Knee surgery washington state department of labor and industries. If you have a tear that spreads from the red zone into the inner twothirds of the meniscus called the white zone, your decision is harder. If the tear cant be repaired, the meniscus might be surgically trimmed, possibly through tiny incisions using an arthroscope. Meniscus tears symptoms and treatment orthoinfo aaos.
Because the menisci weaken and wear thin over time, older people are more likely to experience a degenerative meniscus tear. Petitioner initially wished to undergo surgery in december or january but due to increased pain complaints and dif. Rehabilitation exercises a meniscus tear is a common knee joint injury. Postoperative instructions for knee arthroscopy, torn meniscus dr. Given the frequency and cost of arthroscopic partial meniscectomy and the paucity of data, we designed the meniscal tear in osteoarthritis research meteor trial to assess the efficacy. If the surgeon can see the tear with the arthroscope, he or she can determine if the tear is repairable or if the. Horizontal meniscus tear the horizontal tear is a tear that simply goes through the middle of the meniscus. Many factors contribute to this, but genetics, a past history of injury or surgery, overuse, and body weight seem to be the most important causes. So, try meniscus tear physical therapy and hope to see significant changes in the patients symptoms and function in the first 46 weeks. If a tear is causing pain and impaired function, removal of that tear is the treatment of choice.
Athletes, particularly those who play contact sports, are at risk for meniscus tears. Postoperative instructions for knee arthroscopy, torn meniscus. In this video, i discuss who possibly could avoid surgery and whether. In many cases, a surgical procedure called arthroscopy is used to repair or remove a torn meniscus. Postoperative instructions knee arthroscopy meniscus surgery. In one observational study of surgery as treatment for both traumatic and degenerative meniscal tears, 95 out of 117 patients 81. The meniscus is the cartilage that acts as a cushion between your shinbone and thighbone, and though nonsurgical therapies may be of some benefit, many require meniscus surgery. After surgery, a postop nurse will monitor you as you wake from the anesthesia. Untreated meniscus tears can increase in size and lead to. Often times these tears can be diagnosed by taking a thorough history and completing a physical examination. Brian krabak and susanne michaud talk about the injury and their approach to getting patients. Activity once you return home activity will depend upon whether you had a repair or a partial menisectomy. Symptoms of an acute meniscus tear include swelling, pain along the joint line, catching, locking and a specific injury. The success of meniscus repair depends on tear pattern recognition and location for the capacity to heal.
Physical therapy after surgery for meniscal tears youtube. Our specialists perform meniscus tear surgery arthroscopically, by making small cuts in the knee. Mri and knee arthroscopy surgery are used for diagnosis. A meniscus tear is a tear in the cartilage of your knee. A bucket handle tear is a type of meniscus tear that affects your knee. If your knee remains painful despite rehabilitative therapy or if your knee locks, your doctor might recommend surgery. Dependent upon the location and size of the repair, weight bearing.
If the tear is closer to the middle, there is no blood supply, so healing will not occur. Clearly, the meniscus does play an important role in the human knee, but once torn and unable to be repaired, many of the beneficial effects of that structure are lost. When people talk about torn cartilage in the knee, they are usually referring to a torn meniscus. Key factors that will influence meniscal tear recovery after surgery this is a radial tear of the meniscus. The treatment chosen will depend on the location of the tear, the athletes sport, ligamentous stability of the. Sports injury medicine department 9250 sw hall blvd. Actually, in 90% of the surgeries, the surgeon simply removes the torn piece of meniscus. How well the knee will heal and whether surgery will be needed depends in large part on the type of tear see figure. The meniscus especially the posterior horn of the medial meniscus can be a secondary stabilizer in an acl deficient knee. A meniscus tear is a common knee injury that often affects people who play contact sports. Meniscus tear aftercare instructions what you need to know. Manual stretching for extension with overpressure or recurvatum.
Read about meniscus tear surgery and recovery time and other forms of treatment. A middleaged person gets knee pain while doing something active, and sometimes a pop or shift is felt. You may need surgery to restore full knee function. There are two types of cartilage in the knee, articular cartilage and meniscus cartilage. Rehabilitation following a meniscus repair is more significant than if the torn piece of meniscus is simply removed through a procedure called a partial meniscectomy. Meniscus tear treatment and rehabilitation information uw. As per the research, the knee is more susceptible to arthritis after meniscus surgery 7.
