About Torn meniscus

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What is Torn Meniscus?

The meniscus is a piece of cartilage in the knee that cushions and stabilizes the joint. It protects the bones from wear and tear. A sudden twist of the knee can tear the meniscus. In some cases, a piece of the shredded cartilage breaks loose and catches in the knee joint, causing it to lock up.

How is Torn meniscus performed?

Before this surgery there are two therapeutic options depending on the type of rupture. If the broken meniscus piece is small, it can be removed, which is called a partial meniscectomy or a broken suture if it is not possible to remove the piece.

Both interventions can be performed without the need for open surgery. The intervention is carried out through two 4-millimeter mini-incisions through laparoscopic surgery tools. The camera allows the surgeon to see the lesion through an incision. The instruments are inserted through the other incision to reduce the lesion. The surgeon can either remove the broken part of the meniscus that causes discomfort (menisectomy) or, if the tear is larger, both sections of the meniscus are sewn. The risks are low because it is a laparoscopic surgery in which the incisions are small. This surgery has a percentage of good results greater than 90%.

Author: Dr. Alberto Zafra, Trauma surgeon

Posted: 03 September 2019 at 07:40 UTC
Last Updated: 12 January 2021 at 07:08 UTC