Meniscus Tear Surgery

Each knee holds two menisci: rubbery, C-shaped pads of cartilage between the thigh bone and shin bone. They spread load, absorb shock and steady the joint. A torn meniscus causes pain, swelling, and sometimes locking or a knee that buckles under you.

Repair or remove — the decision that matters

An arthroscopic repair stitches the tear closed with devices the body absorbs, keeping the meniscus. A partial meniscectomy trims away only the damaged part; a total meniscectomy removes it all and is reserved for severe cases. Repair is preferred where the tear allows, because meniscus tissue that is removed does not grow back — fibrous tissue fills the gap instead. Removing the whole meniscus raises the later risk of osteoarthritis, and even an arthroscopic meniscectomy is associated with a substantially higher chance of eventually needing a knee replacement. That trade-off is worth understanding before you consent.

What decides which you get

The type, size and position of the tear; your age; how active you are; whether anything else is injured, such as the ACL; and what symptoms you actually have. Younger patients treated within a couple of months of the injury do better, because meniscal tissue weakens with age and with time since the tear.

The operation and recovery

Keyhole surgery, usually under general anaesthetic, normally under an hour, and most people do not stay overnight. Expect two to three months to go from a brace to walking unaided. Returning to work depends entirely on the work: a desk job comes back quickly, one on your feet does not. Physiotherapy is arranged before the operation, not after it.

Before you agree to anything

Ask outright whether your tear is repairable, and if the answer is no, ask why. Ask how much meniscus would be removed. Risks are real but uncommon: infection, stiffness, nerve or vessel injury, and a repair that fails to heal and needs redoing.