Meniscus Tear Surgeon
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Injuries to the meniscus are common and can occur at any age. There are two menisci and they act as shock absorbers in the knee – damage to a meniscus can lead to problems within the knee and arthritis.
If the meniscus has been injured through wear and tear with arthritis also being present in the knee then it can be treated without surgery. Physiotherapy, activity modification and pain relief medications can help the symptoms.
Some tears can be serious and require surgery. People with significant tears may experience pain, inability to bend or straighten the knee, pain on walking and may have a limp.
A tear in the meniscus may require surgery. Meniscus tear surgeons at Victorian Bone and Joint Specialists will assess the movement of the knee and will likely order an MRI scan if this hasn’t been done already.
If the tear can be fixed then surgery to place sutures in to hold the meniscus can be performed, usually through keyhole surgery. If the tear cannot be fixed then the torn portion of the meniscus is smoothed over through keyhole surgery. Your meniscus tear surgeon at Victorian Bone and Joint Specialists will discuss this with you.
Once fixed, you can normally begin to move the knee under the instruction of your meniscus tear surgeon. You may require a knee brace and you will likely need physiotherapy.
Try to leave the crepe bandage and soft bandage on for a week. If it gets loose and comes off that’s ok. Keep the dry. A bag may be need to cover the knee in the shower.
There are risks with surgery. These include infection, an d failure of the meniscus to heal once it has been repaired. Arthritis may occur in the future as a result of the damage caused by the injury. Your specialist knee surgeons at Victorian Bone and Joint can discuss the risks of surgery with you.
Do You Need Meniscus Tear Surgery?
Whether you need surgery for a meniscus tear depends on the severity of the tear and your symptoms.
Meniscus tears are graded by severity:
Mild tears: often these do not require surgery. Treatment may involve rest, physical therapy, and anti-inflammatory medications.
Severe tears: they typically require surgical intervention to prevent long-term complications and restore knee function.
In cases where the tear is large or associated with age-related knee changes, a combination of rest, physiotherapy, and time may alleviate symptoms. However, surgery might still be necessary if conservative treatments do not provide sufficient relief.
The only reliable way to diagnose whether youneed meniscus tear treatment is to consulta surgeon who speciliases in knees and meniscus tears.
Torn meniscus surgery may seem like a daunting prospect, but it’sa precise process that encourages recovery. The surgeon uses sterilised tools inserted through other incisions to examine the tear in the meniscus.Depending on the tear's location, size, and pattern, different repair techniques might be applicable.
Firstly, if the tear is in a healthyarea of the meniscuswith good blood supply, sutures or small anchors might be used to stitch the torn edges back together. Alternatively, if the tear is in a less vascularised area or too severe for repair, the surgeon may remove the damaged portion of the meniscus while preserving as much healthy tissue as possible - a partial meniscus repair. All in all,meniscus surgery is a well-established medical procedure that cangreatlyincrease the quality of the patient's life.
Meniscus Tears Explained: How They Happen and How to Heal
We have two menisci in each knee, one on the inside and one on the outside. These are C-shaped pieces of cartilage-like tissue placed between the shinbone and thighbone. They act as shock absorbers and stabilise your knee joint, contributing to keeping your knee movements smooth.
When a meniscus is torn, that injury is called a meniscus tear. This is one of the most common knee injuries we suffer and most often affects those who are active and perform sports, or people who are elderly. If you suspect that you have a meniscus tear, you might need to find a meniscus tear surgeon to diagnose and advise treatment. Surgery might be required for severe tears.
How can you tell whether you're suffering from a meniscal tear?
You may hear the knee popping and experience difficulty placing weight on the knee. Visibly, there may be swelling or bruising around the joint. You may experience constant or periods of pain along the joint line, often on the inner or outer side of the knee.
The pain and discomfort will likely worsen with specific activities like squatting, twisting, or kneeling.You can see thefull list of symptoms below.
