The two camps on meniscus surgery

[atatu]

I've talked to about 50 people who have had meniscus surgery (arthroscopic) and its pretty amazing how sharply divided people are. One group says it's a waste of time and does no good, and they say if your knee doesn't repair itself just get a knee replacement. The other group says it's amazing and they were able to get back on the court in 3-6 weeks.

For the record I had surgery yesterday with the PRP injection and I'm going crazy sitting in bed for the last 48 hours with this cold therapy machine, I really hope I just didn't waste my time and money....

 

[sredna42]

I regret getting meniscus surgery, I feel like I was almost scammed, or talked into it, and not knowing any better just went along with what the doctors said.

I think a good analogy are teeth.

Sometimes, a tooth is indeed so decayed and damaged extraction is the only option, but most times, if you have the money, a root canal will save the tooth and be a better long term option.

But for a dentist, an extraction is easy money so they talk you into it.

I wish I had have just waited and done physio and other therapy and seen if the knee had healed itself, as it does for many.

 

[ollinger]

The key issue is arthritis: recent studies suggest that if there is significant arthritis in the knee, meniscus surgery is not going to be useful. If the knee is relatively free of arthritis, the surgery may be useful.

 

[Raul_SJ]

I've talked to about 50 people who have had meniscus surgery (arthroscopic) and its pretty amazing how sharply divided people are. One group says it's a waste of time and does no good, and they say if your knee doesn't repair itself just get a knee replacement. The other group says it's amazing and they were able to get back on the court in 3-6 weeks.

For the record I had surgery yesterday with the PRP injection and I'm going crazy sitting in bed for the last 48 hours with this cold therapy machine, I really hope I just didn't waste my time and money....

You had arthroscopic surgery + PRP injection? Did not know the two were done together.

Was the meniscus removed or just repaired/smoothed?

 

[Raul_SJ]

The key issue is arthritis: recent studies suggest that if there is significant arthritis in the knee, meniscus surgery is not going to be useful. If the knee is relatively free of arthritis, the surgery may be useful.

Even in the presence of significant arthritis, wouldn't an in-tact meniscus still serve to somewhat cushion the knee and lessen the "bone on bone" pain for a while?

In any case, I presume arthroscopic surgery will not make things worse, so no harm in trying if cost is not an issue. Although I did hear one guy complaining that he felt much worse shortly after arthroscopic surgery. Don't know if he eventually healed.

 

[Mongolmike]

The key issue is arthritis: recent studies suggest that if there is significant arthritis in the knee, meniscus surgery is not going to be useful. If the knee is relatively free of arthritis, the surgery may be useful.

This is my understanding too.

My history, I've had meniscus surgery on both knees, and I got relief for about 10 years (no pain, no joint lock-up during simple things like walking).
For me, it was good.

Fast forward 10 years I had physical therapy, cortisone shots, gel injections, nothing worked. I have arthritis and my knee was bone on bone. Could not walk painfree, could not run 2 steps after a tennis ball. Had a full knee replacement and a solid physical therapy recovery and I am completely good to go. I run around the court and you could not tell that I had a replacement or on which knee (other than a scar- which actually looks much better then I thought it would).

 

[atatu]

You had arthroscopic surgery + PRP injection? Did not know the two were done together.

Was the meniscus removed or just repaired/smoothed?

It was not removed, the loose pieces where shaved. Yes, I did get the PRP at the same time, it is supposed to really help with recovery. My MRI showed that I did not have arthritis or any bone on bone yet, so that's hopeful.

 

[Raul_SJ]

For the record I had surgery yesterday with the PRP injection and I'm going crazy sitting in bed for the last 48 hours with this cold therapy machine, I really hope I just didn't waste my time and money....

It sounds like recovery time is just ~ 6 weeks. As long as there's no chance of the arthro surgery making it worse, I would have done the surgery too. Maybe it will help.

It sounds like none of the 50 people you talked to said surgery made it worse.

 

[sweetrugger]

I had a lateral tear in my left knee about 5 years ago that healed itself. The surgeon at the time told me if I could deal with the pain, there was no point in getting surgery. Completely pain free now.

My right knee, on the other hand, has an acute tear pretty recently, though based on the MRI it was probably torn a while ago and just re injured. I can't straighten my leg or walk normally. Trying to schedule meniscus surgery to see if that at least gets me back to running around, but knee replacement is in my future at some point.

