Meniscus Injury / Menisectomy

The meniscus is a piece of cartilage that sits in the middle of our knee between the femur and the tibia. The meniscus acts as a shock absorber for our knee joint, help stabilize our knees, and also prevents bone on bone contact between the femur and the tibia. Injuries to the meniscus are common and are estimated to be the second most commonly injured structure in the knee and often happen with a sprain of the ACL. Meniscus tears are classified as either traumatic or degenerative. Traumatic meniscus injuries typically involve younger individuals who pivot and change directions at a high speed. Elderly populations will have degenerative meniscal tears where the meniscus may tear as a result of osteoarthritis. The management of meniscus injuries entirely depends on where the injury occurs. The outer 1/3 of the meniscus has good blood supply. This means that if the injury is on the outer 1/3 of the meniscus then it may heal on its own without the need for surgery. The inner 2/3 of the meniscus does not get blood supply therefore it is not capable of healing on its own. In this case there is a portion of the meniscus that is torn and a flap may be present causing pain whenever the patient bends or moves the knee. This will require a procedure known as a meniscectomy. In this procedure the surgeon will arthroscopically enter the knee and surgically trim the flap portions of the meniscus while maintaining the other portions of the meniscus. Patients who have a meniscal injury that heals on its own and patients who undergo a meniscectomy tend to have excellent results after physical therapy. In physical therapy we work to reduce pain, improve knee range of motion, and build strength levels back to prior levels. Please see below for examples of how we treat meniscus injuries in our clinic. If you would like to schedule an appointment please reach out to us.