Meniscus Surgery

About This Treatment

Doctors may recommend knee surgery for a meniscus tear that doesn't respond to conservative treatment. The orthopedic surgeons at Franciscan Health will evaluate your knee injury and determine the best procedure for your needs.

There are three types of knee surgery for a torn meniscus:

• Meniscus repair surgery: Your surgeon stitches the tear together. Recovery can take four to six months and you may need a knee brace or crutches for the first four to six weeks.
• Meniscus transplant surgery: Your surgeon uses a meniscus from a cadaver donor to replace your torn meniscus. During recovery, your knee will need to be immobilized to allow the transplanted meniscus to attach to the bone.
• Partial meniscectomy: During this procedure, your surgeon removes only the damaged part of the meniscus. Recovery typically takes four to six weeks.

For any type of meniscus surgery, you will recover at home and may have rehabilitation and physical therapy at Franciscan Health to help you recover faster.

What is a torn meniscus?

The meniscus is a crescent-shaped cushion of connective tissue between the bones in your knee. There are two menisci for each knee. They act as shock absorbers for your lower leg.

Meniscus tears happen when you make a rotating movement such as twisting the upper leg when your foot is planted on the ground. The outer part of the meniscus has a good blood supply, so injuries to this part typically heal on their own. However, the inner part of the meniscus has no blood supply. Injuries to this part of the meniscus typically don’t heal without surgery.

Torn meniscus diagnosis

Orthopedic surgeons at Franciscan Health use diagnostic imaging procedures like MRI and X-ray to determine the type and extent of your injury.

Torn meniscus symptoms

Symptoms of a torn meniscus may include:

• Catching, clicking or locking of the knee
• Pain, especially when holding the knee straight
• Swelling and stiffness
• Weakness