The meniscus is a piece of cartilage that provides a cushion between your femur (thighbone) and tibia (shinbone). There are two menisci in each knee joint. They can be damaged or torn during activities that put pressure on or rotate the knee joint. Usually sportsmen who play sports like football, basketball and hockey are prone to meniscus tears, but it can happen to anyone while kneeling down, squatting, or lifting something heavy. The risk of injury increases with age, when bones and tissues around the knee begin to wear down.
Meniscectomy is a procedure to remove some or all of a meniscus from the tibio-femoral joint of the knee using arthroscopic (keyhole) surgery. It is a minimally invasive procedure often carried out as an outpatient in a one-day clinic and is performed when a meniscal tear is too large to be corrected by a surgical repair of the meniscus.
When a meniscus tear occurs, the knee joints starts making a popping sound and the patient experiences:
• pain, especially when the knee is touched
• swelling on knee
• difficulty moving the knee or inability to move it in a full range of motion
• the feeling of knee locking or catching
• the feeling that knee is giving way or unable to support in movement
• A slipping or popping sound, which is usually an indication that a piece of cartilage has become loose and is blocking the knee joint.
Orthopedic surgeons suggest the treatment based on where the tear is, the pattern of the tear, and how big it is. Patient’s age, health, and the activity level may also affect the treatment options. Orthopedic surgeons often perform meniscus surgery with arthroscopy, a procedure used to both examine and repair the inside of a joint. A thin tube (arthroscope) containing a camera and light is inserted through small incisions near the joint. Surgical instruments are inserted through other small incisions. Arthroscopic surgery may limit knee damage from surgery and may promote fuller recovery. But some tears may require open knee surgery.
In a total meniscectomy, the entire meniscus is removed. In a partial meniscectomy, the surgeon removes as little of the meniscus as possible. Unstable meniscal fragments are removed, and the remaining meniscus edges are smoothed so that there are no frayed ends. You may have general or regional anesthesia for a meniscectomy. Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy is commonly done in an outpatient surgical center.