 

[dak95_00]

Meniscechtomy 3 years ago and I’m super happy about it. I’m 46 now. I was told I didn’t have arthritis. I tore it playing basketball and twisting awkwardly. It was very stiff and sore. I can still run under 7 minute miles relatively easy and play tennis for hours. Strength training after you’re healthy is important.

 

[The Big Kahuna]

I think anyone considering knee surgery should read the following article. This seems to be the prevailing thinking today for most doctors.

The Case Against – and for – Arthroscopic Knee Surgery

Though useful in limited circumstances, research finds the procedures often provide no benefit.

https://health.usnews.com/health-ca...ase-against-and-for-arthroscopic-knee-surgery


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[atatu]

Very interesting...I spoke to a PT over the weekend who basically said the same thing, he believes if you go to physical therapy you can avoid surgery. I have to say however that my knee feels great, I'm walking for the first time in awhile without it making popping and cracking noises. When I stand up after working at my desk for a few hours, the first few steps are not painful. What's also interesting is how some people you talk to are back on court in two weeks, and other people are still trying to rehab after four months !

 

[The Big Kahuna]

Very interesting...I spoke to a PT over the weekend who basically said the same thing, he believes if you go to physical therapy you can avoid surgery. I have to say however that my knee feels great, I'm walking for the first time in awhile without it making popping and cracking noises. When I stand up after working at my desk for a few hours, the first few steps are not painful. What's also interesting is how some people you talk to are back on court in two weeks, and other people are still trying to rehab after four months !

I may be a bit older than you - which as you know - makes a difference as to which route to take. I am currently taking the approach of trying to avoid surgery through stretching and exercise and losing some weight along with the program of ice and anti-inflammatories. I am also looking at a couple of other shoe alternatives to try to give me more cushioning and stability than my previous shoes which were Adidas Ubersonic 2s (and could have aggravated the issue).


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[atatu]

I may be a bit older than you - which as you know - makes a difference as to which route to take. I am currently taking the approach of trying to avoid surgery through stretching and exercise and losing some weight along with the program of ice and anti-inflammatories. I am also looking at a couple of other shoe alternatives to try to give me more cushioning and stability than my previous shoes which were Adidas Ubersonic 2s (and could have aggravated the issue).


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Good luck ! I''m 56 this year. I think all those things that you mentioned will help, I switched from the Gel resolution 7's to the Babolat SFX by the way, and the extra cushioning is nice. Have to say my knee feels great 8 days post op, no popping or cracking. I hit some serves last night.

 

[time_fly]

I just found this thread because I am going in for my second meniscus surgery next week. I had my first meniscus surgery about 7 years ago and it was a disaster. The surgeon rushed me into it, said my knee would be back to new within a couple months, and I had pain and swelling for 8 months after. Cortisone resolved the pain, but I had painless swelling after activity for a couple years ... until I tore my ACL in the same knee. I had ACL surgery and some additional meniscus clean-up at the same time, and after a normal rehab (6 months for that type of surgery) that knee has been perfect: no pain, and barely any swelling ever. Nobody can really explain it, except maybe I rushed the rehab too much the first time.

Now I have a degenerative tear in the opposite knee which is a mirror image of my first tear (must be something about my joint anatomy). This time around I did PT and ended up giving it about 6 months to resolve on its own but I still have mild pain most days with painful flare-ups under heavy activity that take a few days to recover from. Because of my first experience it was a tough choice but I'm going to get the tear trimmed. I'm hoping what I learned from my prior knee surgeries about how to rehab and how to calm it down when it flares up will make this one smoother.

How are you doing with yours @atatu?

 

[Ramon]

I regret getting meniscus surgery, I feel like I was almost scammed, or talked into it, and not knowing any better just went along with what the doctors said.

I think a good analogy are teeth.

Sometimes, a tooth is indeed so decayed and damaged extraction is the only option, but most times, if you have the money, a root canal will save the tooth and be a better long term option.

But for a dentist, an extraction is easy money so they talk you into it.

I wish I had have just waited and done physio and other therapy and seen if the knee had healed itself, as it does for many.

