The question of when meniscus knee surgery is needed is a common question. It is difficult to answer it unambiguously. Feedback from people who have experienced various problems with this organ indicates some caution before the operation, so they looked for conservative methods of treatment. In order to fully reveal the topic of the need for surgical intervention, you need to understand what a meniscus is.
What are the menisci of the knee joint?
Cartilage pads, which are a kind of shock absorbers and stabilizers, as well as enhancers of its mobility and flexibility, are called the menisci of the knee joint. If the joint moves, the meniscus will shrink and change its shape.
The knee joint includes two menisci - medial or internal and lateral or external. They are connected to each other by a transverse ligament in front of the joint.
A feature of the outer meniscus is greater mobility, and therefore its injury rate is higher. The inner meniscus is not as mobile, it depends on the inner lateralligaments. Therefore, if he is injured, then this ligament is also damaged. In this case, knee surgery on the meniscus is necessary.
Causes of various meniscus injuries
So why do they get damaged, and when is knee meniscus surgery necessary?
- To rupture of the cartilage lining lead to injuries that are accompanied by movement of the lower leg in different directions.
- The meniscus of the knee joint (treatment, surgery and other methods will be discussed below) can be damaged in case of excessive extension of the joint during adduction and abduction of the lower leg.
- Ruptures are possible with direct impact on the joint, for example, from being hit by a moving object, hitting a step or falling on the knee.
- A repeated direct injury may cause chronic traumatization of the meniscus, as a result of which a rupture may occur with a sharp turn.
- Changes in the meniscus can occur in some diseases, such as rheumatism, gout, chronic intoxication (especially in those people whose work involves prolonged standing or walking), with chronic microtrauma.
Methods of meniscus treatment, reviews
Surgery is not indicated in all cases, as damage to this tissue may be different. There are several ways to restore meniscus functionality. For this, physiotherapy procedures, various medications are carried out.are applied, as well as traditional medicine recipes are used.
Many patients choose more conservative methods, their reviews testify to this. But they also note the risk of losing recovery time. When they, instead of performing the operation, which was advised by experts, chose physiotherapy or treatment with folk remedies, it only got worse. In such cases, an operation was nevertheless performed, but already more complex and with a long recovery period. Therefore, sometimes it happens that surgery on the knee joint on the meniscus is inevitable. In what cases is it assigned?
When is knee meniscus surgery scheduled?
- When crushing the meniscus.
- If there was a break and displacement of it. The body of the meniscus is characterized by insufficient blood circulation, therefore, in the event of a rupture, self-healing is out of the question. In this case, a partial or complete resection of the cartilage is indicated.
- In case of hemorrhage in the joint cavity, an operation on the meniscus of the knee joint is also indicated. Patient feedback indicates a fairly quick recovery in this case.
- When the body and horns of the meniscus are completely torn off.
What types of manipulation are used?
Surgeries are performed to stitch together or partially remove cartilage. Sometimes surgery to remove the meniscus of the knee joint is performed with the aim of transplanting this organ. In this case, part of the damagedcartilage and is replaced by a graft. This is not a very dangerous surgical intervention, although some patients, according to their reviews, were afraid to resort to grafts. After such a manipulation, there are few risks, since donor or artificial menisci take root without any problems. The only negative in this situation is a long rehabilitation. On average, it takes 3-4 months for a successful engraftment of the transplant. After that, the working capacity of a person is gradually restored. Those who do not want to spend so much time on rehabilitation resort to radical methods of repairing their torn cartilage.
Recently, medicine has reached such a level that it is possible to save even a meniscus torn apart. To do this, it is necessary not to delay the operation and in a calm state, with properly organized treatment, spend at least a month in rehabilitation. Proper nutrition also plays a role here. Patient reviews can be found opposite: some tend to replace cartilage with donor or artificial, while others prefer their own. But in these two cases, a positive result is possible only with the right approach to rehabilitation after surgery.
Using knee arthroscopy
With arthroscopy, the surgeon can see most of the structures inside the knee joint. The knee joint can be compared to a hinge, which is formed by the end sections of the tibia and femur. The surfaces of these bones adjacent to the jointhave a smooth cartilage cover, thanks to which they can slide during joint movements. Normally, this cartilage is white, smooth and elastic, three to four millimeters thick. Arthroscopy can detect many problems, including a tear in the meniscus of the knee. Surgery using arthroscopic technique will help solve this problem. After it, the person will be able to fully move again. Patients say that this is the best procedure to restore the function of the knee joint today.
Meniscus knee surgery - duration
In arthroscopy, surgical instruments are inserted through small holes into the joint cavity. The arthroscope and the instruments used in this procedure allow the doctor to examine, remove, or stitch together the tissues inside the joint. The image through the arthroscope falls on the monitor. At the same time, the joint is filled with liquid, which makes it possible to see everything quite clearly. The whole procedure lasts no more than 1-2 hours.
According to statistics, half of all injuries of the knee joint are caused by damage to the meniscus of the knee joint. The operation facilitates the patient's well-being, relieves swelling. But, patients note, the result of this procedure is not always predictable. It all depends on the looseness or wear of the cartilage.
Rehabilitation in the treatment of conservative methods, reviews
Rehabilitation is required not only after meniscus surgery, but also as a result of any treatment for thiscartilage. Conservative treatment involves a two-month rehabilitation with the following recommendations:
- Do cold compresses.
- Dedicate time to physical therapy and gymnastics every day.
- The use of anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs.
Rehabilitation after surgery
Slightly different recovery requirements involve surgery on the meniscus of the knee joint. Rehabilitation in this case involves a little more effort, this is also noted by patients. This is due to the fact that there was more severe damage to the meniscus, as well as penetration through other tissues of the body. To recover from surgery you will need:
- Initially, it is necessary to walk with support so as not to burden the joint - it can be a cane or crutches, the duration of which is determined by the doctor.
- After that, the load on the joint slightly increases - the movement occurs already with the distribution of the load on the joints of the legs. This happens 2-3 weeks after the operation.
- Then it is allowed to walk independently with orthoses - special joint fixators.
- After 6-7 weeks it is necessary to start therapeutic exercises.
With strict adherence to these recommendations, the full recovery of the knee joint occurs 10-12 weeks after surgery.
Postoperative complications
What are the negative consequences of the operation on the meniscus of the knee? Reviews indicate that postoperativecomplications are rare, but they do happen.
- Intra-articular infections are the most common. It can get into the joint if the rules of asepsis and antisepsis are not followed. Also, an existing purulent focus in the joint can lead to infection.
- There are also injuries of cartilage, menisci and ligaments. There have been cases of surgical instruments breaking inside the joint.
- If it is wrong to approach rehabilitation after surgery on the knee joint, its stiffness, up to ankylosis, is possible.
- Other complications include thromboembolism, gas and fat embolism, fistulas, adhesions, nerve damage, hemarthrosis, osteomyelitis, sepsis.
Sports after surgery
Professional athletes try to get back to work as soon as possible after a meniscus injury and surgery. With a specially designed rehabilitation program, this can be achieved in as little as 2 months, they note. For quick recovery, power simulators (bike ergometers), pool exercises, certain exercises, and so on are used. When rehabilitation comes to an end, you can run on a treadmill, pass the ball, imitate exercises related to a particular sport. Reviews of such patients indicate difficulties in rehabilitation in a similar way, since it is always difficult to develop a diseased joint. But after hard work and patience, you can achieve good and fast results.
Proper rehabilitation after knee meniscus surgery leads to completerecovery. Doctors' forecasts are favorable.