Causes of a Meniscus Tear from a Doctor Perspective
A meniscus tear is caused by a movement that forcefully twists or rotates your knee. For younger people, this can happen while playing sports or doing exercise. However, wear and tear can also lead to an increased risk of a meniscus tear, which means people who are elderly or obese can suffer this type of tear from minor injuries, such as twisting awkwardly when you stand up. Some of the risk factors that increase your risk of developing a meniscus tear include:
- Contact sports like football
- Sports that involve pivoting, like basketball or tennis
- Movements like kneeling, squatting and lifting something heavy
- Old age
- Obesity
Symptoms That May Require Knee Meniscal Repair Surgery
There are many conditions and injuries that can cause knee pain, so experiencing pain in the knee doesn't necessarily mean you've suffered a meniscus tear. Some of the symptoms of this type of injury include:
- Pain
- Popping sensation
- Swelling
- Stiffness
- Knee giving way
- Knee locking in place
- Difficulty bending or extending your knee
- Knee feeling unstable
- Tender feeling along the joint
The pain experienced with a meniscus tears can vary from mild to severe and can take anything from a few hours to over 24 hours to appear after injury. You might be able to walk on your knee, but it is likely to continue getting stiffer with time.
Consult the Experts in Meniscus Tear Surgery
At Victorian Bone & Joint Specialists, we offer a range of orthopaedic treatments including meniscus tear surgery in our well-appointed clinic in Fitzroy. All our surgery is carried out by highly trained surgeons who implement the latest cutting-edge surgical innovations and techniques. In this way, we can deliver the best possible outcomes for our patients, reducing recovery times and minimising risk.
Don’t ignore your symptoms any longer. If you’re experiencing pain, swelling, stiffness or a popping sensation in your knee, book an appointment with one of the fellowship-certified specialists at Victorian Bone & Joint Specialists. We can quickly diagnose your problem and suggest appropriate treatments. Throughout the consultation, we’ll ensure that you fully understand the implications of your proposed treatments and the possible outcomes. We believe that open communication and a patient-centred approach is the best way to ensure the best possible experience for our patients.
If it does turn out that you need meniscus tear surgery, you can feel confident that you’re in the very best hands with our experienced surgeons. By employing minimally invasive arthroscopic knee surgery to either repair or remove your torn meniscus, we can get you back on your feet again, pain-free, as soon as possible.
Next Steps After a Meniscus Tear Surgery
Some people with a meniscal tear willbe seenin an emergency department, but even if the injury is not severe, you should seek medical attention from your GP. You should contact your doctor if you can't move your knee in the usualways.
After meniscal tear diagnosis, your doctor is likely to refer you to anorthopaedic surgeon, a surgeon specialising in musculoskeletal conditions.
From there, you might work alongside the meniscus tear surgeon throughout thetorn meniscus treatmentprocess. The treatment process is designed to restore knee mobility as quickly and conveniently as possible.
Specifically, post-surgerymeniscus tear therapies can assist you in regaining full strength and stability in your knee. Your specialist will develop a recovery plan, depending on the initial meniscal tear diagnosis (location and severity), your age and your activity level.
Meniscus tear treatments involve several key aspects: the basics (rest, ice and comfortable positioning), medication and physical therapy. Firstly, rest, ice and comfortable positioning are essential in alleviating the weight off the meniscal knee region and reducing initial swelling. Pain medication will also minimise discomfort.
A specialist will design a program to improve strength and flexibility in your knee. Strengthening exercises, flexibility training and balancing exercises will reduce stress on the meniscus and gently encourage a greater range of motion in the meniscus. They may encourage you to undertake low-impact activities such as swimming or using an elliptical trainer to encourage a range of motions in your knee. Other elements of meniscal tear therapy may include wearing a knee brace to stabilise the knee joint.
Meniscal tears are one of the conditions weare experiencedin treating here at Victorian Bone & Joint Specialists, and ourmeniscus tear surgeonswill always give our all to achieve good outcomes for our patients.In fact, our patients often praise our expertly managed practice in their reviews, highlighting our accommodating and professional specialists. We take the time to provide clear, personalised explanations for your meniscal tear treatment.
If youareneedingorthopaedicsurgeon in Melbourne, ask your doctor to refer you to Victorian Bone & Joint Specialists.Other thanmeniscus tear surgery, VBJSalso provideknee arthroscopy,ACLsurgeonin Melbourne, andknee replacementrobotic.
Would you like to find out more about our meniscal repair treatment? You can contact us by calling our friendly practice team at (03) 5752 5020 or filling out ourcontact form. Alternatively, send us an email at admin@vbjs.com.au.
