“Can I get my torn cartilage repaired?”
I'm 30 years old and I injured my knee playing tennis. An MRI showed macerated lateral mensicus. Can I get my torn cartilage repaired?
13 Answers
Simple tear, yes. Macerated probably needs to be removed. Maybe part of it can be repaired.
It is possible to repair a torn meniscus. Depends on many variables.
Yes with an experienced arthroscopic Surgeon
If your lateral meniscus is macerated it probably cannot be repaired but will need to be partially excised. That can only be determined at the time you undergo an arthroscopic surgery procedure.
If it is truly macerated and causing pain the best solution is to excise the severely damaged portion. A repair will not be successful. Cartilage tears can heal with repair but they need to be relatively new and so-called clean tears.
If you have knee pain on the outside of your knee and an MRI that suggests that you have a lateral meniscus tear then you would likely benefit from an arthroscopic (camera) type of surgery where either the meniscus tear is removed or repaired. This will definitely help!
The term "repaired" is misleading. A torn meniscus can be treated either by suture or by resection of the torn piece.Suture of a torn meniscus has mixed results and depends on several factors:
- Size and location of the tear (white/white v. red/white zone, safe v. unsafe zone, etc)
- Type of tear and quality of tissue (degenerative tear v. traumatic)
- Age & health of patient (under 20-25 v. over, athletic v. not)
The surgeon should always consider "repair" over resection, if it is likely to be successful. A failed repair results in additional surgery & loss of meniscus.Resection should be well planned and minimal. The description of "30 year old with a macerated lateral meniscus tear" suggests resection may be necessary.
- Size and location of the tear (white/white v. red/white zone, safe v. unsafe zone, etc)
- Type of tear and quality of tissue (degenerative tear v. traumatic)
- Age & health of patient (under 20-25 v. over, athletic v. not)
The surgeon should always consider "repair" over resection, if it is likely to be successful. A failed repair results in additional surgery & loss of meniscus.Resection should be well planned and minimal. The description of "30 year old with a macerated lateral meniscus tear" suggests resection may be necessary.
The decision to repair versus excise the torn meniscus is made at the time of arthroscopic surgery. Although most macerated tears are amenable to repair, a partial lateral meniscectomy will address the problem also.
Good luck!
Good luck!
Absolutely! You should see a surgeon who not only performs meniscus repair, but believes in the importance of the meniscus to normal knee function. I perform hundreds of meniscus repairs a year. I believe that it will help reduce the future incidence of arthritis.
Just know that it will take 4-6 months to return to tennis after a repair. Do NOT let someone cut your meniscus out. #savethemeniscus
Just know that it will take 4-6 months to return to tennis after a repair. Do NOT let someone cut your meniscus out. #savethemeniscus
Unfortunately, 90% of cartilage tears are not repairable. However, If it is a "peripheral" tear, then a repair is possible. Talk to your Ortho doc about it.
Hope it helps!
Dr. Bose
Hope it helps!
Dr. Bose
Yes. ust about every tear type in a non-arthritic knee is repairable (if the surgeon is practiced at the most modern techniques, which few are despite saying they are).
It really depends on the pattern and complexity of the tear. Peripheral tears in the vascular region of the meniscus have a good chance of repair success. Complex, macerated, degenerative tears are less repairable.
There are a number of factors that go into the decision of whether a meniscus is repairable or not. My best recommendation would be to make an appointment with an Orthopedic Surgeon to have them review your imaging and perform an exam. With that said, typically in younger, active patients the leaning is to repair a meniscus if it is possible. There are certain tear patterns that are not repairable and require debridement or partial removal (a “clean up” type of surgery). It is also possible to treat a torn meniscus nonoperatively in certain circumstances, this is especially true when there are no mechanical symptoms such as locking or buckling of the knee or in the setting of significant arthritis.
I hope that’s helpful.
I hope that’s helpful.
