A torn meniscus is considered one of the most common knee injuries. You may be in need of a surgical meniscus repair if you have exhausted all non-surgical modalities of treatment to alleviate your pain from your torn meniscus. We offer consultations to see what your best options are to treat your meniscus repair and reducing your pain, so you can get back to the activities you enjoy. To schedule an appointment, call one of the seven offices in Atlanta, Savannah, Conyers, Augusta, Macon, and Decatur, Georgia, or book an in-person or telemedicine appointment online today.

What is a meniscus?

A meniscus is a piece of cartilage in the knee made up of two menisci. The meniscus are C-shaped, rubbery cushions that absorb shock in the knee joint between your tibia (shinbone) and your femur (thighbone).

How do you know if you have torn your meniscus?

It is possible to injury your meniscus or tear your meniscus making it torn cartilage. Symptoms you may have after a sudden twist, turn, or collision in your knee include:

• Popping sensation
• Swelling
• Stiffness
• Pain
• Difficulty straightening your knee fully
• Locked knee feeling
• Unable to put pressure on your knee

If you are experiencing these pain points, your knee is swollen, or you can’t move your knee as usual, it is best to get a consultation before further damage occurs. In older adults, it is possible to tear your meniscus with little to no trauma due to degenerative changes of the knee.

Will you need surgery to heal a torn meniscus?

Not always. There are many factors that go into determining if you need surgery for your torn meniscus including:

• Type of tear
• Size of tear
• Location
• Your activity level
• Your lifestyle
• Related injuries
• Presense of symptoms

We provide conservative modalities of treatment in addition to surgical treatment to help ease the pain of your torn meniscus. If rest, ice, medication, physical therapy, and injections do not fully alleviate the pain, then surgery may be the best option to restoring your fuctionality.

What kind of surgeries are available for a torn meniscus?

A meniscus repair or a partial meniscectomy are available to fix a torn meniscus. In extreme cases a full knee replacement may be necessary. An arthroscope, or small camera, is a thin tube with a small light at the end that is used to asses the tear of the meniscus through an incision on the knee.

A meniscus repair includes sewing torn pieces of cartilage back together so they can heal on their own.

A partial meniscectomy is when the damaged cartilage is trimmed and removed to leave the healthy meniscus tissue in place.

If you are experiencing pain due to a knee injury, please consult our orthopedic specialists at Spine Center Atlanta. Call the nearest office or book an appointment online today.