What treatment options are there for a torn meniscus?

Question

Almost 3 weeks ago I hurt my knee running. One doctor I saw told me it was a bone bruise and one told me that it was prepatellar bursitis, but I saw somebody in sports medicine last week who told me that what I was describing sounded like a meniscal tear. I had an MRI to confirm and the results indicate medial meniscal intrasubstance degeneration which may or may not be a tear.
It's quite painful when I walk, it pops, and the joint line is very tender. What are my options in terms of treating this? I'm in my 20s in case that makes a difference. I assume the basic scenario is surgery or conservative tx. I'm terrified of both the cost and the prospect of even minor surgery but this injury is making me quite miserable.

Answer 1

The website Ricochet recommended is very good. I have worked
for Orthopaedic surgeons for 30 years and the success rate for this type of surgery is extremely good, HOWEVER, you have to be diligent at the postoperative exercises. If you are already an athletic person, you will have no problem with this. Also, be sure to research the surgeon that will be doing the surgery. Make sure he/she has a good reputation for this procedure. Good luck

Answer 2

For a muscle or tendon strain or sprain. R.I.C.E. is the first modality:

R=Rest. Refrain from activity which aggravates the condition.

I=Ice. Applying cold to the area reduces swelling and pain. Never
more than 10-15 minutes at a time.

C=Compression. Wrap an elastic bandage around the swollen
area to contain the swelling as the body absorbs the fluid.

E=Elevation. Keep the swollen area at about the level of the heart until the swelling starts to dissipate

Most soft tissue injuries can be healed by the body unless the tear is severe.

However, the meniscus is cartilage not tissue so as such does not have a blood supply for the body to use in healing.

The two sources cited below are excellent. The first deals with your condition and the second on Cold Compression Therapy is useful for controlling pain and swelling before and after treatment.

Answer 3

Another meniscus patient ! So many of us out there !

I am afraid that for a torn meniscus there is only 1 solution : Arthroscopic Surgery. It is a non-invasive procedure that takes 20-40 minutes and might not even require total anesthesia.

There are 2 possibilities for torn meniscus surgery :

1 - Your tear is a minor side crack on the cartilage , which requires to cut a small piece off and that's it. Recovery time with basic therapy is 4-6 weeks max. for a young and sexy knee like yours.

2- It's unlikely that you will be as unlucky as me , but if that is the case , I torn my meniscus in half - from left to right ! They could not cut it a little bit, they had to reconstruct and repair the whole meniscus, ... :-(
The rehab for cases like mine is longer , I have been limping now for 3 months and I have 2-3 months longer in therapy !

Take your MRI results to an Orthopedic Surgeon specialized in Sports Medicine (our injury is very common among soccer players and skiers ). I went on the Internet and chose surgeons working for soccer teams in my area ! He will be so used to cases like yours that as soon as he sees the MRI, he will tell you what to do and what to expect.

I hope the above helps - All the best !

Answer 4

I tore my meniscus taking part in soccer. i replaced into in such excruciating soreness. I went to get x-rays day after in the present day yet they did no longer coach something. They scheduled an appointment for me to get an MRI the subsequent week. The MRI confirmed that I had torn my meniscus. i finished up getting surgical operation, spent a month and a 0.5 on crutches and the finished restoration time replaced into six months. in case you had torn your mensicus or something else then the soreness could in all possibility have been to undesirable. you in all possibility could have already been to a doctor by employing now.

Answer 5

Hope you will feel better soon.

If surgery is the option, it is a good idea to seek a second opinion before finalizing. The cost of the procedure may be in thousands, but most of the insurances may cover it. Your part may be just copay or deductibles depending on your insurance.

If you are looking for low cost options it can be done in Thailand, Mexico, Singapore or India. The cost savings are 50% to 80%. Recently, there are many people from USA / UK / Canada are traveling to India, particularly for Orthopedic procedures like knee surgery, total knee replacement, Birmingham hip resurfacing. Not just for low cost, but also for experienced doctors. For example, Birmingham hip resurfacing is approved by FDA in USA only this summer while it was done for many years in India and other countries. Hence, the surgeons there have done the procedure for many people and more experienced.

Deciding to traveling abroad for medical procedure is not an easy task. It needs lot of research, homework and planning. Healthbase (www.healthbase.com) facilitates medical travel. Healthbase does all the research and arranges the complete travel. Healthbase partners with only internationally accredited hospitals (JCI / JCAHO / ISO accredited) and doctors with USA / UK trained. Healthbase has hospital partners worldwide in many countries like Thailand, Singapore, India and Mexico. They take care everything from booking with the doctors, hospitals, travel tickets, passports, visa, medical records transferring, accommodation, sight seeing and also financing like medical loan. Even before traveling, you may get a free estimate from them.

Best Wishes.

Answer 6

The article suggested by Ricochet is an excellent one.
Obviously you need continued consultaton with an orthopedic surgeon, preferably one associated with a group specializing in sports medicine and a reputable teaching hospital.
There's not room here to tell my whole story of being treated by an orthopedic surgeon practicing alone, his unsuccessful surgery procedure nine months after my injury and his subsquent referal of me to a sports specialist and additional surgery. I will eventually need knee replacement.

Answer 7

See this article, especially the end.