Arthroscopic Meniscus Surgery
Meniscus surgery refers to a procedure used for the repair or removal of a damaged piece of cartilage in the knee called meniscus.
Arthroscopic Meniscus Surgery
What is a meniscus?
Each knee consists of dual menisci. They basically act as shock absorbers for the knee with their stretchy, C-shaped cushions in the knee joint. If the meniscus is wounded or ripped also known as torn cartilage, surgery may be suggested for removing the damaged part or repairing it.
Who is an ideal candidate for meniscus tear surgery?
Sportsperson are more susceptible to meniscus injury and hence. A meniscus can be wounded or ripped due to an unexpected swivel, turn, or crash.
Menisci are often wounded by elderly persons too. This is for the reason that the menisci get weak with the passage of time and are more susceptible to tear. This, In fact, can be a normal incident as a part of the aging process.
People usually opt for surgery as the wounded cartilage makes the knee unstable, causes pain and swelling, or causes the knee to become chockey or become “jammed.”
Does every meniscus injury need surgery?
No, some people require surgery, but others don’t. The choice is largely dependent on:
- kind, area, and position of the tear.
- Age factor
- Level of and lifestyle adapted
- Injuries as ACL wound.
- Existing symptoms like pain, swelling, locking, buckling, etc.
At first nonsurgical methods may be advised by our surgeon as :
- RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation).
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
- Physiotherapy.
- Injections in the knee, such as cortisone.
Process of Arthroscopic meniscus surgery
Knee arthroscopy is the most commonly used process for an injured meniscus. The anesthesia is administered in the beginning. After cleaning up the skin around the knee the rest of the leg is draped with a surgical cloth. A clamp may be placed on the upper part of the thigh to make the positioning accurate.
A few stab cuts are made then in the knee portals. Then it is filled with a sterile liquid. This liquid helps in controlling the small amount of bleeding in the joint and clears the wastes helping the surgeon to view inside with much precision.
Then an arthroscope is inserted into the joint via the small cuts made.
An arthroscope is a thin tube consisting of small light and video camera. The camera helps the surgeon to view the images of the interior knee onto a big screen. Then the experts make a decision about the kind of treatment to be used, depending on the wear and tear inside the knee joint.
The techniques used are as follows:
Meniscus repair:
In this, procedure the torn pieces of cartilage are sewn back together to be healed. Nevertheless, depending on the type of tear and supply of blood, less than 10%of tears are actually repairable.
Partial meniscectomy:
This process involves trimming and removing the harmed cartilage and keeping the fit tissue as it is.
Tools used for the process depend on the technique used. After the completion of the process, the stitches or surgical strips are used to close the site of the incisions. Then the knee is covered with a bandage.
How long after meniscus surgery will I be able to walk, exercise and work?
Crutches may be used to walk as soon as the process of meniscus surgery is over. Returning to day to day activity may happen within 6 to 8 weeks. If you have a physical job, you may need extra time off work to recover.
You may be advised to do light work as of walking instead of running.