While surgeries to trim out part of a meniscus tear – partial meniscectomy – are among the most common operations in orthopedic surgery, another surgical treatment does exist. For some patients with a meniscus tear in the knee, the surgeon can sew it back together – a meniscal repair.
Whether a meniscus tear can be sewn together depends on several factors. The tear must be located in a portion of the meniscus where there is still blood supply so that the tear actually heals. The tear must also be in a certain orientation so that the stitches can hold it together.
In this video, I discuss how likely it is that a torn meniscus is repairable. I share my thoughts on how often a surgeon knows it will be repairable before the surgery and whether an MRI can predict it accurately. I also discuss the postoperative restrictions and return to sports and exercise.
Also read:
Meniscus tears – Mechanism of injury and diagnosis
Meniscus tears – Surgery to trim out the tear
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