Begin passive range of motion exercises Start physical therapy or home exercise program 1-3 days after surgery Work on quad recruitment Brace/Crutch Use 25% weight bearing with crutches, brace 0-90 when ambulating and sleeping, can remove . Unlike some meniscus tears which can be observed or treated conservatively, most meniscus root tears need surgery. 2018;47:762. I have no issues taking the stairs, just a little knee discomfort here and there. Often the best medicine to take is NSAIDs like naproxen and ibuprofen. There is often swelling of the knee and severe pain with walking, running, twisting, or moving the knee. Thus, these patients can often have early onset arthritis, the development of bony edema, insufficiency fractures, and the failure of concurrent cruciate ligament reconstruction grafts. Thanks to Dr. Burnham and his staff. I hung on to this MRI referral for a good month or so, because the knee was starting to feel better, and I was still able to train and attend my BJJ classes. It has been found that one suture alone for the repair does not work well, so a minimum of 2 sutures is required to maximize meniscal healing. Each horn is anchored to the bone at the meniscus root (anterior and posterior). For these, please consult a doctor (virtually or in person). The roots of the meniscus are responsible for transmitting weight evenly across the surface of the tibia. We use the 2-tunnel technique to maximize biologic healing of the meniscus down to a broad surface. The length of time until patients are able to return to driving varies . Very reassuring, showed me X-rays and explained the healing process very clearly. I think my clients thought I had lost my mind, but what else was I going to do? Your doctor put a lighted tubecalled an arthroscope or scopeand other surgical tools through small cuts (incisions) in your knee. There can be many factors which can potentially cause pain after a meniscus root repair. You may need to leave a message. Meniscus Repair Surgery Rehab Protocol & Recovery Time - Kevin R. Stone As a result, two weeks after surgery I was able to start driving my car, which is a manual. Hands down would recommend him!! Factors Affecting Meniscus Tear Healing and Prognosis AOSSM Lecture from Jeremy Burnham, Ochsner-Andrews Sports Medicine Institute, Copyright 2022Jeremy Burnham, M.D. The meniscus is a piece of cartilage in the knee, often injured in sports. Untreated meniscus tears can increase in size and lead to complications, such as arthritis. The meniscus is a very important piece of cartilage in the knee. The system also involves a drill with a cannula whereby one can drill through the tibial guide, see the drill bit come out inside the knee, and then pull the drill bit out and leave the cannula in place. We currently use UltraTape to do this. Most importantly, I have not missed a single coaching or training session since my surgery. The general published success rate for a meniscus root repair is between 80% and 85%. So happy I found them! Meniscal repair may be performed either by open surgery under direct vision or minimally invasively using an arthroscope that can be inserted into the knee through a very small key-hole incision to locate and repair the damaged meniscus. Dr. Burnham made sure I knew what was happening and what could happen. In terms of when, one should plan to perform a meniscus root repair as soon as it is diagnosed as long as ones articular cartilage is still fairly intact. Many patients who do have a meniscus root tear note that they feel a pop in the back of the knee when they are doing squatting activities, such as cleaning floors, gardening, placing down carpet or plumbing. His interaction with me around my surgery calmed me, and his excellent work in the operating room speaks for itself. Meniscus Root Tear | Orthopedic Knee Specialist | Vail, Aspen, Denver I definitely know that I would not have been able to do all that I can do now, if I had not gone into the surgery strong. He diagnosed the problem quickly and accurately. How long after surgery for a meniscus tear will i be able to drive again. Being stronger is always better than being weak. I asked him about biking, and he told me that he allowed his patients to start biking two weeks after surgery. Matthias J. Feucht1,4 Received: 19 May 2022 / Accepted: 13 February 2023 Other complications can include a blood clot, which is usually treated preemptively with some type of blood thinner, and irritation around the surgical button and/or surgical knot from the meniscus root tear. This can occur with turning, twisting, or pivoting activities or sports. One of the most common is in patients who may have some underlying arthritis and the arthritis is causing the pain or the