Small tears often heal on their own, while others may require arthroscopic surgery. Most people fully recover from a torn meniscus and can get back to doing their favorite activities without knee pain.
Left unrepaired, a meniscus injury can linger for years, causing pain and limited mobility. An unrepaired meniscus tear increases the risks of further injury and permanent damage to the knee.
The athlete with a meniscal tear is often treated with meniscectomy or meniscal repair, depending on the size and location of the tear. Potential sequelae of meniscal injuries include the loss of in-season competition days and diminished career longevity.
Meniscus repair: The surgeon sews torn pieces of cartilage back together so they can heal on their own. However, because of tear type and blood supply, less than 10%of tears are actually repairable.
Symptoms may go away but can come back from overuse or when you do activities that involve twisting. The pain may come and go over a period of years if the tear isn't treated.
Meniscus damage is most frequently seen between the ages of 15 and 30 or between the ages of 45 and 70. Damaging or losing part of the meniscus can lead to short-term symptoms related to the meniscus damage and/or longer-term symptoms of arthritis due to the lack of the knee's normal shock absorber.
Many meniscal tears are small and will not become symptomatic. Tears that are big enough to cause symptoms can be treated non-operatively especially in older individuals. A course of activity modification followed by therapy and a gradual return to sports is successful in approximately 50 percent of these individuals.
The part of the meniscus removed does not grow back, but is replaced by fibrous tissue. There is an increased likelihood of developing osteoarthritis in patients who have undergone complete (total) menisectomy. It is therefore important to leave behind as much of normal meniscus as is possible.
In most patients, meniscus tear repair is preferred over meniscus removal. That's because studies have shown when the meniscus is repaired and preserved, patients tend to experience better overall healing and better long-term joint function.
Since the meniscus helps protect the knee from wear and tear, surgeons try to repair the meniscus whenever possible. However, most meniscus tears are not considered repairable. The meniscus has a limited blood supply, and tears in areas of little or no blood flow have a high risk of not healing.
Continuing to walk on the affected leg can aggravate your symptoms, making pain and stiffness worse in as little as a few days. Plus, suffering a torn meniscus may also increase your risk of complications, like developing osteoarthritis in that knee.
Research: For many patients who are over 50, arthroscopic meniscus surgery should not be offered. Instead, patients should continue with nonoperative management until total knee replacement is unavoidable. Maybe arthroscopic meniscus surgery can be offered for some.
Living without a meniscus can increase your risk of osteoarthritis and chronic (long-term) knee pain. A torn or injured meniscus can also lead to osteoarthritis. This condition happens when other cartilage in the knee wears away, causing pain and stiffness.
The amount of blood flow which is or is not present within different parts of a meniscus is the reason it takes so long for menisci to heal when injured. It is best to think of a meniscus as three circumferential zones.
Some people can still walk or even play sports after their meniscus is torn, but may be limited by any of the previously mentioned symptoms. Sometimes a 'pop' or 'snap' will be heard when the injury occurs. Common Treatment: Meniscus tears do not usually heal.
Knees with known meniscal injury have accelerated cartilage wear, leading to early onset of osteoarthritis. Studies report that meniscus tears can lead to osteoarthritis of the knee, and conversely, OA of the knee can cause degenerative meniscus tears.
A horizontal meniscus tear is one of the easiest types of tears to repair in the knee. Rather than removing the portion of the meniscus that is damaged, the surgeon will try to sew together the circumferential fibers of the meniscus back together.
Meniscal tears are common injuries that can occur from an acute injury or from chronic repetitive stress. A meniscus tear is the most common indication for knee surgery.
AM3101 is an injectable drug being developed as a therapy to reduce the frequency of complications and morbidities associated with failed meniscal repair surgery. Meniscal tears, particularly in the portion of the tissue lacking sufficient blood supply, are often irreparable and require removal of the disease tissue.
Meniscus tears, indicated by MRI, are classified in three grades. Grades 1 and 2 are not considered serious. They may not even be apparent with an arthroscopic examination. Grade 3 is a true meniscus tear and an arthroscope is close to 100 percent accurate in diagnosing this tear.
Most meniscal tears improve with time and physiotherapy. Physiotherapy will include load modification e.g. reducing your running and walking and reduction or avoidance of the movements and activities that make your pain or swelling worse. This advice will also be accompanied with a comprehensive exercise programme.
Some exercises are too strenuous for people with meniscus tears. A person should not: do deep squats. do any exercise that involves pivoting or that otherwise twists the knee.