I don't know if you want to hear this. I went through a similar experience, but I opted for no surgery. My right knee was hurting every time I walked up or down steps. I went to an orthopedic surgeon who recommended meniscus surgery. I was hurting badly enough that I figured I should do it. I scheduled an operation about a month out. However, my father, who is a kidney surgeon, recommended that I get a 2nd opinion from a doctor he knew who specialized in sports medicine and worked with athletes at Penn State, even though he was a 1,000 miles away. I went to see him, and he recommended no surgery, only physical therapy, and he gave me all the reasons why he thought it was unnecessary, including the fact that I didn't feel any pain when sitting. I ended up doing a bunch of wall squats for a few weeks and then all the pain went away! I'm thankful that I cancelled the surgery and didn't lose any cartilage in the process.

 

[1990's Graphite]

What kind of physical therapy is involved what exercises etc?

 

[atatu]

I just found this thread because I am going in for my second meniscus surgery next week. I had my first meniscus surgery about 7 years ago and it was a disaster. The surgeon rushed me into it, said my knee would be back to new within a couple months, and I had pain and swelling for 8 months after. Cortisone resolved the pain, but I had painless swelling after activity for a couple years ... until I tore my ACL in the same knee. I had ACL surgery and some additional meniscus clean-up at the same time, and after a normal rehab (6 months for that type of surgery) that knee has been perfect: no pain, and barely any swelling ever. Nobody can really explain it, except maybe I rushed the rehab too much the first time.

Now I have a degenerative tear in the opposite knee which is a mirror image of my first tear (must be something about my joint anatomy). This time around I did PT and ended up giving it about 6 months to resolve on its own but I still have mild pain most days with painful flare-ups under heavy activity that take a few days to recover from. Because of my first experience it was a tough choice but I'm going to get the tear trimmed. I'm hoping what I learned from my prior knee surgeries about how to rehab and how to calm it down when it flares up will make this one smoother.

How are you doing with yours @atatu?

It's going great honestly, I played my first set of doubles yesterday and felt good, about 7 weeks post op. I'm not 100 percent, but I'm able to play which is nice. I'm doing PT pretty much six days a week, 5 days on my own and one day with a PT. I'm really glad I had this done, it's made a huge difference for me.

 

[Ramon]

What kind of physical therapy is involved what exercises etc?

I did not get the surgery. I opted for PT instead of the surgery, and it was something I could do at home. All I did was wall squats. You need a wall and a big plastic ball. You put the ball behind your back and against the wall and then you do a squat. You should make sure your feet are far enough in front of you that your knees don't go in front of them.

 

[onehandbh]

I did not get the surgery. I opted for PT instead of the surgery, and it was something I could do at home. All I did was wall squats. You need a wall and a big plastic ball. You put the ball behind your back and against the wall and then you do a squat. You should make sure your feet are far enough in front of you that your knees don't go in front of them.

The Penn State PT recommended the wall sits?

 

[Ramon]

The Penn State PT recommended the wall sits?

Actually, he was the Penn State MD, specializing in Sports Medicine.

 

[1990's Graphite]

I did not get the surgery. I opted for PT instead of the surgery, and it was something I could do at home. All I did was wall squats. You need a wall and a big plastic ball. You put the ball behind your back and against the wall and then you do a squat. You should make sure your feet are far enough in front of you that your knees don't go in front of them.

Awesome, thanks.

 

[1990's Graphite]

 

[ed70]

Interesting read this. I started getting inner knee pain playing tennis 5 months ago, started pretty mild with no swelling, however within a few months I was having to wear a knee support and had swelling. All of pain was still on inside,initially it took me a day of manageable pain to recover from 4 sets of doubles, However symptons got worse as did the swelling. Had an mri a few weeks ago and received results. Medial ligament sprain, medial meniscus tear 9mm, bone bruising, moderate swelling. So my matches finished 2 week ago so have rested and iced, feels much better in just 2 weeks use the gym etc, odd twinge no pain walking etc, so I will continue with rest from tennis and maybe phsio.

 

[time_fly]

I had surgery today. So far the knee feels good because the industrial-strength pain meds they give during surgery haven’t worn off yet. I will see what morning brings. The surgeon told me that the torn flap had folded back on itself so based on that alone I expect I will be better off once I rehab than before surgery.

 

[jlee0408]

Tried rehab for torn meniscus. Didn’t work to relieve the pain. Had one meniscus surgery 15 years ago, had another meniscus surgery 7 years ago. No knee pain, strength good, flexibility good, no complaints.

 

[sweetrugger]

I had surgery today. So far the knee feels good because the industrial-strength pain meds they give during surgery haven’t worn off yet. I will see what morning brings. The surgeon told me that the torn flap had folded back on itself so based on that alone I expect I will be better off once I rehab than before surgery.

