Meniscus - CENTRE FOR ORTHOPAEDICS, SPORTS MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION - Dr. Erich H. Rembeck

MENISCUS

Meniscus Treatment, Meniscus-Anatomy and Symptoms

Menisci are sickle-shaped discs of cartilage situated between the tibial plateau and the femur. They function as shock absorbers to protect the joint cartilage and fulfill the important function of joint stabilisation and joint relief.

After a meniscus tear many free or moveable segments are found in the joint cavity, which damage the sensitive joint cartilage and which can encourage knee arthritis. The meniscus tear is sometimes detectable by an intensive pain in the knee joint. It can also be merely represented by night pain at the inner side of the knee joint or as pain during significant bending of the knee joint. The knee joint is sometimes not freely mobile and can also frequently lock.

Treatment

One can repair certain menisci tears with special pins, so-called meniscus anchors, or by means of meniscus suturing. In other cases the torn off section must be removed.

Meniscus preservation with sutures or anchors would be preferably performed if possible, in order to keep the risk of arthritis as low as possible. The possibility for synthetic meniscus replacements exists for cases with the loss of big meniscus portions. This meniscus replacement would also be arthroscopically implanted and supplies, after it is ingrown, the main structure for a meniscus regeneration.

Inability to work after a meniscus treatment

After a meniscus suturing a partial weight-bearing with crutches should be undertaken for the following 6 weeks. If your job requires heavy physical work, it is common that there is an inability to work for 7-8 weeks. The removal of a section of meniscus leads to approximately 1 week (by heavy physical work approximately 3 weeks) of an inability to work.

Sports activity after the treatment

Unrestricted sports activity is mostly possible after 6 weeks of a timely early detected meniscus damage, so long as a meniscus residing intervention was undertaken. With meniscus suturing the capability to undertake sport extends itself to 3-4 months. With existing cartilage damage, possible consideration for limitations while practicing sport types with extreme pressure on the knee joint must be accepted.