Many patients with pain from a meniscus tear opt to undergo surgery. The surgical treatment options are either a meniscus repair or partial meniscectomy. In this Ask Dr. Geier video, I discuss trimming out part of the meniscus and whether replacing the torn portion is possible.

Antonio asks on Twitter:
@DrDavidGeier Hey Doc, is it possible to replace a trimmed meniscus?

Partial meniscectomy is the technical term for the surgery in which the orthopedic surgeon trims out the torn portion of the meniscus. Most meniscus tears require this procedure as opposed to a meniscus repair because of the location and type of tear.

Partial meniscectomy is the surgery leading to a trimmed meniscus.

Long-term effects of meniscus trimming surgery

Patients often worry about the long-term effects of trimming out some of the shock absorber in the knee. Arthritis in the knee years later can develop. As orthopedic surgeons, we still generally allow patients to resume all physical activities despite that possible degeneration down the road.

Also read:
Meniscus tears: Surgery to trim out the tear

Is a meniscus transplant possible for a trimmed meniscus?

If the tear and surgery to treat it required the surgeon to remove most of the meniscus, there is a meniscus allograft transplantation procedure that can be done. It is typically performed on younger patients with minimal wear-and-tear on the articular cartilage within the knee.

Also read:
Answers to your questions about surgery to trim out a meniscus tear

In this video, I explain what a meniscal allograft transplantation involves and what factors go into deciding if a patient with a trimmed meniscus might be a candidate for that surgery.

Recommended Products and Resources
Click here to go to Dr. David Geier’s Amazon Influencer store!
Due to a large number of questions I have received over the years asking about products for health, injuries, performance, and other areas of sports, exercise, work and life, I have created an Amazon Influencer page. While this information and these products are not intended to treat any specific injury or illness you have, they are products I use personally, have used or have tried, or I have recommended to others. THE SITE MAY OFFER HEALTH, FITNESS, NUTRITIONAL AND OTHER SUCH INFORMATION, BUT SUCH INFORMATION IS DESIGNED FOR EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THE CONTENT DOES NOT AND IS NOT INTENDED TO CONVEY MEDICAL ADVICE AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE. YOU SHOULD NOT RELY ON THIS INFORMATION AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR, NOR DOES IT REPLACE, PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT. THE SITE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ACTIONS OR INACTION ON A USER’S PART BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT IS PRESENTED ON THE SITE. Please note that as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.


X