Mine is scheduled next week and it sounds like my tear may be similar. Hoping to hear good updates from you over the next few days!

 

[time_fly]

Mine is scheduled next week and it sounds like my tear may be similar. Hoping to hear good updates from you over the next few days!

My tear was in the posterior of the medial meniscus. I had pain around the joint line on the inside of my knee. Since I tried rest and PT prior to surgery my knee wasn't very painful for walking and daily activities but it would swell and get pretty sore after aggressive tennis. I also couldn't jog in a straight line without discomfort from the flexing and impact.

I'm on day two after surgery now. I have no pain unless I do something stupid like pivot or flex too far. I discontinued the percocet yesterday morning (just 2 doses after surgery) and now am just taking ibuprofen for pain and swelling. I can walk slowly without pain or a limp on flat ground, although I do usually bring a single crutch just as a precaution. I have a little more than 90 degrees of flex. Of course I still have obvious swelling and the lower section of the inner quad is inhibited as expected. I have a cryotherapy unit ("ice machine") from my prior ACL surgery and I am using it several times per day. I highly recommend this.

 

[jlee0408]

I do wonder why surgery outcomes differ. I know that my tears were quite small, leaving a lot of healthy cartilage still remaining in the knee. Both of my menisectomys were lateral. Not sure if location like medial/lateral make any difference in outcomes.

 

[FoldingChair]

Good move going with the PRP injection, I hear nothing but good results when combining PRP with the surgery. I have two views on meniscus surgery: 1 as a patient who underwent arthroscopic meniscus repair and 2 as a physical therapist assistant who has been working in the field for a short while now.

1) I underwent meniscus repair surgery where they sutured down a bucket handle tear along my lateral meniscus almost 2 years ago now when I was 24 while sparring during brazilian jiu jitsu. At the time, I was very clueless when it came to meniscus surgery options. Promises of "it'll be better for your knee long term" and "you'll regain full function and ROM" with the repair pushed me to agree with the doctor and move forward with the repair. The rehab took a very long time as my knee took much longer than normal to heal even with all of the rehab work both at home and with the PT (just about 8 months). I fell into a depression because all of my outlets were physical activities (BJJ, tennis, lifting, etc.), I gained 15 pounds, and wasn't at all happy with the results at the time. Physical therapy was rigorous but the recovery is truly about the work you put in at home. You're with the PT for an hour MAYBE an hour and a half, the HEP(home exercise program) needs to be followed and then some. Now at 20 months out I can almost touch my heel to my ass when sitting back onto my heels (which I was easily able to do before with both legs and now only one), my strength is back, my ROM is just about full range. Some mornings I feel soreness in the repaired knee from the cold, my mind has set up a block when it comes to certain movements and thus i'm still retraining some movements. I'm playing tennis at full ability again but I'm too afraid to go back to BJJ even though I love it so much. There's constant work that goes on loooooooong after you're done with PT. Had I gotten the meniscectomy i'd have been up and walking and even playing tennis and training just weeks later albeit without a meniscus which would lead to arthritis. Do I regret having the repair done? Yes. The repair isn't forever. Chances are, it'll tear again especially with my level of activity. But for now it "saves" my knee from arthritis. Good trade

2) As a PTA i've seen many cases of mensicus repair/meniscectomy/shaving down/PRP/Stem cell/voodoo. I can say with the utmost confidence that people that get the mensicectomy or shave the thing down are considerably happier with the results. The patients that i've seen get the repair struggle and boy is it a struggle. Some people will heal and be up and about at max ability in 4 months and some will take much longer. It's dependent person to person and also upon how much PT work they do. My PT from the hospital sucked and thats another thing, you need to find a good PT that will push you and work with you and your abilities. What the doctors wont tell you with the repair is that you basically forget how to walk and will have to have your gait retrained alongside building up the supporting musculature in your leg and hips. There is a lot to fix when coming off of a meniscus repair. The PRP/Stem cell stuff has worked in the cases that I have seen. The meniscus has very poor blood flow so when you directly inject platelet rich plasma into it you're basically feeding it the blood materials that it lacks thus aiding the healing process. At least that's how I understand it.

