Arthroscopic MENISCUS REPAIR (medial OR lateral)
The knee joint contains two C-shaped pieces of cartilage called menisci, which sit between the femur (thigh bone) and the tibia (shin bone). There is a medial meniscus on the inner side of the knee and a lateral meniscus on the outer side. The menisci act as shock absorbers, distributing weight and reducing friction during movement.
The menisci (plural) play a crucial role in stabilizing the knee joint, absorbing impact, and ensuring smooth movement. They also aid in the lubrication and nutrition of the knee joint.
How the Meniscus Can Get Damaged
Acute Injury: Meniscus tears often occur during activities that involve twisting, pivoting, or sudden changes in direction. Commonly seen in sports like football, basketball, and soccer, an acute meniscus tear can result from a direct blow to the knee or a sudden twist while the foot is planted.
- Degenerative Tears: In older adults, the meniscus can weaken and become more prone to tears due to the natural aging process and wear and tear over time. Even minor movements or activities can cause a degenerative tear in a weakened meniscus.
- Symptoms: Symptoms of a meniscus tear include knee pain, swelling, stiffness, a popping sensation at the time of injury, difficulty straightening the knee, and a feeling of the knee giving way or locking. The diagnosis of a meniscus tear typically begins with a thorough clinical examination. Your doctor will ask about your symptoms, how the injury occurred, and perform physical tests to assess knee function and stability.
Imaging Tests:
- MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging): An MRI is the most common imaging test used to diagnose meniscus tears. It provides detailed images of the soft tissues, including the menisci, and helps identify the location and extent of the tear.
- X-Rays: While X-rays do not show meniscus tears, they can help rule out other causes of knee pain, such as fractures or arthritis.
How the procedure is performed
- Arthroscopy: In some cases, an arthroscopy may be performed to diagnose and treat a meniscus tear. This minimally invasive procedure involves inserting a small camera into the knee joint to visualize the tear and perform repairs if necessary.
Understanding the anatomy of the meniscus, how it gets damaged, and how it is diagnosed is essential for effective treatment and recovery. If you experience symptoms of a meniscus tear, seek medical attention promptly to ensure proper diagnosis and management.
Preparation for Surgery
- Medical Evaluation: Your surgeon will conduct a thorough evaluation, including physical exams, imaging tests like MRI, and a review of your medical history.
- Preoperative Instructions: Follow any specific instructions provided by your surgeon, such as physical therapy exercises to strengthen the muscles around your knee.
Stopping Blood-Thinning Drugs
- Medication Management: If you are on blood-thinning medications, your doctor will instruct you on when to stop taking them, usually several days before surgery, to minimize the risk of excessive bleeding during the procedure.
- Supplements: Inform your doctor if you are taking supplements like fish oil, vitamin E, garlic, ginger, or ginkgo biloba, as these can also act as blood thinners and may need to be stopped before surgery.
Fasting Prior to Surgery
- Pre-Surgery Fasting: Fast for a specified period before surgery, usually starting at midnight the night before. No food or drink, including water, to reduce the risk of aspiration during anesthesia.
Having a Companion to Drive You Home
- Post-Surgery Transportation: Arrange for a responsible adult to drive you home after surgery. Anesthesia and pain medications can impair your ability to drive.
Post-Surgery Appointments
- Two-Week Appointment: Return to your surgeon to remove sutures.
- Six-Week Appointment: Check your progress and adjust your recovery plan as needed.
Physical Therapy
- Frequency: Attend physical therapy sessions 2-3 times per week.
- Duration and Goals: Follow the APTA protocol, which outlines the duration of physical therapy and recovery goals to regain strength, flexibility, and range of motion.
What to Expect Following Meniscus Surgery
- Pain: Some pain is normal after surgery.
- Restricted Activity: Activity will be restricted for several months.
- Walking with Crutches: You may need to walk with crutches for a short time.
- Wearing a Knee Brace: A knee brace will be necessary for at least one week.
- Range of Motion: Expect to regain range of motion in your knee within a few weeks of surgery.
- Return to Sports: Athletes typically return to their sports within six to twelve months.
Risks for Meniscus Repair
- Bleeding and Blood Clots: Surgical procedures carry the risk of bleeding and blood clot formation.
- Continued Knee Pain: Some patients may experience ongoing knee pain.
- Disease Transmission: If using an allograft from a cadaver, there is a small risk of disease transmission.
- Infection: There is a risk of infection at the surgical site.
- Knee Stiffness or Weakness: Post-surgery stiffness or weakness can occur.
- Loss of Range of Motion: Some patients may experience a loss of range of motion.
- Improper Healing: If the graft is rejected by your immune system, healing may be impaired.
Yes, and we’ll help you make all your arrangements.
- We have arrangements to try to obtain free flights through a non-profit volunteer pilot organization. We can do this with 10 days’ advance notice in most cases.
- We have discount codes for the Holiday Inn in town. This hotel is literally 1.5 miles from the surgery center and 2 miles from our clinic.
- We’ll arrange to send your after surgery medications to your home town pharmacy for pick up before you leave.
No problem, we can help with those plans as well. When you have an surgery with us, we’ll need to make sure you’ll be safe and comfortable after surgery. We’ll arrange cold compression therapy that requires an AC/DC adaptor/transformer and frequent stops to stretch and refill the ice reservoir on the road.
We’ll ask about the vehicle you’ll travel in to ensure you have a way to elevate and stretch out in the vehicle on the road while someone else does the driving.
In person and telehealth consultations are possible with the surgeon to whom your case is assigned. The initial visit is included in the surgical package and is valued at $375.
We can also obtain the flights from the volunteer pilot non profit if you’d like to come for initial and follow up visits in person. One follow up visit is included in the surgical package at a value of $175. Any additional visits are charged at the time of service to your credit or debit card.