Medial Meniscus Tear Treatment

Meniscus or the two menisci are a part of our knees and they are found between the thigh bone and the shin bone. These are made of tough cartilage, conforming to the surfaces of the bones on which they rest. One of them is in the inner part of the knee (medial meniscus) and the other is on the outer side of the knee (lateral meniscus). Now what makes these so important is the function they perform. These two together make sure that the body weight is distributed across the knee joint. These look like a 'C' and have a wedged profile, which is what exactly helps in maintenance of stability of the knee joint. If there is an injury to the whole knee, the joint will give up as there would be uneven distribution of weight. Medial meniscus tear hence, if left untreated can cause a lot of knee joint problems later on. What are the possible courses of treatment? Let us take a look.

Treatment for Medial Meniscus Tear

From simple rest to a surgery, an individual suffering from a meniscus tear has several treatment options. There are basically 4 types of meniscus tears - Longitudinal tears, bucket handle tears, and radial tears, encountered mostly by sportsmen. In the first one (longitudinal tear), the tear is along the length of the meniscus. The next one is an exacerbated form of the longitudinal tear where the meniscus gets detached from the tibia or the shin bone. It forms a flap and looks like a bucket handle. In radial tear, the meniscus gets torn from the edge of the cartilage towards the inside. The gravity of the tear will determine the treatment.

Conventional Treatment
For a small tear, or in case of the meniscus edges becoming frayed, resting the knee, elevating it and applying ice packs and compression is normally the course of treatment. For treating a torn meniscus, Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDS) like Ibuprofen can be prescribed by the doctor. If there is slight instability, knee braces can help as a part of medial meniscus tear treatment. All these things help in reducing the swelling, knee pain and in general, discomfort. Massage to the affected area can also be done for faster recovery. When this primary objective is achieved, then light exercises to regain the original range of motion and balance are advised. The exercises to improve balance are very important as the weight distribution is disturbed due to the tear of the meniscus. Some of these exercises include squatting, calf exercises, wobble board techniques and a few more. What amongst these will gain preference over the other, will be decided by the doctor. Athletes looking for quicker recovery can even take a joint healing supplement.

Medial Meniscus Surgery
If the above treatment options do not work, which most probably they would not in case of a serious and deep enough tear of the medial meniscus, the only alternative is surgical intervention. Scary, right? But there is no other option besides a torn meniscus surgery which can help get the meniscus in a better shape. This is especially so when the tear is a bucket handle one. In that event, arthroscopic surgical procedure might be necessary for treating a meniscus tear. Then again, it is your specialist doctor who will have to give you the correct advice. The chief purpose of the torn medial meniscus surgery is to retain the meniscus as much as it can be, by stitching the torn cartilage typically.

The ultimate outcome of the meniscus surgery depends on a lot of factors like the age, overall fitness and activity level of the patient. This applies to posterior horn medial meniscus tear as well.

The surgery will be followed by an intensive physiotherapy for enhancing the mobility, strength and balance of the knee joint. These things contribute to faster recovery and getting back to your usual routine! I sign off here! Take Care!