I think I covered a lot of it. Sorry y'all my mind is all over, i have the flu and am typing this in bed with a fever

 

[Sardines]

I've had several meniscus tears, anterior and others. I opted for a non-surgical route of PRP and stem cell from the same doctors who offer the therapy to a NBA team. Happily, even over 45, my stem cells were considered "viable" and I didn't need to use non-"me" sources. After 1.5 years and several rounds of injections, I have 6% volume regrowth on the left knee and 3% (this was done 6 mth later). Now I know that stem cell therapy is very new and efficacy long term data is still shaky. However, seeing how I got at least 3 years of meniscus back with the therapy. The side effects of stem cell is actually addictive as you generally feel and look more youthful
Unfortunately, the treatments did not heal the MCL tear I have on my left knee. The inflammation was reduced drastically but the MRI shows the tear is still there and it does flare up when I drag the left leg to hit forehands.
I can't be happier with the renewed knees and the ability to do PT to strengthen the muscles around, since the chondromalacia I suffered throughout my 20s on finally cleared up with the same therapies.

 

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

I do wonder why surgery outcomes differ. I know that my tears were quite small, leaving a lot of healthy cartilage still remaining in the knee. Both of my menisectomys were lateral. Not sure if location like medial/lateral make any difference in outcomes.

Good move going with the PRP injection, I hear nothing but good results when combining PRP with the surgery. I have two views on meniscus surgery: 1 as a patient who underwent arthroscopic meniscus repair and 2 as a physical therapist assistant who has been working in the field for a short while now.

1) I underwent meniscus repair surgery where they sutured down a bucket handle tear along my lateral meniscus almost 2 years ago now when I was 24 while sparring during brazilian jiu jitsu. At the time, I was very clueless when it came to meniscus surgery options. Promises of "it'll be better for your knee long term" and "you'll regain full function and ROM" with the repair pushed me to agree with the doctor and move forward with the repair. The rehab took a very long time as my knee took much longer than normal to heal even with all of the rehab work both at home and with the PT (just about 8 months). I fell into a depression because all of my outlets were physical activities (BJJ, tennis, lifting, etc.), I gained 15 pounds, and wasn't at all happy with the results at the time. Physical therapy was rigorous but the recovery is truly about the work you put in at home. You're with the PT for an hour MAYBE an hour and a half, the HEP(home exercise program) needs to be followed and then some. Now at 20 months out I can almost touch my heel to my ass when sitting back onto my heels (which I was easily able to do before with both legs and now only one), my strength is back, my ROM is just about full range. Some mornings I feel soreness in the repaired knee from the cold, my mind has set up a block when it comes to certain movements and thus i'm still retraining some movements. I'm playing tennis at full ability again but I'm too afraid to go back to BJJ even though I love it so much. There's constant work that goes on loooooooong after you're done with PT. Had I gotten the meniscectomy i'd have been up and walking and even playing tennis and training just weeks later albeit without a meniscus which would lead to arthritis. Do I regret having the repair done? Yes. The repair isn't forever. Chances are, it'll tear again especially with my level of activity. But for now it "saves" my knee from arthritis. Good trade

2) As a PTA i've seen many cases of mensicus repair/meniscectomy/shaving down/PRP/Stem cell/voodoo. I can say with the utmost confidence that people that get the mensicectomy or shave the thing down are considerably happier with the results. The patients that i've seen get the repair struggle and boy is it a struggle. Some people will heal and be up and about at max ability in 4 months and some will take much longer. It's dependent person to person and also upon how much PT work they do. My PT from the hospital sucked and thats another thing, you need to find a good PT that will push you and work with you and your abilities. What the doctors wont tell you with the repair is that you basically forget how to walk and will have to have your gait retrained alongside building up the supporting musculature in your leg and hips. There is a lot to fix when coming off of a meniscus repair. The PRP/Stem cell stuff has worked in the cases that I have seen. The meniscus has very poor blood flow so when you directly inject platelet rich plasma into it you're basically feeding it the blood materials that it lacks thus aiding the healing process. At least that's how I understand it.

I think I covered a lot of it. Sorry y'all my mind is all over, i have the flu and am typing this in bed with a fever

Let's not forget one's luck and the location of the tear. If your tear is in the sweetspot of the meniscus with adequate blood supply, it WILL heal. Perhaps those are the individuals you saw that are back to 100% 4 months post-op. It's entirely possible that your tear was on the outer stretches of the blood supply.

