My MRI showed an extensive radial tear adjacent to the medial meniscus root insertion, as well as evidence of high-grade chondral loss involving the central trochlea. (it is still a bit swollen). According to a new study, it is safe for patients who underwent rotator cuff repair to safely return to driving two weeks after surgery. If there is tissue there, it usually means that the meniscus root repair has healed down to bone. Steadman Clinic, 181 W Meadow Drive, Suite 400, Vail, CO 81657, USA (email: drlaprade . 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. It takes longer for a meniscus repair to heal than a meniscectomy. If you think you may have a meniscus tear, it is recommended that you see a sports medicine physician as soon as possible. Walk with crutches. You will feel tired for several days. 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. Thank you, Dr. LaPrade, for treating me with the care, focus, and expertise as if I was an Olympic athlete!- From your 63 year old very appreciative patent ~. I got rid of the box for squats the end of July. Dr. Burnham was very personable and explained my situation in great detail. Why would I? Appreciate the attention and time spent during office visits. Some patients may experience catching, clicking, or locking of their knee. A lateral meniscus root tear involves a tear of the meniscus either at or close to the root attachment in the back part of the lateral meniscus. There goes my knee again.. Dr. Burnham took time to explain the surgery & what to expect during recovery, answering all my questions (& there were many). Ive already talked about this but I cant drive the point home enough if youve gone to the doctor. As of August 20, 2019, it will be six months post-op. Meniscus repair recovery While everyone's recovery is different, here's what you can typically expect with a repair surgery: You may be on crutches for four to six weeks. 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. The meniscal roots are critical in maintaining the normal shock absorbing function of the meniscus. Timeline for Meniscus Repair Recovery: It will take around 4-6 weeks before you can walk, drive, and otherwise move normally as you would prior to your injury. (E) Horizontalized FlipCutter drill ready to drill 10-mm-deep tibial tunnel. 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. 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. The torn meniscus is corrected via a minimally invasive procedure depending on the kind of injury. I have been walking and training normally for the past four and a half months. Historically, most root tears were treated with meniscectomies because the importance of the meniscus root as a shock absorber was not well known. Dr. Robert F. LaPrade operated on my right knee in May of 2010. Can you tear your meniscus again after a surgery and if you do how can you tell? Malempati C. Bonasia DE, Pellegrino P, DAmelio A, Cottino U, Rossi R. Meniscal Root Tear Repair: Why, When and How? Thank you Dr. Burnham and Jerrica for everything! But youve got to figure out a way to get your butt muscles stronger if youre looking for a more comprehensive plan for making your knee better and getting your glutes stronger we also have a program called the, https://www.epmanualphysicaltherapy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Logo-copy-1030x429.jpg, Shoulder Impingement: Everything You Need To Know To Get Healthy Again, Top 5 Shoulder Impingement Exercises To Help Get Healthy Again, Top 6 At Home Treatments To Begin To Naturally Heal Cervical Radiculopathy, Click Here To Schedule A Phone Call With An Expert, Click Here To Ask About Cost & Availability, Copyright 2022 - El Paso Manual Physical Therapy, How To Tell If Youve Got A Rotator Cuff Tear, Request A Virtual Visit With One Of Our Expert PTs, 28 day knee health and wellness boost program, 28-Day Knee Health & Wellness Boost Program, 28 Day Back Health & Wellness Boost Program. As a result, two weeks after surgery I was able to start driving my car, which is a manual. The meniscus is a piece of cartilage in the knee, often injured in sports. Meniscus (cartilage) Repair patients cannot do twisting, pivoting, squatting, deep knee bends or impact activities for four months. Amazing doctor, amazing family mantreats patients with the highest level of care, compassion, and quality! The transtibial meniscal root repair is emerging as the gold standard treatment due to its ability to restore a large footprint at the meniscal root's native attachment site and restore normal joint contact pressures. And now theyre kind of back to the way they were before the surgery. A possible cause for knee pain 1 year after meniscus surgery would be a re-tear of the meniscus. I am now adding 10 pounds a week to the bar for squats. These are totally different. His extensive schooling, research, and commitment to his craft shined through at every turn as he evaluated my injury, presented all my options (clearly explaining non-surgical options and expected outcomes), and helped me plan my course of treatment and recovery. My name is Dr. David Middaugh. Please subscribe to this channel and turn on your notifications so that you dont miss a single video with great tips and advice that we put out every single week. Meniscus Root Repair The most common method to fix meniscus root tears is through a tibial bone tunnel. Both my children have seen Dr. Burnham with great results. When one drills a tunnel and tries to place stitches up a tunnel without a cannula in place, it can be extremely technically challenging. We currently use UltraTape to do this. I did a little internet searching, and diagnosed myself with a Bakers Cyst, which I discovered was pretty common with meniscus tears. Eventually, as I get into the mid 100s again, I will start adding five pounds a week. After hours 763-520-7870 Address Maple Grove 9630 Grove Circle N., Suite 200 Maple Grove, MN 55369 Minnetonka 15450 Highway 7, Suite 100 Minnetonka, MN 55345 Robbinsdale 3366 