Meniscus Knee Repair

Meniscus knee repair is a medical treatment of the knee joint. The knee joint is stabilized when an injury occurs to the cartilage. Meniscus tear is a common damage to the cartilage. A tear in the knee joint is repaired on the basis of its pattern and location. Tears are of different types - flap, degenerative, horizontal and long-standing. The location of a tear is an important factor in determining the treatment of the knee joint. Meniscus knee repair is medically known as meniscectomy.

Tears that are located in the red zone (the outer edge) of the meniscus heal well as the zone is supplied with a good amount of blood. A period of rest from activity may heal minor tears. Using dissolvable stitches, when the repair becomes necessary may sew tears. Treatment of tear in this zone bears fruits of success in 90% to 95% of cases. A tear may be removed or repaired. And an orthopedic surgeon does this.

The supply of blood to the white zone of the meniscus is poor. Therefore, this zone gets healed neither with rest nor after repair. Floating pieces of torn tear in the space of the knee joint can develops the symptoms of a locked knee. In this case, the torn portion of the tear is removed to repair the stabilized knee joint. The removal of a torn tear is called partial meniscectomy. The meniscus is made smooth by shaving the ends of the meniscus that remains after the execution of meniscectomy.

Open Knee Surgery

An open surgery is done to repair surgically the knee joint. In case of an open surgery surgeons make a delicate incision in the outer surface of the skin. Then they cut open the knee to look inside the knee and repair the meniscus. Medical science has come a long way. The popularity of Arthroscopic surgery to treat meniscus on is the rise among the surgeons. The surgeon pushes an arthroscope that is a thin and narrow tube into the knee through small incisions. It makes it possible for them to have a glimpse into the interior of the knee. The surgeons repair the meniscus by using dissolvable anchors or sutures.

Complications

The surgery may put the patients at a risk of developing some complications:

Recovery after surgery

Surgeons recommend the patients to completely immobilize their knee for at least 2 weeks after surgery, which is quite essential for recovery. Further, the patient needs two more weeks of rest before resuming daily activities. One has to carry on physical therapies just after the surgery. However, for best healing the patient can follow a rehabilitation plan.