arthritis has progressed further after the meniscus root repair. For this reason, much research has gone in to meniscus root repairs over the last several years. What could you eat or do for a meniscus tear to heal faster after surgery? I have successfully repaired meniscus root tears in patients that were 70 and 71 years old respectively and they are some of my happiest patients. PHONE: (952) 442-2163 | WEB: TCOMN.COM/PHYSICIANS/KYLE- MORGENSTERN/ . Surgical repair can successfully allow the meniscus to heal. . In the early stages of your meniscus tear you can take these conservative and essential treatments which are as follows: Rest Ice every 15 minutes in every 4-6 hours Compression with an ACE wrap or sleeve Elevation of the leg Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) for pain. Meniscal Root Repair | Knee Specialist | Minnesota He did a great job of explaining both the progress of my injury and the way ahead as it applied to recovery. Eventually, as I get into the mid 100s again, I will start adding five pounds a week. Outcomes after Surgical Repair of Medial Meniscal Root Tears - PubMed The meniscus is a crescent-shaped pad of cartilage located in the knee that helps stabilize and . Repairs have been found to delay or improve the findings of bony edema and the early onset of arthritis in many patients. I consulted with SSC and DPT Darin Deaton prior to my surgery and then afterwards, when I discovered it had been a meniscus root repair. This can occur in up to 20% of patients, even in the best of circumstances. When a torn fragment is floating in the joint, patients will feel a sudden, sha twitter.com/i/web/status/1, According to an injury study done in 2021, #Pickleball has been deemed safer than #tennis and better for individual twitter.com/i/web/status/1, Cysts Acetabular Paralabral and Subchondral, ACL Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury of the Knee, Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome Runners Knee, PVNS of the Knee Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis, Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation Surgery (OATS), Patellofemoral Arthroscopy Runners Knee Treatment, Stabilization for Instability-Arthroscopic, Subacromial Decompression for Impingement, How to prevent common skiing and snowboarding injuries | Ski Injury Doctor Manhattan, BICMD Co-Founder and Co-CEO Announces Expansion of Services, Patients are partial weight bearing for the first 4 weeks and then during weeks 4-6 are progressed to full weight-bearing. In patients who have open growth plates, consideration may be necessary to either plan to remove the sutures after the meniscus root repair heals or to consider placing the tunnels and suture repair above the growth plate such that is does not cross the growth plate and have a theoretical chance of causing a growth plate arrest. Meniscus root tears usually occur in patients with deep flexion such as skiers, or home gardeners, plumbers, or carpet layers or people doing similar activities. It is important to recognize that most patients who sustain isolated meniscus root tears happen with a medial meniscus root attachment. If one has too much arthritis, then the chance of a meniscus root repair helping one to slow down the progression of arthritis is probably not worth having the meniscus root repaired. I was referred to Dr. Burnham from my spine doc, Chambliss Harrod, MD and he turned out to be a way cool guy. We recognized that meniscus root tears were a problem over 10 years ago and set out to perform a comprehensive research program to help us figure out how to diagnose the problem, where to place the meniscus repair, and how best to fix the meniscus tear to allow for maximal healing capability. If you think you may have a meniscus tear, it is recommended that you see a sports medicine physician as soon as possible. Very professional! While there are many factors that can go into extrusion, a maximum attempt should be made by the surgeon to try to pull the meniscus back in the joint to give the meniscus the best chance to function as a shock absorber after it heals. Surgical knee will be in a hinged rehab brace locked in FULL EXTENSION for 4 weeks postop. Then I trained. Recovery Tips After Meniscus Surgery - Kellie Middleton, MD Meniscus Root Repair Northeast Philadelphia, PA | Meniscal Root Tears Definition/Description. Dr Garcia demonstrates his new meniscal extrusion technique - YouTube 5 stars! Malempati C. Bonasia DE, Pellegrino P, DAmelio A, Cottino U, Rossi R. Meniscal Root Tear Repair: Why, When and How? Dr. La Prade had just moved to Vail and I was his 2nd patient @ The Steadman Clinic. Crutches will be used until the patient can walk without a limp on the repaired