Meniscal injuries are one of the more common problems presenting to the knee clinic.  If the meniscal damage causes on-going symptoms then surgery may be helpful.  The vast majority of meniscal problems are now treated using arthroscopic surgical techniques.

The treatment of a torn meniscus depends upon the location, type and age of the injury.

Menisectomy procedure

In the majority of cases the torn fragments of loose meniscal cartilage are trimmed or ‘debrided’ away to prevent catching and painful irritation within the knee.  This is known as a menisectomy procedure and usually allows early return to activities and a relatively short rehabilitation period.

Meniscal repair procedure

In some instances the meniscal tear may be amenable to repair.  This is more common in acute injures and larger tears in an attempt to preserve the ‘shock absorbing’ functions of the meniscal cartilage.

Meniscal repair is usually performed arthroscopically.  Occasionally the procedure may require extra portals or incisions to be made to safely access the injury.

A longer rehabilitation is required following meniscal repair compared with menisectomy.  A knee brace is usually worn for six weeks after the surgery, restricting knee flexion to 90 degrees.  For three months after repair surgery impact loading activities such as running, jumping and twisting, and squatting exercises must be avoided.

The success rate of meniscal repair is in the region of 70%.  If the repair fails further surgery may be needed to repeat the repair or remove the loose meniscal cartilage.