After suffering a meniscus tear, your physician will usually order knee xrays to make sure there is no damage to your bones. The meniscus can also help to limit femoral translation on the tibia. Oct 28, 2019 rehabilitation following a meniscus repair is more significant than if the torn piece of meniscus is simply removed through a procedure called a partial meniscectomy. Torn meniscus surgery advanced regenerative orthopedics. Aug 17, 2017 following a partial meniscectomy for a meniscal tear, a patient should have physical therapy to regain full function in the knee. Most of the time, rest, ice, and pain meds are enough to help you feel better. Meniscus tear treatment with 4 exercises to avoid surgery. Torn meniscus uw orthopaedics and sports medicine, seattle. Meniscus tear common 35% of people over the age of 50 have a meniscus tear. Symptoms of a torn meniscus include popping, clicking, and joint pain.
Some of the risks of an arthroscopic meniscus surgery are infection, injury to the. How well the knee will heal and whether surgery will be needed depends in large part on the type of tear and how bad the tear is. Apr 9, 2014 medial meniscus, tear of median meniscus of the left knee and left knee sprain. An mri may be used to assist in making the diagnosis. What causes knee pain 1 year after meniscus surgery. Medial meniscus tear surgery video medicare pdf list. If you have surgery to repair your meniscus, it may take more like 3 months.
Root tears are repaired whenever possible based on their importance in limiting future knee arthritis. A meniscus tear is often caused by a single acute injurysuch as a sudden twist or quick turn during sports activity. Complex tear this tear is a combination of the different types of tears and is. How well the knee will heal and whether surgery will be needed depends in large part on the type of tear see figure in appendix and how bad the tear is. Rehabilitation guidelines for meniscal repair of root and. It seems like meniscus surgery has become a modern rite of passage for active people. Surgery to repair these kinds of tears may not work. Knee meniscus disorders involve the medial meniscus or lateral meniscus, two semicircular pads of cartilage in the knee between the joint surfaces of pdf version united states department. If not treated, part of the meniscus may come loose and slip into the joint. Meniscus tear surgery is typically an outpatient procedure and takes anywhere from 45 minutes to several hours. A medial meniscus tear is more common than a lateral meniscus tear because it firmly attaches to the deep medial collateral ligament and the joint capsule. If you just found out that the pain and swelling in your knee is a torn meniscus, you probably have a decision to make about how to treat it. The surgery used to treat a meniscus tear is called meniscus repair.
There are many factors that will determine how quickly, or completely you recover from your meniscal tear surgery. Manual muscle testing may reveal a proximal or distal weakness or muscle. Key elements include your age, weight, and activity demands. The meniscus is a piece of cartilage strong tissue between your thighbone and shinbone. As is the case with any other surgery, the arthroscopic meniscus surgery also has its inherent risks. May 02, 20 given the frequency and cost of arthroscopic partial meniscectomy and the paucity of data, we designed the meniscal tear in osteoarthritis research meteor trial to assess the efficacy of arthroscopic partial meniscectomy as compared with a standardized physicaltherapy regimen for symptomatic patients with a meniscal tear and concomitant mild. The menisci act as shock absorbers in the knee, and provide stability to the joint. If you have a tear in the white zone of the meniscus, repair surgery usually isnt done, because the. Work with your doctor to plan a rehabilitation rehab program that helps you regain as much. The outer onethird of the meniscus has a rich blood supply. If you actively participate in a course of pt for your meniscus tear and are still having pain and limited functional mobiltiy, your doctor may recommend surgery. Patient guide to meniscus injuries what is the meniscus.
If the torn meniscus is removed, the patient is usually up and walking within a day or two of surgery, and back to normal activities within several weeks. According to the journal arthroscopy techniques, an estimated 10 percent of all meniscal tears are bucket handle. As we get older the meniscus weakens and tears can occur more easily, even from something as simple as squatting or stepping off a curb onto an uneven surface. Nov 03, 2019 hence, that remaining meniscus is more and not less likely to tear again.
