How is torn meniscus repaired

Search X. Meniscus Tears Suffering from a Torn Meniscus? Book an Appointment Now Read more below about the treatment for meniscus tears The meniscus is a C-shaped wedge of cartilage that acts as a shock absorber for the knee joint, providing a thick cushioning between the ends of the thigh bone or femur and the shin bone or tibia.

Types of Meniscus Tears The menisci can be torn in different ways, and the type of tear can help determine the best course of treatment: A flap tear is a horizontal tear that forms at the top of the meniscus and results in a flap of loose cartilage. A radial tear is a tear that begins at the inner edge of the meniscus and extends toward the outer edge. A horizontal cleavage tear is a side-to-side tear that occurs in the body of the meniscus rather than the edge.

A bucket-handle tear is a vertical lengthwise tear that leaves loosened tissue resembling a bucket handle. Degenerative tears involve wear and fraying at the edge of the meniscus. How is a torn meniscus treated? Surgery Overview A meniscus tear is a common injury to the cartilage that stabilizes and cushions the knee joint. If you have a small tear at the outer edge of the meniscus in what doctors call the red zone , you may want to try home treatment.

These tears often heal with rest. If you have a moderate to large tear at the outer edge of the meniscus red zone , you may want to think about surgery. These kinds of tears tend to heal well after surgery. If you have a tear that spreads from the red zone into the inner two-thirds of the meniscus called the white zone , your decision is harder.

Surgery to repair these kinds of tears may not work. If you have a tear in the white zone of the meniscus, repair surgery usually isn't done, because the meniscus may not heal. But partial meniscectomy may be done if torn pieces of meniscus are causing pain and swelling.

What To Expect After Surgery Your surgeon may recommend that you do not move your knee more than absolutely necessary immobilization for 2 weeks after surgery. For some exercises you can do at home with your doctor's approval , see: Meniscus Tear: Rehabilitation Exercises.

Why It Is Done How your doctor treats a meniscus tear depends upon the size and location of the tear, your age, your health and activity level, and when the injury occurred. How Well It Works Surgical repair may result in less pain and a return to normal knee function. Risks Risks of the surgery itself are uncommon but may include: Infection. Damage to nerves or blood vessels around the knee.

Blood clots in the leg. Risks due to anesthesia. What To Think About If surgical meniscus repair is indicated, the procedure should be done as soon as possible after the injury. References Citations Beynnon BD, et al. Torn knee cartilage generally produces pain in the region of the tear and swelling 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.

For more detailed information on symptoms and diagnosis, please see our article on torn meniscus. The goal of meniscus surgery is to preserve healthy meniscus tissue.

A meniscus tear requires a blood supply to heal. 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. Meniscus removal is generally recommended for tears to regions of the meniscus without blood supply. Please see arthroscopic meniscectomy for more information.

Meniscus tears can be treated by meniscus removal meniscectomy , meniscus repair, or in unusual circumstances, meniscus replacement. Since the goal of surgery is to preserve healthy meniscus, meniscus repair is attempted when the tear is repairable. Meniscectomy, removal of the damaged meniscus tissue, has good short term results but leads to the development of arthritis ten to twenty years later.

Meniscus repair also has good results, but has a longer recovery time than meniscectomy and is limited to tears which are amenable to repair. 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.

Any knee that is injured has a higher likelihood of developing arthritis. A successful repair slows the development of arthritic changes. Factors associated with higher rates of meniscus healing include repair within 2 months, more peripheral tear location, and concomitant ACL reconstruction.

The meniscus is an important structure for load transmission and shock absorption in the knee. 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. Even though the recovery is longer for a meniscus repair than for a meniscectomy, any repairable meniscus should generally be repaired. Meniscus repair is considered when:.

The surgical animation below is an example of the arthroscopic meniscus repair procedure. Not all surgical cases are the same.

The animation below is only an example to be used for patient education. Not all surgical cases are the same, this is only an example to be used for patient education. Anti-inflammatory medications, taken by mouth or injected directly into the knee, can be useful to reduce the pain and swelling symptoms associated with meniscus tears, but do not improve healing. No medications or nutritional supplements have been scientifically documented as beneficial for meniscus healing.

Quadriceps strengthening exercises are useful to reduce swelling and restore normal muscular control to an injured knee.

They useful to reduce symptoms and speed rehabilitation. In the best case scenario, the tear would heal back in the appropriate place, achieving the same result as a meniscus repair. This is very unlikely. The surgery involves transplanting a meniscus from a cadaver. Avoid activities that aggravate your knee pain — especially sports that involve pivoting or twisting your knee — until the pain disappears.

Ice and over-the-counter pain relievers can be helpful. The pain and disability associated with a torn meniscus prompt many people to seek emergency care.

Others make an appointment with their family doctors. Depending upon the severity of your injury, you might be referred to a doctor specializing in sports medicine or a specialist in bone and joint surgery orthopedic surgeon.

Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version.