Meniscal Repair
What is meniscal repair?
Meniscal repairs involves suturing (tying) torn meniscus pieces together. The medial (inner) and lateral (outer) menisci lie on the tibial (shin bone) plateaus. They sit between the tibial plateaus and femoral condyles to act as shock absorbers and facilitate healthy knee movement. This is typically done as an arthroscopic surgery that requires a small incision and arthroscope (camera) to minimize muscle loss and damage. A surgeon may want to perform an open surgery instead of the arthroscopic option depending on the tear and accessibility. Once the surgeons access the knee joint through one of these options, they will suture separated cartilage pieces together to restore meniscal function. The surgeon will decide the treatment option for you based on your age, tear location, tear length, and overall stability of your knee.
Who needs meniscal repair?
Patients may injure their menisci if they play sports or perform activities with frequent collisions, turns and/or twists as well as with increasing age. The menisci are made of cartilage and act as shock absorbers and knee stabilizers. Surgery is done when a patient experiences pain, stiffness in their knee and/or experience the knee lock or “give way”. It is also done when patients do not respond to nonsurgical treatments like corticosteroid injections, physiotherapy, other non-inflammatory medication and/or rest.
More about meniscal repairs...
Surgeons may sometimes opt for a partial or complete meniscectomy (removal of the meniscus) depending on the observed damaged once the interior knee joint becomes visible. Meniscal repairs are done in regions where there is adequate blood supply to the menisci, known as the “red zone”, which responds favourably to surgical interventions. Surgeons may also favour meniscal repair treatments if the tear is in the meniscus periphery. They are then monitored by the staff at our clinic as they progress through their physiotherapy to move in a biomechanically safe manner to ensure a healthy and safe return to the activities, sports and life they had prior to their condition.
Life after meniscal repairs...
A majority (>90%) of patients report satisfaction with a meniscal repair. Meniscal tears operated within 2 months of initial injury have the highest rates of meniscus healing.