The meniscus is a cshaped piece of cartilage in the knee that cushions and acts as a shock absorber between your thigh bone femur and shin bone tibia. The surgery itself may be complicated by infection, development of arthritis, injury to nerves and blood vessels, fracture, weakness, stiffness or instability of the joint, pain, inability to repair a meniscus, inability of the repair to heal, retear or the need for additional surgeries. Rehabilitation guidelines for meniscal repair uw health. The gundersen sports medicine meniscus repair rehabilitation program is an. It can also be caused by wear and tear and doing everyday activities that put pressure on the knee joint, such as squatting to pick something up or getting in and out of a car. Oct 21, 2010 the rubbery meniscus cushions the knee, but a twist or pivot can tear this cartilage. Find out what you need to know about treatment options and how. Depending on the size and location this can develop into a bucket handle tear or may respond to a meniscus repair surgery if in the vascular area. The meniscus functions to improve the fit between the femur and the tibia, to absorb shock and distribute load in the knee, and to help move lubricating. For most tears, some simple exercises can help maintain muscle strength in the front of the thigh quadriceps, back of the thigh hamstr. Surgery for patients with degenerative meniscus tears especially older patients with osteoarthritis in the knee is often unnecessary. Hence, that remaining meniscus is more and not less likely to tear again.
Meniscal tears can occur when the knee is forcefully twisted, sustains a direct blow, deep squatting. Meniscus tear treatment johns hopkins department of. There have been multiple studies that have demonstrated the clinical success of meniscal repair. The truth is, calling surgery for a meniscus tear a meniscus repair is a bit of a misnomer. Meniscus tears cartilage damage as we age and remain active, the menisci and cartilage often get injured or wear out. Meniscus tears are one of the most common knee injuries. How well the knee will heal and whether surgery will be needed depends in large part on the type of tear see figure in appendix and how bad the tear.
Another reason for knee pain 1 year after meniscus surgery is new. Arthroscopic surgery is frequently used for meniscus tears. After surgery, rehabilitation exercises will help you regain range of motion and. Work with your doctor to plan a rehabilitation rehab program that helps you regain as much strength and flexibility in your knee as possible. A torn meniscus is a tear in the cartilage of the knee. A meniscus tear is a common and potentially painful knee injury.
Pdf the current trend when dealing with meniscus tears is preservation whenever possible. Minimally invasive surgery to repair torn knee cartilage overview arthroscopic meniscus repair is an outpatient surgical procedure to repair torn knee cartilage. A weak meniscus can tear with no or minimal trauma, such as when standing up or getting out of a caractions that could include an awkward turn of a bent knee while the other foot is planted. Meniscus tears do i really need arthroscopic knee surgery. Meniscus tears are among the most common knee injuries. The best exercises after meniscus surgery phyiscal. Arthroscopic meniscus repair uw orthopaedics and sports. Another reason for knee pain 1 year after meniscus surgery is newonset arthritis. When can exercise supplant surgery for degenerative. You have both an inner medial and outer lateral meniscus that help distribute the forces in the knee when you are weightbearing. Its sometimes possible to repair a torn meniscus, especially in children and young adults. Surgery versus physical therapy for a meniscal tear and. Meniscal tear presentation, diagnosis and management. It is determined by the requirements of the activity, the pattern of the meniscus tear, stability of the repair, patient age and so on.
If you have surgery to remove part of the meniscus, it may take 3 to 6 weeks before you get back to normal activities. Plus, research studies have shown that physical therapy and exercise can help you avoid surgery if you have a meniscus tear. A tear in this red zone may heal on its own, or can often be repaired with surgery. You will be sent home from the surgery center with prescriptions for pain medication. Menisci deepen the socket of the tibia to increase contact with the femoral condyles. Depending on the size and location this can develop into a bucket handle tear or may. If no true changes or if they are getting worse and. Postoperative instructions knee arthroscopy meniscus surgery day of surgery procedures are typically done on an outpatient basis where you will come in and go home the day of surgery. The meniscus is a wedge shaped cartilage ring found on both the inside and outside of the knee between the femur thigh bone and tibia shin bone. Reconsidering indications, techniques, and biologic. Also, the medial meniscus absorbs up to 50% of the shock of the medial compartment, making the medial meniscus susceptible to injury. The best exercises after meniscus surgery phyiscal therapy. Arthroscopic surgery to diagnose and repair meniscal tears lasts for approximately one hour. Ask around and you will probably find a few peers or colleagues that have experienced a meniscus tear.