If you think you have suffered a meniscus tear or other sports-related injury, call our doctors at Vero Orthopaedics at or make an online appointment online. Search form Search.
Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube. Online Bill Pay. Vero Beach , FL Privacy Policy. See Figure 5. Orthopedic Surgeons and Sports Medicine trained primary care doctors are specially trained in the diagnosis of torn meniscus. Doctors specializing in torn meniscus can be located through university medical schools, county medical societies, or state orthopedic societies. Arthroscopic surgery to remove or repair torn menisci is the definitive treatment for meniscal tears. See Figures 6 and 7. Torn menisci that do not cause the knee to catch or lock are less likely to cause damage to the rest of the knee and pain and swelling symptoms can be treated non-operatively with over the counter pain medications.
Initial treatment for non-locking torn menisci usually involves management of the pain and swelling symptoms with over the counter pain medications. When a torn meniscus is diagnosed, but the knee is not locked and the patient cannot identify a specific incident associated with the onset of pain, the pain can be treated initially with over the counter pain medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
The patient should avoid pivoting and squatting and should work on keeping the quadriceps muscles strong. If the swelling and pain have not resolved in 6 weeks, they usually won't without surgical intervention. Avoiding twisting activities may decrease the symptoms from a torn meniscus. Additionally, one should do quadriceps setting exercises with the knee straight or mini-squats, bending only to 15 degrees, to prevent giving way and keep the quadriceps muscle from atrophying.
Most meniscal tears cannot heal because of their limited blood supply. Nevertheless, Quadriceps muscle strengthening exercises can help prevent some of the secondary effects of a torn meniscus such as kneecap pain or the sense of buckling.
Medications such as acetaminophen, aspirin, or ibuprofen may relieve some of the pain, but will not actually treat the underlying meniscal tear. Anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen or naproxen may also decrease the associated swelling. Removal of excess joint fluid can temporarily bring some relief from pain, but the meniscus will not heal and the fluid will usually reaccumulate. Until the tear can be treated arthroscopically , patients with a torn meniscus can use non-narcotic pain relievers, and should try to do quadriceps muscle contractions to prevent atrophy that is associated with knee pain and swelling.
One may also need to modify activities to avoid those that twist the knee. Surgery is the definitive treatment for torn meniscus. The surgery is done arthroscopically and will include either removal or repair of the torn part of meniscus. Repair can be done only when the tear lies in or just adjacent to the vascular zone of the meniscus. A traumatically torn meniscus usually requires arthroscopic surgical treatment.
This minimally invasive surgical treatment involves either removing or repairing the torn segment of meniscus using an arthroscope. Tears in the non-vascular region are unlikely to heal and therefore are removed. In the case of a degenerative meniscal tear associated with osteoarthritis , the expected outcome after surgery is different.
Although arthroscopically treating the torn meniscus and simultaneously trimming away any shaggy articular cartilage caused by the arthritis may eliminate mechanical symptoms such as catching or locking, the non-mechanical symptoms of osteoarthritis stiffness, achiness, weather-related pain may persist. Therefore, in the setting of a degenerative meniscal tear with osteoarthritis, the patient and doctor also need to discuss treatment alternatives for the arthritis such as injections into the knee or partial or total knee replacement.
More information about torn meniscus may be found at the web site of the American Society for Sports Medicine. Current research on the treatment of torn meniscus centers around the best method for repair of a torn meniscus and placement of a substitute meniscus when a total meniscal removal has been done previously.
You are here Home Torn Meniscus. Torn Meniscus - torn knee cartilage not limited to athletes or sports In this article Basics of torn meniscus - torn knee cartilage Surgical Animation Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment Research Summary of torn meniscus - torn knee cartilage Basics of torn meniscus-torn knee cartilage A torn meniscus is a tear in the cartilage of the knee. Immediate medical attention A torn meniscus needs immediate attention when it "locks" the knee.
Facts and myths Some people think that only athletes can tear a meniscus. Surgical Animation Learn more about torn meniscus and view a surgical animation below. Symptoms Initial Symptoms Initial symptoms of a torn meniscus include well-localized pain and swelling in the knee.
Symptoms A torn meniscus can also produce catching or locking of the knee. Pain A torn meniscus usually produces well-localized pain in the knee. Progression Over weeks, the pain and swelling may decrease and activities of daily living may become tolerable.
Secondary effects A torn meniscus often causes the knee to make extra joint fluid. Learn more about why arthroscopic surgery is the best option.
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