The meniscus is your knee's shock absorber. When it tears, the goal is to save it when we can. Arthroscopic surgery either repairs the meniscus or, when a tear cannot be repaired, trims only the damaged part.
Each knee has two menisci, C-shaped cartilage cushions that absorb load and protect the joint surface. Because the meniscus protects your cartilage over the long run, preserving it matters. When a tear is repairable, Dr. Wichman favors meniscus repair, stitching it back together. When a tear is not repairable, a partial meniscectomy removes only the torn portion while keeping as much healthy meniscus as possible. Both are done arthroscopically.
Meniscus tears are remarkably common with age, and many cause no symptoms at all. In a large population MRI study (Englund and colleagues, New England Journal of Medicine, 2008), meniscal tears were found in about a third of adults over 50, and roughly two-thirds of those tears were causing no knee symptoms. In other words, a tear on your MRI does not automatically mean you need surgery.
Many tears, especially degenerative ones, improve with physical therapy, activity changes, and time. A tear that locks or catches the knee, or an acute tear in a younger, active patient, is more likely to benefit from an operation. We treat you, not just the image, and give you an honest read on which situation you are in.
A meniscectomy usually recovers quickly. A repair is protected longer while it heals, which is the trade-off for keeping the meniscus. See post-op instructions for meniscus repair and meniscectomy.
When a tear is repairable, repair is preferred because the meniscus protects your cartilage long term. When it is not repairable, only the torn part is trimmed. The right choice depends on the tear pattern, location, and your age and activity.
No. Meniscus tears are very common with age and often cause no symptoms; in one MRI study, tears were found in about a third of adults over 50 and most caused no symptoms (Englund et al., New England Journal of Medicine, 2008). Many degenerative tears improve with therapy and time. Surgery is more likely to help a tear that locks or catches the knee, or an acute tear in an active patient.
New patients across Milwaukee are welcome. To request an appointment, email us at the address below and we will follow up to get you scheduled.
This page is for general education and is not medical advice. Whether a procedure is right for you is a decision made with your surgeon after an evaluation. If this is a medical emergency, call 911.
Wichman Orthopedics