Can A Torn Meniscus Be Repaired

Meniscus Tears

Suffering from a Torn Meniscus?

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Types of Meniscus Tears

The menisci tin can exist torn in different ways, and the type of tear can help make up one's mind the best grade of treatment:

A flap tear is a horizontal tear that forms at the tiptop of the meniscus and results in a flap of loose cartilage.
A radial tear is a tear that begins at the inner edge of the meniscus and extends toward the outer edge.
A horizontal cleavage tear is a side-to-side tear that occurs in the torso of the meniscus (rather than the border).
A saucepan-handle tear is a vertical (lengthwise) tear that leaves loosened tissue resembling a bucket handle.
Degenerative tears involve wearable and fraying at the edge of the meniscus.

Symptoms of a torn meniscus include abrupt pain in the human knee joint forth with swelling, stiffness and a "communicable" sensation when the articulation is moved. Those suffering from a torn meniscus may besides experience a "popping" sensation when the tear occurs.

How is a torn meniscus treated?

Your treatment will depend on the type and extent of the tear and any surrounding harm in the knee joint. Diagnostic imaging with Ten-rays or MRIs (or both) combined with a concrete evaluation of the joint volition also help guide your handling. Small meniscus tears and many degenerative tears reply well to conservative treatment options like rest, awarding of ice, anti-inflammatory medications, and sometimes injections direct to the joint to relieve inflammation and pain. In other cases, a minimally-invasive process called knee arthroscopy may be the better option.

Cartilage and the meniscus have a limited blood supply, which makes healing more difficult. Most major tears tin't be completely repaired; instead, treatment focuses on trimming away the damaged portions of the meniscus to help "restabilize" it so it continues to provide business firm support for the articulation. This procedure is called a meniscectomy, and it's performed using special instruments through tiny incisions in the articulatio genus. In most cases, you can be up and moving about, bearing weight on your knee shortly later on your surgery.

When the damage is located along the outer rim of the meniscus, an expanse of the meniscus with a richer blood supply, the meniscus may exist repaired using special sutures or fasteners to bring the torn edges together, allowing them to fuse during recovery. Meniscus repair typically requires a longer recovery period than a meniscectomy since the repaired meniscus needs time to heal. Weight-begetting may be restricted and yous'll probably demand to wear a human knee brace during the initial stages of recovery.

Schedule a knee joint evaluation today.

Knee pain is one of the well-nigh mutual medical complaints amid agile men and women, but fortunately, today at that place are many techniques that tin help relieve pain, restore office and fifty-fifty prevent or delay additional joint harm. Dr. Geoffrey Van Thiel is a leading provider of knee pain diagnosis and handling for patients suffering from a torn meniscus in the greater Chicago area, with significant expertise in country-of-the-art treatments and innovative techniques aimed at helping patients return to their agile lives as quickly equally possible.

To find out more nigh knee pain causes and treatments, call OrthoIllinois at 815-398-9491 and schedule a consultation and evaluation with Dr. Van Thiel today.