus tear in the knee?

SymptomsA popping sensation.Swelling or stiffness.Pain, especially when twisting or rotating your knee.Difficulty straightening your knee fully.Feeling as though your knee is locked in place when you try to move it.Feeling of your knee giving way.

How can I regenerate my meniscus naturally?

Steps to heal a torn meniscus naturally:Rest: It's crucial to rest your knee after injury. ... Ice: Apply ice to your knee for 15 minutes at four-hour intervals.Compression: To help reduce swelling, you should keep something on your leg.More items...

What should I avoid with a torn meniscus?

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.

Is there an alternative to meniscus surgery?

PRP Therapy (Injection Therapy) For this treatment, your orthopedic doctor will obtain a small sample of your blood from your arm, process the blood in a centrifuge, and then administer the concentrated platelets directly into the point of pain in your knee via injection.

Is meniscus repair surgery painful?

Arthroscopic meniscus repair is moderately painful. Because more soft tissue surgery is performed, it is more painful than a standard arthroscopy, but less painful than a ligament reconstruction or another procedure that requires drilling holes through the bone.

Is meniscus surgery a major surgery?

Meniscus surgery is a common operation to remove or repair a torn meniscus, a piece of cartilage in the knee. The surgery requires a few small incisions and takes about an hour. Recovery and rehabilitation take a few weeks.

How long can you go with a torn meniscus?

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.

How do I know if my meniscus is healing?

1:237:26How can you tell if your meniscus repair didn't heal? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe side away from the out of the midline of the body. And you can tear that with twisting injuriesMoreThe side away from the out of the midline of the body. And you can tear that with twisting injuries or deep squatting injuries some older people don't even remember.

Can you live with a torn meniscus?

“You can live with a meniscus tear,” Dr. Parker says. “And it may heal on its own, or just not cause you problems.”

Does a torn meniscus hurt all the time?

Do all meniscus tears hurt? Yes, at some point in time most all meniscus tears will hurt. But that doesn't mean they will hurt for a long time. In many cases the pain from a meniscus tear will either improve significantly or go away without surgery.

What to do after meniscus surgery?

After surgery, you will need to do exercises to increase and maintain knee strength and stability. If you have advanced, degenerative arthritis, your doctor might recommend a knee replacement.

How to help knee pain?

Ice can reduce knee pain and swelling. Use a cold pack, a bag of frozen vegetables or a towel filled with ice cubes for about 15 minutes at a time, keeping your knee elevated .

How does a knee splint work?

The device contains a light and a small camera, which transmits an enlarged image of the inside of your knee onto a monitor. If necessary, surgical instruments can be inserted through the arthroscope or through additional small incisions in your knee to trim or repair the tear.

Can you have surgery for a knee tear?

Many other tears that aren't associated with locking or a block to knee motion will become less painful over time, so they also don't require surgery. Your doctor might recommend: Rest. Avoid activities that aggravate your knee pain, especially any activity that causes you to twist, rotate or pivot your knee.

Can you have a knee replacement if you have arthritis?

If you have advanced, degenerative arthritis, your doctor might recommend a knee replacement. For younger people who have signs and symptoms after surgery but no advanced arthritis, a meniscus transplant might be appropriate. The surgery involves transplanting a meniscus from a cadaver.

Can a torn meniscus show up on X-rays?

X-rays. Because a torn meniscus is made of cartilage, it won't show up on X-rays. But X-rays can help rule out other problems with the knee that cause similar symptoms.

What is meniscus replacement?

Meniscus replacement is considered for young, active patients who have previously had most of their meniscus removed, and develop pain in the area without having advanced degenerative changes to the articular (gliding surface) cartilage. Please see meniscus replacement for additional information.

How long does it take to repair a meniscus?

Length of arthroscopic meniscus repair. Arthroscopic meniscus repair generally takes between an hour and an hour and a half. Depending on how much other surgery is necessary to take care of other problems in the knee, the time may be a bit more or less.

What causes pain in the knee joint?

These symptoms are made worse with pivoting motions, squatting, and vigorous activities. Torn meniscus fragments can get caught in the knee joint and cause catching sensations.

What is the importance of meniscus?

The meniscus is an important structure for load transmission and shock absorption in the knee. The knee is subjected to up to 5 times body weight during activity, and half this force is transmitted through the meniscus with the knee straight, and 85% of the force goes through the meniscus with the knee bent ninety degrees. Loss of the meniscus increases the pressure on the articular (gliding) cartilage, which leads to degenerative changes. A successful meniscus repair preserves meniscus tissue and mitigates these changes.

Where to perform arthroscopic meniscus repair?

The surgery should be performed in a hospital or outpatient surgical center that handles a large volume of arthroscopic knee surgeries.

Where is the meniscus tear located?

Meniscus repair is considered when: the patient is healthy and wishes to remain active, the patient understands the rehabilitation, and accepts the risks of surgery, the meniscus tear is located in the periphery of the meniscus, the meniscus tissue is of good quality, and. the surgeon is experienced in meniscus repair.

Which part of the meniscus has the most blood supply?

Only the outer third portion of the meniscus has blood supply to enable healing of a tear. Repairs are generally limited to this peripheral region of the meniscus. Many types of meniscus tears occur in the region of the meniscus without adequate blood supply for healing.

How to repair a meniscus tear?

