Meniscus
The meniscus is a C-shaped cartilage that functions as a cushion between the long bones of the shin and thigh. Forceful twisting of the knee while bearing weight on it can result in a torn meniscus. Small tears in the meniscus often heal with rest. Moderate tears on the outer edge of the meniscus tend to respond favorably to surgical repair. However, the deeper the tear, the less likely it is to heal after surgical repair. This is because the center of the meniscus has no blood supply when compared to the outer one-third of the meniscus.
Failed Meniscus Repair
Meniscal repair may be performed either by open surgery under direct vision or minimally invasively using an arthroscope, which is a thin tube fitted with a camera that can be inserted into the knee through a very small incision to locate and repair the damaged meniscus.
Three months following meniscal repair if pain and disability persist, a failed meniscal repair may be suspected and can be confirmed by performing a repeat arthroscopy.
Factors that may cause a failed meniscal repair include:
- Patients older than 40 years of age
- Delayed treatment
- Ragged, degenerative and complex tears
- Full-thickness tear
- Tears in the inner margin that lack blood supply
Following a failed meniscal repair, your doctor will recommend conservative therapy with pain medication and activity modification if the symptoms are minimal. If a residual tear is diagnosed, the meniscus may be trimmed before considering a second surgical repair of the meniscus.
Related Topics:
- Knee Arthroscopy
- ACL Reconstruction
- Multiligament Reconstruction of the Knee
- Meniscal Surgery
- Cartilage Restoration
- Orthobiologics
- ACL Reconstruction with Patellar Tendon
- Partial Arthroscopic Meniscectomy
- Saucerization
- Intraarticluar Knee Injection
- Knee Fracture Surgery
- Arthroscopic Debridement
- LPFL Reconstruction
- Tibial Derotational Osteotomy
- Failed Meniscus Repair
- Meniscal Transplantation
- Meniscectomy
- Mosaicplasty
- Posterolateral Corner Reconstruction
- Prior Meniscectomy
- Quadriceps Tendon Repair
- Tibial Eminence Fracture
- Trochleoplasty
- ORIF of the Knee Fracture
- Chondroplasty
- Distal Femoral Osteotomy
- Hamstring Autograft
- Hamstring Allograft
- Viscosupplementation
- Physical Therapy for Knee
- Knee Osteoarthritis
- High Tibial Osteotomy
- Tibial Tubercle Osteotomy
- Patellar Tendon Repair
- Robotic Assisted Partial Knee Surgery
- Distal Realignment Procedures
- PCL Reconstruction
- LCL Reconstruction
- MCL Reconstruction
- Cartilage Replacement
- Bicompartmental Knee Resurfacing
- Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation
- Subchondroplasty
- Partial Meniscectomy
- Transphyseal Surgery
- Partial Transphyseal Surgery
- Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Reconstruction
- ACL Reconstruction Procedure with Hamstring Tendon
- Physeal Sparing Surgery (Anderson's Technique)
- Physeal Sparing Surgery (Micheli-KocherTechnique)
- Combined Hyaluronic Therapy for the Knee
- Matrix Induced Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation (MACI)
- Failed Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Reconstruction
- Physeal Sparing Reconstruction of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament
- Bone-Patellar Tendon-Bone (BPTB) Autograft
- Bone-Patellar Tendon-Bone (BPTB) Allograft
- Pharmacological Interventions for Knee Injuries
- Arthroscopic Reconstruction of the Knee for Ligament Injuries