knee, which takes about 2 weeks after surgery. I'm able to run and exercise without pain. Knee popping after meniscus surgery can occur due to fluid accumulation, scar tissue, swelling and stretching of the tendon and ligaments, weakened leg muscles, changes in patellar tracking, underlying knee arthritis, unstable meniscus, and inflamed plica. Can You Walk Immediately After Meniscus Surgery? - eMedicineHealth If there is tissue there, it usually means that the meniscus root repair has healed down to bone. The technique of a meniscus root repair involves isolating the root, placing a minimum of 2 sutures in the remaining meniscal attachment, and trying to reposition it back to a more anatomic position. Stated to me , in detail, what to expect and how long my recovery will take. He has repaired both of my shoulders and he is awesome to the max. I have been very pleased with him at each visit..It's been almost 2 years since my meniscus root tear surgery and I have to say my knee feels great. (C, D) Arthrex MU (multiuse) guide with 6-mm FlipCutter drill positioned on footprint of posterior root of lateral meniscus. Country. Theyre kind of done with you too but what if you want to go play with the grandkids do you want to kneel what do you want to exercise youve got to set your expectations to still take it easy still rehab or strengthen the right muscles or do the right kind of treatment for yourself so that you can continue to heal. I would recommend his service to any recreational athlete. I also started boxing sessions once a week with one of my coaches as I am not allowed to start back to BJJ until September. And theres things that you can do, which Ill allude to here in the middle. Phase 1: 0-2 weeks post-operatively Goals Protect repair Minimize pain Minimize swelling . Other common symptoms include limping, a change in the patients gait and the inability to put weight on the affected knee. Protect repair Minimize pain Minimize swelling His surgery and recovery has been perfect! Had a meniscus root repair yesterday and the surgery was successful. After creating two transtibial tunnels, passing sutures through the detached root of the meniscus and down the tibial tunnels, the sutures are tensioned to reduce the root of the meniscus to anatomic position. But youre also not alone. In addition, there is no low age for meniscus repairs, with some root repairs being done in patients as young as 6 or 7 years old. It helps to be strong, my PT remarked. Other sources of pain can include scarring within the joint that occurs as a normal part of a surgical procedure, or pain from other pathology and joint, such as arthritis under the kneecap. (B) Posterior root lesion of lateral meniscus. Oct 24, 2020. I am now adding 10 pounds a week to the bar for squats. 2 0 obj Just its a big deal to take your time and let that cartilage heal at the rate that it heals you generally can go faster than what it heals, And the question that i get often is do i take any supplements glucosamine chondroitin those types of supplements and you know the answer to that is its not going to hurt we the research is kind of mixed on it sometimes it helps sometimes it doesnt help what we know is that it generally doesnt hurt it doesnt make it worse so youre not going to youre not going to make things worse if you decide to take those supplements are generally safe to take but some people report no difference. Can you tear your meniscus again after a surgery and if you do how can you tell? The next step involves using a self-capture device to place either sutures or tape into the substance of the meniscus body. And if youve already had your meniscus surgery, then you know what to do so that youre not getting more swelling, pain and not losing motion than that knee and youre staying out of the surgeons office, so you dont have to go back again for another knee surgery. The most important thing as one gets older is the quality of the cartilage present. Many surgeons will tie the meniscus root repair with the knee bent, so that one can start motion right after surgery and not have to worry about the meniscus root repair being stretched out. With an injury like this you want the best, and Dr. Burnham is the best. When you put weight on your leg, it is the meniscal roots that transfer the axial loading forces of the knee into hoop stress in the meniscus. And Im a specialist physical therapist El Paso manual physical therapy. The healing phase is long, but he does A+ work. A meniscus can become damaged due to sudden trauma. A possible cause for knee pain 1 year after meniscus surgery would be a re-tear of the meniscus. I highly recommend him. Takes his time with you and doesn't hurry to rush out of the room if you have questions.