Oakdale Ave. N Suite 103 Robbinsdale, MN 55422 Knee Meniscus Root . Many patients do not have significant joint line pain like a typical meniscus tear, so having a patient stand up and squat down is often performed during the clinical exam to validate that the patient may have a meniscus root tear. While there are a small number of patients who do have their meniscus root re-tear, this has been nowhere near as common as the other sources noted above. Connect with a U.S. board-certified doctor by text or video anytime, anywhere. I have see all three orthopedic doctors at the Grove and Jerrica is the one I see the most and the latest she's absolutely wonderful. Tuesday: 8:00 am 5:00 pm 3 0 obj Now, the focus when you go into a surgeons office, theyre looking at your MRI, theyre looking at your meniscus on the MRI, theyre telling you the tear in the way that its torn and how theyre going to repair it. This results in premature arthritis and cartilage damage in the knee. The study, " Patients Who Undergo Rotator Cuff Repair Can Safely Return to Driving at 2 Weeks Postoperatively ," was published online on July 21, 2022 in the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. In particular, it is now recognized that the incidence of lateral meniscus root tears with an ACL tear is between 8% to 12%. I had a traumatic knee injury that he performed surgery on. Next, we performed biomechanical studies to show the effects of varying sizes of radial meniscus root tears, validating that a meniscus root tear within a centimeter of its attachment site functions as a meniscus root tear and can be treated the same. On Thursday, February 21, the day after my surgery, I went to work, in my brace and on crutches. Is this a tear? The . Other common symptoms include limping, a change in the patients gait and the inability to put weight on the affected knee. And if youve never worked out your glutes if you went through physical therapy never really targeted your glutes ever you better start quick because chances are youve got a muscle imbalance thats caused extra pressures inside your knee thats led to that meniscus tear to begin with thats been the root problem and glute strength is what offsets that forces inside the knee so that your meniscus can heal all the way. From April 22 until May 1, my program changed again, slowly becoming more like my regular training. Dr. Burnham is extremely professional, knowledgeable, understanding, kind, and precise. More diffuse pain over the inside of the knee which becomes progressive over time can be particular ominous because this may mean that the cartilage is wearing out fast or that one has an insufficiency fracture or spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee, occurring due to the fact that the meniscus is such an important shock absorber. If the surgery is on the right leg i change to For potential or actual medical emergencies, immediately call 911 or your local emergency service. 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 . My experience with Dr. Burnham and his staff was exceptional. Towards the middle of March, I was finally given wall slides (mini squats) and step ups for the left leg by my physical therapist. Phase 1: 0-2 weeks post-operatively Goals Protect repair Minimize pain Minimize swelling . 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. Therefore, one should attempt a meniscus root repair whenever possible in most patients up to age 70. But theres still healing to be done and that 20% is really critical. After you have surgery to repair a meniscus tear, you may need to build up your strength in the muscles of your leg that support your knee. The exception is a patient that has contra-indications to surgery or already has too much cartilage wear and tear for the root repair to be beneficial. Further study into meniscus root tears and radial root tears is ongoing by our research laboratory to try to improve the treatment of these complex problems. I am currently on crutches for 6-8 weeks with no pressure on my leg at all. Dr Burnhams bedside manner was exceptional. And theres things that you can do, which Ill allude to here in the middle. Then, in January of 2018, while warming up in class one morning, a sharp, nauseating pain shot through my left knee, which made me start limping. And most likely, a meniscus tear.. Dr. La Prade had just moved to Vail and I was his 2nd patient @ The Steadman Clinic. They are also important to the stability and function of the knee, keeping the meniscus in place. Regular assessment of gait to avoid compensatory patterns. Highly recommended! Therefore, the patient should be worked up in a timely fashion when they do have a posterior horn medial meniscus root tear to determine if they are a candidate for a posterior horn medial meniscus transtibial root repair. Progression of range of motion is more limited than for a standard meniscus root repair, usually limiting patients to 0-60 or 0-90 degrees range of motion for the first 4 weeks and then slowly increasing range of motion as tolerated. There are some isolated reports of using suture anchors to repair a meniscus root repair, but this area of the knee is very difficult to access and the suture anchors can leave large knots which could subsequently interfere with the cartilage surfaces in the knee. . Please note, we cannot prescribe controlled substances, diet pills, antipsychotics, or other abusable medications. Arner, J.W., Herbst, E.. Meniscal Root Repair Article. By using our website, you consent to our use of cookies. Oftentimes healthcare providers will tell you go walk your knees operated on its good youre the we took out the chunk that was you know causing your need to lock up the meniscus we did a meniscectomy or we repaired the meniscus and its all sewn together now so you can go ahead and walk all you want and some people take that to heart and to go walk you know three miles a day or even 10-20 miles a week and their meniscus just doesnt heal enough and they get that swelling.