The Benefits of Meniscus Tear Surgery: Why It’s a Good Option

What is a meniscus?

The meniscus, located inside the knee joint, is a half-moon-shaped plate of fibrocartilage that acts as a cushion between the femur in the thigh and the tibia in the lower leg.

 

What is the meniscus for?

The meniscus plays an important role in the activities of the knee joint, mainly including: increasing the joint's stability, maintaining movement coordination; cushioning, absorbing shock; and lubricating the joint.

 

What is a Meniscal Injury?

Meniscus injury refers to a series of clinical symptoms caused by the destruction of the integrity and continuity of the meniscus of the knee joint under different inducements.

For young people, meniscus injuries are mainly acute injuries caused by various sports, especially sports that require weight bearing (such as weightlifting) or running and stopping suddenly (football, basketball, fighting, etc.).

 

For older people, meniscus damage is mostly a chronic degenerative change. An MRI of the knee usually confirms the a111q diagnosis.

 

What are the treatments for meniscal injuries?

① Conservative treatment

For asymptomatic stable meniscal injuries. Including the following points.

1. The knee joint is fixed, and the knee joint is externally fixed with a splint or plaster support in the straight position for 3 to 4 weeks to promote meniscus repair.
2. Drug treatment, taking anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs, and external application of anti-inflammatory and analgesic plasters.
3. Inject sodium hyaluronate into the joint cavity to increase the viscosity and elasticity of the joint fluid.
4. Perform functional exercises according to the rehabilitation training plan to enhance the muscles' strength and increase the knee joint's stability.

 

② Partial resection

It is suitable for patients who are quaint for meniscus suture or conservative treatment. In principle, normal meniscus tissue is preserved as much as possible, and other tissues are damaged as little as possible.

 

③Total resection

It can relieve the symptoms caused by the meniscus tear. Still, the long-term effect is not good, and it can cause degenerative arthritis, which has been 1basically eliminated by clinical practice.

 

④ Suture trimming

Minimally invasive arthroscopic meniscal suture repair is 11the most important method for treating meniscus injuries.

 

What are the clinical manifestations of a meniscus injury?

① Pain

Pain is the most common symptom and is usually limited to the damaged side of the meniscus. Most patients can continue walking or activities as before, but twisting or rotating movements may worsen the Pain.

② swelling

Meniscus injury may be accompanied by joint effusion, and the swelling is severe at the beginning of the injury, and then the swelling gradually decreases.

③Joint snapping

Some patients describe hearing a "click" sound when the knee joint moves, occasionally accompanied by Pain.

④ joint lock

When walking or moving, the patient suddenly becomes unable to flex or extend the knee joint, that is, "stuck", which may be accompanied by pain symptoms. Generally, the knee joint of the affected limb can be rotated and swayed by oneself or others to resume activities.

 

The Benefits of Meniscus Tear Surgery

1. Prevent the meniscus tear from increasing 1qq and the injury from aggravating and prevent more meniscus resection in future operations because the more meniscus resections, the greater the impact on the knee joint after surgery.
2. Early meniscus tear surgery will significantly increase the chance of suturing and healing the damaged meniscus. After the meniscus is sutured, it will be similar to normal if it heals. Delaying surgery can result in lost opportunities for suturing or difficulty in healing.
3. Even if the meniscus is completely removed, it will cause less wear and tear on the joint than a torn meniscus in the joint. Early surgery should be performed to prevent accelerated degeneration of the knee joint.
4. Early meniscus tear surgery can resume study, life, work, physical exercise, etc., as soon as possible.

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