Arthroscopic Meniscal repair

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Just like an injury which results in the tear of ligaments, your meniscus can also develop a tear in some cases. Now if you are not aware of which structures are called meniscus and read on to find out. Your thighbone is connected to your shinbone with the help of small C-shaped cartilage structures. These structures are called the meniscus. Athletes often have the risk of a torn meniscus especially if they are into contact sports like football. Nonsurgical treatment of a torn meniscus is possible but if the injury is acute, then you will have to go for arthroscopic meniscal repair.

What Things Should You Keep In Mind Before an Arthroscopic Meniscal Repair?

There are certain things that must be kept in mind and be checked before you go for your arthroscopic meniscal repair and they are listed below:

• Size of the tear

The size of the tear is a major factor when it comes to injuries and in case of a meniscal tear, the doctor will first diagnose your tear to see how much severe it is. Your age also matters in this respect. If you are of a younger age and your meniscal tear is of a size less than 5mm, then there are high chances that the tear will repair completely on its own with the help of medications and other therapies. Your doctor will recommend the appropriate therapies in that case and might also advise you to wear knee braces.

• Position of the tear

The exact position of the tear is another important aspect. If your tear has resulted on the outer side of the meniscus, then healing chances on its own are much higher because of the presence of greater amount of blood vessels. And when it comes to surgery, the outer meniscus is difficult to access but on the other hand, the inner one can be easily operated.

• Shape of the tear

The shape of the tear is yet another factor that must be considered before an arthroscopic meniscal repair surgery. In general, if you have a longitudinal tear, then it can be easily repaired. But a flap tear or a radial tear cannot easily be operated as in the case of a longitudinal one.

What is the Treatment Procedure of an Arthroscopic Meniscal Repair?

• At first, the patient is administered with an appropriate dose of anesthesia after which the upper thigh region is tied with a tourniquet.
• Several incisions are made through one of which, an arthroscope is inserted and the images are shown on a monitor that is present inside the room.
• The surgeons then probe the meniscus with a small metal instrument and after seeing its condition, they decide whether it can be repaired or has to be completely removed.
• If the repair is to be done, then small dart like devices are used to stitch up the cartilage structures which are gradually absorbed over time.
• Rehabilitation program will be explained to you after the surgery.

There are hardly any complications in a meniscal repair surgery and under the supervision of our doctors, the success rate is very high.