 

[TennisCJC]

I had meniscus surgery about 5 years ago and results were good - currently 61 years old. Playing slowly after 8 weeks. Played 1st competitive doubles match after 12 weeks. Knee has been good since then but I do feel some pain in the same knee recently. I play 4 times per week year round so the knee has a lot of use. All in all, I think it was good. discomfort now is sporadic.

 

[Steve Huff]

I had meniscus surgery on my left knee. Was playing tennis again after 8 days. I continued to wear a brace for a while because the knee joint moved around a little. It didn't hurt though. My knee had locked up to the point I could no longer straighten my leg out. I still need it on my right knee. It gives out, grinds when I bend it with weight on it. I'm glad I had it.

 

[sweetrugger]

I am now 9 days post-surgery on my right knee. The surgeon removed a large flap that had folded over and was preventing me from making my leg straight. The night after surgery, pain was easily controlled by minimum dose of pain medicine. The next day I felt pretty good and started the exercises they gave me. Things were fine until about 7:30 that night when my knee started to hurt suddenly. Took an extra dose of pain medicine and all okay. Day 2 - took a morning tylenol and that was it...no pain since. Range of motion seems equivalent to my other knee as far as the exercises go and my main goal right now is rebuilding strength in my quad. Started on a bike in my garage a few times and today did a real ride for about 30 minutes. Post-op appointment on Thursday, and hopefully on the courts after that.

Interesting thing - when I first met the surgeon, we talked about the high amount of arthritis in my knee for my age - 37 - and what that may mean in the future. When I was in the pre-op room, he came out to talk to me and basically said this had a 50/50 change of making the pain go away. Given that the last few years have been sore and not painful, if I got back to that, I'd be fine. So far so good!

 

[mikeler]

I had a bucket handle tear removed 7 months ago. No choice there. Either I walk peg legged the rest of my life and give up tennis because I could not straighten my leg or get the surgery.

 

[time_fly]

I'm now 2.5 weeks after surgery. I reviewed the imagery with the surgeon when they took the stitches out about a week ago. There was a folded-over piece that they removed which the surgeon claimed was actually "good" because it meant the surgery would almost certainly be beneficial. PT continues to go smoothly although fairly conservative: we are focusing mostly on flexibility and strengthening the hip and ankle until I can get in and out of moderate squats with no discomfort. I do get a bit of pain around the patella when I squat, but no other pain during normal daily activities. I'm doing the bike and walking on a mild incline for cardio.

 

[mikeler]

I had meniscus surgery on my left knee. Was playing tennis again after 8 days. I continued to wear a brace for a while because the knee joint moved around a little. It didn't hurt though. My knee had locked up to the point I could no longer straighten my leg out. I still need it on my right knee. It gives out, grinds when I bend it with weight on it. I'm glad I had it.

My knee used to give out before I tore the meniscus. The MRI revealed I had no ACL in that knee. It all made sense after that diagnosis. So while I was under, I got the meniscus repair and a cadaver ACL.

A buddy of mine tore his meniscus a few months ago. We are both back to normal playing. He and I both notice that while our knees feel fine, there is still some achiness at times. Did anyone else have that experience?

 

[time_fly]

My knee used to give out before I tore the meniscus. The MRI revealed I had no ACL in that knee. It all made sense after that diagnosis.

Interesting. Was that a congenital thing or did you injure your knee in the past but not realize you had an ACL tear?

 

[mikeler]

Interesting. Was that a congenital thing or did you injure your knee in the past but not realize you had an ACL tear?

I had a basketball knee injury in college but nothing popped, so I wrongly assumed it was just a bad sprain.

 

[The Big Kahuna]

More than 90% of the time meniscus surgery does not “repair” the meniscus, but rather removes the torn pieces. Given its shock absorbing function, less shock absorber means more shock gets delivered to the cartilage and bone. After a while, this living tissue reacts and cartilage is lost and the knee begins to form new bone spurs. Studies have calculated increased force versus the amount of meniscus removed and its profound negative consequences to the long term function and stability of the knee. In addition, papers have confirmed that removing parts of the meniscus results in knee arthritis. Most remarkably, recent research has shown that meniscus surgery, on average, is no more effective than physical therapy in its positive effects, however physical therapy has no negative impact. Despite this, millions of meniscectomies are still performed every year.

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[ace18]

I will have meniscus surgery this Friday. I haven't been able to play tennis effectively since mid-july so I'm hoping for positive results.