Sports Injury Rehabilitation for a Meniscus Tear
Torn Medial Meniscus - Arthroscopic Knee Surgery Recovery
Oct 5, 2009
Joint cartilage tears are among the common sports injuries, especially tears of the medial meniscus in the knee. The lateral meniscus and medial meniscus in the knee are pieces of joint cartilage that act as a shock absorbers and provide a low-friction surface on which the bone ends slide during flexion, extension, or torsion of the knee joint. When these pieces of knee cartilage are torn, they can impede proper articulation of the knee.
Symptoms of a Torn Medial Meniscus
Torn knee cartilage symptoms range in severity from minor discomfort to debilitating pain. In instances of a slightly torn medial meniscus, the injured knee joint often feels normal through most of its range of motion, but a sharp pain or “blockage” is experienced when the joint is near full extension or full flexion. After more severe tears of joint cartilage, the knee’s range of motion may be drastically reduced.
How Does a Torn Medial Meniscus Affect the Knee Joint?
When the medial meniscus tears, the edges of the tear often overlap or force a chip or flap of torn knee cartilage into the joint. Knee joint structures are precisely fitted, so any such change will impede joint motion. Also, any irregularity in the surface of the meniscus will interfere with its function as a gliding surface for the bone ends in the knee joint.
Medial Meniscus Tears may be Accompanied by Medial Collateral Ligament Injury
Because the medial collateral ligament (MCL) attaches to the knee cartilage, accidents causing a medial collateral ligament tear often also result in a torn medial meniscus. In some instances of severe knee trauma, the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is also torn, resulting in what sports injury specialists often refer to as “The Terrible Triad”.
Torn Knee Cartilage Often Requires Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
When motion of the knee joint is impeded by a torn medial meniscus, arthroscopic knee surgery is usually the solution. Arthroscopic knee surgery involves making several small incisions and performing the surgery by inserting specialized tools into the knee joint and watching progress on a fibre optic camera, also called an arthroscope. Because of the smaller incisions, the rate of arthroscopic knee surgery recovery can be relatively fast.
Types of Arthroscopic Knee Surgery for a Torn Medial Meniscus
If the knee cartilage is torn slightly and a tiny chip or flap of joint cartilage is interfering with the motion of the knee, the surgeon will often simply clip off the offending piece of cartilage. For this type of arthroscopic knee surgery, recovery can be as fast as six weeks. Severely torn joint cartilage may require stitching and a considerably longer program of specialized knee surgery rehabilitation. In the past, it was common to simply remove a torn meniscus, which enabled a quick recovery but would cause problems for the patient later in life.
Knee Surgery Rehabilitation After a Medial Meniscus Tear - Consult a Sports Injury Specialist
After arthroscopic knee surgery, recovery time can range from six weeks and up, depending on the severity of the original injury and the quality of the knee surgery rehabilitation program. It is always advisable to consult a sports injury specialist during arthroscopic knee surgery recovery because they will be able to put together a suitable program designed to regain the knee joint’s range of motion, maintain flexibility, and strengthen the surrounding muscles to reduce the risk of future injury.
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