Your surgeon will talk to you about the type of anesthesia you'll need, whether itâs general, regional, or local anesthesia. Youâll likely need a follow-up appointment with your doctor one to two weeks after the surgery. A torn meniscus occurs because of trauma caused by forceful twisting or hyper-flexing of the knee joint. Meniscus tears usually take place when an athlete twists or turns their upper leg while their foot is planted and their knee is bent. A meniscectomy is a surgical procedure in which the meniscus, which is the cartilage around your knee, is completely or partially removed. The meniscus is a tough, rubbery piece of cartilage that sits above the shinbone and provides cushioning and stability to the knee. Often a physical therapist is involved, whether or not meniscus surgery is part of the treatment. Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. Your physical therapist will work with you to determine when you can stop using them. Your nurse will do a physical exam and check your vitals. Your doctor will make a determination about your surgical options to suggest the best option for you based on your condition as well as your age, activity level, and general health. This can depend on the type and severity of the tear as well as its location. When fluid accumulates within the enclosed area of the knee joint, it may be difficult and painful to fully extend or straighten the knee, since the knee has the most space available when it is about 15 degrees flexed. As a last resort, joint replacement may be an option for patients who have substantial degeneration of the knee with worn-out cartilage. The use of dietary supplements, including chondroitin and glucosamine, has yet to have their effectiveness proven, but many people find relief with their use. Braces tend not to be effective because the meniscus injury does not cause the knee joint to become structurally unstable. All of these factors facilitate optimal post-operative recovery. Youâll be asked to change into a hospital gown before the procedure. Specific recommendations regarding weight-bearing and exercises will be customized for the patient by the surgeon and therapist. What are recommended exercises once a torn meniscus has been repaired? The quadriceps and hamstring muscles are responsible for moving the knee joint. Should You Have Surgery for a Torn Achilles Tendon? Each meniscus is curved in a C-shape, with the front part of the cartilage called the anterior horn and the back part called the posterior horn. If the meniscus is not damaged, the surgeon performs a âmeniscal releaseâ. The edges of the meniscus are made smooth with a shaver, which is a motorized instrument with suction. You may be asked to sign consent forms before the surgery. A meniscectomy may be an option if you have a meniscus tear causing severe symptoms that arenât improving with conservative treatment. Your doctor may give you a prescription for pain medicine in advance of your procedure so you can have it filled and on-hand to use after you are discharged. Recovery from meniscus tear surgery. Save the Meniscus, A Good Strategy to Preserve the Knee. Very often, meniscal tears do not cause symptoms or problems. For meniscectomy, where the damaged cartilage is surgically removed, the rate of complication is less than 2%. They may advise covering your knee with plastic to keep your incisions from getting wet and reduce your risk of infection., Use crutches to help keep stress off your knee while itâs healing. The health care professional flexes the knee and rotates the tibia while feeling along the joint. Some people are able to go back to work and drive after one week. As with any injury, there is an inflammatory response, including pain and swelling. J. Procedures include meniscal repair (sewing the torn edges together), partial meniscectomy (trimming away the torn area, and smoothing the injury site), or total meniscectomy, removing the whole meniscus if that is deemed appropriate. Meniscal repair surgery tends to be more effective for people under 30 years of age who have the procedure within two months after the injury. While physical examination may predict whether it is the medial or lateral meniscus that is damaged, a diagnostic procedure, like an MRI or arthroscopic surgery, can locate the specific part of the cartilage anatomy that is torn and its appearance. Meniscus Tears. This helps prevent it from being damaged in the future. OrthoInfo. Theyâll also let you know what to expect on the day of surgery and how you can prepare for the recovery phase. Running up hills & stairs to build leg strength. In older patients with the degenerative joint disease (also known as osteoarthritis) where the cartilage wears out, treatment options may be considered over a longer timetable. Cartilage takes up space within the joint and if the joint space is narrowed, it may be an indicator that there is less cartilage present, likely from degenerative disease. Meniscus surgery is used to repair or removed the damaged tissue. See additional information. The knee is the largest joint in the body. You may need bloodwork or an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) to help plan your surgery