Meniscus Repairs

What is a meniscus injury?

Your knee has two C-shaped pads of cartilage (menisci) that act as cushions between where your femur (thigh bone) and tibia (shinbone) meet in the joint. Meniscus injuries, commonly called tears, occur when the cartilage is torn during trauma or due to degenerative changes over time.

Athletes participating in football, soccer, tennis, or other sports requiring frequent twisting and turning or high contact are at increased risk of meniscal tears. Excess weight, age-related changes, or overuse injuries are also common triggers for meniscus injuries.

What symptoms indicate the need for meniscus repair?

Symptoms of a torn meniscus can vary and may include:

• Swelling or stiffness in the knee
• Pain with twisting or rotating the knee
• The sensation that your knee is locked in place
• Difficulty straightening the knee
• Feeling as though your knee is giving way

You may feel a pop in the knee when the meniscus tears, but the resulting pain and other symptoms often don’t develop for 2-3 days. A fall or aggressive pivot during a game or, in the case of an age-related injury, even an awkward twist when rising from a chair can result in a torn meniscus. 

What happens during meniscus repairs?

Treatment for a torn meniscus depends on the size and location of the tear. A small tear may respond to conservative therapies such as rest, anti-inflammatory medication, and elevating the knee.

Other nonsurgical treatments include steroid injections to reduce inflammation and pain or regenerative medicine therapies such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections to enhance healing. These therapies are often beneficial for age-related or degenerative tears.

However, if your knee pain, locking, and instability symptoms interfere with your mobility and don’t respond well to conservative therapies, your Los Angeles Orthopedic Surgery Specialists provider may recommend minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery for meniscus repair.

For instance, tears along the meniscus’s outer edge, which has a healthy blood supply that promotes healing, may respond well to suturing. In other cases, your surgeon may suggest removing the torn cartilage via a partial meniscectomy.

Interestingly, recovery after a meniscectomy is often faster than suturing, 3-6 weeks for partial meniscectomy versus 3-6 months for suturing. Either way, your Los Angeles Orthopedic Surgery Specialists team works with you to ensure appropriate healing with a customized rehab program following surgery.

Schedule your evaluation today. Call the office or request an appointment online.