Arthroscopic Meniscus Repair
Often times, when people talk about torn cartilage in the knee, they are usually referring to torn meniscus. The meniscus is a C-shaped cushion of cartilage in the knee joint. At this time there is no known medicine or therapy that will heal or fix a torn meniscus.
This usually means either partial excision (removal) or repair of the tear is necessary. Excision versus repair is often decided at the time of arthroscopic surgery.
Treatment
Knee arthroscopy is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures. During the procedure a miniature camera is inserted through a small incision. This provides a clear view of the inside of the knee. Your orthopedic surgeon then inserts miniature surgical instruments through other small incisions to trim or repair the tear.
Some meniscal tears can be repaired by suturing (stitching) the torn pieces together. Whether a tear can be successfully treated with repair depends upon the type of tear, as well as the overall condition of the injured meniscus. Because the meniscus must heal back together, recovery time for a repair is much longer than from a meniscectomy.
Treatment Highlights