If your doctor’s exam shows your meniscus tear is mild (Grade 1 or 2), you may not need surgery. If it’s Grade 3, you probably will. Your doctor might choose to do any of the following: 1 Arthroscopic repair. Your doctor will make small cuts in your knee. They’ll insert an arthroscope to get a good look at the tear. Then they’ll place small devices that look like darts along the tear to stitch it up. Your body will absorb these over time. 2 Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy. Your doctor will remove a piece of the torn meniscus so your knee can function normally. 3 Arthroscopic total meniscectomy. During this procedure, your doctor will remove the whole meniscus.

What happens if you tear your meniscus?

If you tear your meniscus, your leg might swell and feel stiff. You might feel pain when twisting your knee, or be unable to straighten your leg fully.

What to do if you have a grade 3 knee tear?

If it’s Grade 3, you probably will. Your doctor might choose to do any of the following: Arthroscopic repair. Your doctor will make small cuts in your knee. They’ll insert an arthroscope to get a good look at the tear. Then they’ll place small devices that look like darts along the tear to stitch it up.

How long does it take to recover from a meniscus surgery?

They may also share some exercises you can do at home. If you have a partial or total meniscectomy, you can expect your recovery to take about a month. If your meniscus was repaired, it may take as long as 3 months.

How to keep your knee stable?

You may have to wear a brace or cast to keep your knee stable. You’ll likely also have to use crutches for at least a month to keep weight off your knee. Your doctor may recommend physical therapy as part of your recovery. It’ll help increase your range of motion and help your knee get stronger.

What is the C-shaped disc in the thigh called?

Physical Therapy. You have two C-shaped discs of cartilage (soft tissue) that connect your thigh bone to your shinbone. These are called menisci. They’re like shock absorbers for your bones. They also help to keep your knee stable. Athletes who play contact sports like football and hockey are prone to meniscus tears.

Can you have surgery for a knee injury?

This will help to strengthen the muscles around your knee and keep it stable. If these treatments don’t work -- or if your injury is severe -- they might recommend surgery. To be sure, your doctor will probably have an MRI done. And they might look at the tear with an arthroscope.

What Is a Meniscus?

The meniscus is a fibrocartilage structure that sits on top of the tibia (lower leg bone). There is one on the medial (inside) aspect of the knee, one on the lateral (outside) aspect of the knee. It is shaped like a C and provides some cushion and support for the knee joint as it acts as a shock absorber.

Types of Meniscal tears

Meniscal tears come in a variety of different types, which can affect potential treatments, symptoms or relevance.

Natural Remedies For a Torn Meniscus

If you have knee pain and have been told you have a suspected meniscal tear either from an exam or from MRI, much of the time this can heal on its own with 4-6 weeks of rest, doing some physical therapy that would focus on some range of motion and strengthening exercises and correcting any biomechanical problems that may stem from the core, back, hips or the ankles.

Treatments For A Meniscal Tear Without Surgery

If you go to most pain practices if you fail physical therapy and surgery is not recommended, they may recommend a steroid injection, which can help temporarily reduce inflammation in and around the knee and meniscus, but this is not advised as steroids as we know can cause damage to the joint cartilage, inhibit healing, and has a host of other negative side effects..

Bottom Line

Meniscal tears are common findings in the knee, which many times are of little clinical significance.

How to help meniscus knees?

Working on plyometrics as part of your knee meniscus rehab can help minimize stress and strain around your knee when running, jumping, and performing cutting maneuvers during sports. 4 . Plyometric exercises and neuromuscular training for your knees may include: Single leg hopping. Jump lunges.

What to do if you have a meniscus tear in your knee?

Jonathan Cluett, MD. on May 26, 2020. If you have a knee meniscus tear, you may benefit from a physical therapy exercise program to rehabilitate your knee. Working with a physical therapist (PT) can help you regain maximal knee range of motion and strength and can help you return to your normal optimal level of activity.

How to recover from a meniscus tear?

Exercises should be a major component of your knee rehab program after a meniscus tear. Physical therapy exercises in the clinic, and as part of a home exercise program, can help you recover fully from your meniscus injury.

How to prevent knee surgery?

Research even shows that participating in physical therapy for a meniscus injury may help you avoid surgery for your knee. 1  Your PT may use various modalities and treatments to control your pain or knee swelling or to improve the way the muscles around your knee contracts and supports the joint. Exercises should be a major component ...

How to do a short arc quad?

To perform the short arc quad (SAQ) exercise : Place a rolled-up bath towel or soccer ball underneath your injured knee. Tighten your quad and straighten your knee out all the way. Hold your knee straight for 3 seconds, and then slowly lower down. Repeat 10 times.

What muscle is used to straighten the knee?

Quadriceps Exercises. Your quadriceps muscle, or "the quad," straightens your knee, and it supports the joint and your kneecap. After a knee meniscus tear or injury, your physical therapist will likely have you work to improve your quadriceps function so your knee joint is adequately supported.

How to raise your leg up?

Tighten your quad muscle on your straight leg, and raise the leg up about 12 to 15 inches. Be sure to keep your knee straight the entire time. Hold your straight leg up for a few seconds, and then lower it down slowly. Repeat the exercise 15 times. You can perform the straight leg raises in different positions.

Diagnosis

Treatment

Lifestyle and Home Remedies

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