and anesthesia. Every recovery is different and depends on many things. Terms of Use. Injuries that occur in parts of the cartilage that have better blood supply have a better chance to heal than those where there is little blood supply. Knee arthroscopy surgery has risen to popularity because it usually requires shorter recovery times.The procedure typically takes less ⦠Moreover, there may not be an acute injury. You may be able to do them at home, or your doctor may suggest that you make an appointment with a physical therapist.. As well, anti-inflammatory medications may be considered to decrease swelling and pain arising from the knee joint. Meniscal Injury: II. Your recovery time may vary depending on the extent of your procedure, your age, and overall health. This highlights the need for shared decision making which should include giving the patient information on realistic expectations. Smoking can increase your risk of complications because it affects blood flow, increasing the chance of a blood clot. ©1996-2021 MedicineNet, Inc. All rights reserved. . If the tear is too big to repair, your surgeon may remove all or part of the meniscus. Routine daily activities like walking and climbing stairs increase the potential for wear, degeneration, and tearing. Cartilage within the joint provides the cushioning to protect the bones from the routine stresses of walking, running, and climbing. You can usually go home the on same day of your surgery., Your knee will be wrapped with dressing and an elastic bandage, and you will be given an ice pack to help with pain and swelling. The swelling within the knee joint from a torn meniscus usually takes a few hours to develop and depending upon the amount of pain and fluid accumulation, the knee may become difficult to move. Knee arthroscopy allows the orthopedic surgeon to assess the cartilage tear and potentially repair it. A variety of hyaluronan preparations are approved for mild to moderate knee degenerative arthritis and include Hylan G-F 20 (Synvisc), sodium hyaluronate injection (Euflexxa, Hyalgan), and hyaluronan (Orthovisc). When conservative measures are ineffective treatment may include surgery to repair or remove the damaged cartilage. Follow your surgeonâs instructions about when to stop eating and drinking before surgery. The knee allows the leg to bend where the femur (thighbone) attaches to the tibia (shinbone). Anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve), may help relieve pain and inflammation. Once the cartilage is damaged, it cannot be repaired to be as good as the original. The knee gets "stuck," usually flexed between 15 and 30 degrees, and cannot bend or straighten from that position. It is reasonable to ask a health care professional or pharmacist for directions as to which over-the-counter medication might be best for someone's particular situation. Jonathan Cluett, MD, is board-certified in orthopedic surgery. The first steps in treatment after the acute injury usually include rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE). One additional benefit of the MRI before surgery is that by knowing the anatomy the orthopedic surgeon can plan a potential knee surgery and discuss alternative treatments with the patient before the operation begins. As with any injury in the body, when the meniscus is damaged, irritation occurs. Itâs typically done as an arthroscopic procedure . Read our, The Medial Compartment of the Knee: Anatomy, Function, and Treatment, When a Repair May Be Better Than Removal of Your Torn Meniscus, Chondromalacia Surgery: Preperation, Recovery, Long-Term Care. The medial meniscus bears up to 50% of the load applied to the medial (inside) compartment of the knee. Symptoms from a degenerative tear will occasionally ease without surgery. With meniscal injuries, if the knee is stable and if the symptoms do not persist and do not limit lifestyle, nonsurgical treatments remain an option. Your surgeon will then cut and remove the torn piece with small instruments called punches. It is estimated that six out of 10 patients older than 65 years have a degenerative meniscus tear. Ortho. Most patients are able to stop taking pain relief drugs after the first week.. A torn meniscus is damage from a tear in the cartilage that is positioned on top of the tibia to allows the femur to glide when the knee joint moves. ", Popping, especially when climbing up or downstairs. If a conservative, non-surgical approach is taken, the pain and swelling of a torn meniscus should resolve within a few days. Physical therapy is an important part of the surgery process. There are four ligaments that also stabilize the knee joint at rest and during movement: the medical and lateral collateral ligaments (MCL, LCL) and the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments (ACL, PCL). You may be given medications to relax you, but youâll be awake throughout the procedure. This involves small incisions, about a centimeter long, that your surgeon used to insert an arthroscope (a small surgical camera) and small instruments for the removal of part or all of the meniscus. This knee injury can also occur with deep squatting or kneeling, especially when lifting a heavyweight. He served as assistant team physician to Chivas USA (Major League Soccer) and the United States men's and women's national soccer teams. Your surgeon will inspect the inside of your knee and look at your meniscus tear. After the injury, the knee joint irritation may gradually settle down and feel relatively normal as the initial inflammatory response resolves. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used to confirm and assess the degree of a meniscal tear. The first question has a simple but imprecise answer: it depends. Other complications include deep vein thrombosis (blood clots in the leg) and the associated risks of the anesthetic. Often it is possible to treat meniscus tears conservatively without an operation using anti-inflammatory medications and physical therapy rehabilitation to strengthen muscles around the knee to prevent joint instability. Recovery and rehabilitation become a long-term commitment, as does making certain that the muscles surrounding the knee are kept strong to promote joint stability. University of Washington, Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine. Bring or wear loose shorts or pants that will be easy to fit over your bandage and dressing after surgery. Management. This should include drugs, vitamins, supplements, and herbal remedies. If there is an acute injury, the doctor will ask about the mechanism of that injury to help understand the stresses that were placed on the knee. This includes anesthetic complications, infection, and failure to prevent long-term stiffness, swelling, and recurrent pain. Arch Bone Jt Surg. While discharge requirements may vary, youâll probably be able to go home when your medical team has determined that your vitals are stable and youâre able to urinate, drink fluids, and walk with your crutches. Increasing pain that's not relieved by ice or medication, Drainage thatâs pus-like or foul-smelling, Pain in your calf when you flex your foot. It is a noninvasive test that can visualize the inner structures of the knee, including the cartilage and ligaments, the surface of the bones, and the muscles and tendons that surround the knee joint. The surgeon will remove any damaged parts of the meniscus. The knee cartilage may become damaged as a consequence of aging, arthritis, and wearing away of the meniscus causing a degenerative meniscal tear. Meniscus tear injuries often occur during athletic activities, especially in contact sports like football and hockey. Your doctor may suggest exercises that you can do to help you get back to normal quickly. For several days after arthroscopy, patients will generally be asked to rest and elevate the joint while applying ice packs to minimize pain and swelling. If the surface that allows the bones to glide over each other in the knee joint is no longer smooth, pain can occur with each flexion or extension. However, other symptoms may develop over time and may include any or all of the following: The diagnosis of a knee injury begins with the history and physical examination. This involves small incisions, about a centimeter long, that your surgeon used to insert an arthroscope (a small surgical camera) and small instruments for the removal of part or all of the meniscus. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions about the effectiveness of meniscectomy for your condition and whether it might lead to future surgeries. When the quadriceps muscles (located on the front the thigh) contract, the knee extends or straightens. Your surgery should last about one hour. Once you are in the operating room, the planned form of anesthesia will be administered: Your surgeon then makes small holes, or portals, in your knee. After recovery, your knee will be more stable, and youâll be less likely to develop additional knee problems. MRI and knee arthroscopy surgery are used for diagnosis. The recovery from an arthroscopy for a meniscus tear may take a bit longer than you anticipate. For that reason, prevention may actually be the best treatment for a torn meniscus. Symptoms of a torn meniscus include popping, clicking, and joint pain. The medial and lateral meniscus are two thicker wedge-shaped pads of cartilage attached to top of the tibia (shin bone), called the tibial plateau. This allows the joint spaces to be compared to assess the degree of cartilage wear. ACL surgery recovery aims to strengthen the knee and ensure it regains full stability to allow people to return to their normal activity levels prior to their ACL injury. While many types of health care providers can diagnose and treat a torn meniscus, it is an orthopedic surgeon who would perform the arthroscopic surgery. These individuals typically have recurrent or constant pain and limited range of motion of the knee, preventing them from performing routine daily activities.
Olivia Rodrigo Black Hoodie, Rodeway Inn Alamogordo Nm, Bts Blood Sweat And Tears Release Date, The Ruins Of Beverast - The Thule Grimoires, Birds Aren't Real Copypasta, Grizzly Bear Native American, How To Get-acl For Shared Folder, Score Media And Gaming Ipo, The Birds Work For The Bourgeoisie Art, Master Price Meaning, Bent County Jail Phone Number, Book Written By Eliza Hamilton,