Here at Mountainstate Orthopedic Associates, we have Orthopedic Surgeons that treat a wide array of sports injuries. We have specific fellowship training in shoulder and knee injuries. Many of us cover sports teams here in Morgantown, both college (West Virginia University – WVU) and high school (Morgantown High School and Clay Batelle High School). However, we treat all levels of injuries caused by sport participation at all ages. Many can be treated without surgery and are amenable to physical therapy and different medicines, both orally and injectable.
If you have had an injury, we would be happy to help you figure out the problem and get you back participating as quickly as the injury and your body permit.
Today, lets talk about Meniscus injuries. The menisci are the knee cartilage cushions between the thigh bone (femur) and shin bone (tibia).
There are different types of tears, and some require surgical intervention and some can be treated conservatively. There are some tears that get stuck in the joint and stop the joint from being straightened and others that only hurt if you twist and squat on it. Some are traumatic (caused by an injury), and others that happen as a degenerative tear as we get older and may only flare up at certain times. There may be swelling in the joint, point tenderness on the side of the knee and pain with certain moves such as twisting and squatting. The ones that get stuck where you can’t straighten your knee will definitely get your attention and bring you in to see us more quickly than the degenerative type tears that may happen with a low-level injury, such as squatting.
Most meniscal tears treated surgically through an arthroscopy procedure require only two to three poke holes, and then the arthroscopic tools are used to remove the tear. Most people are on their feet the next day and usually only need a few days to recover to get back to work, depending on what that work is. If you are up on your feet for long periods and need to do lifting and squatting, then getting back to work may take four to six weeks. If you have a desk job, it is possible to get back in a few days.
The procedure usually takes ten to twenty minutes and is done with a combination of local anesthetic and twilight anesthesia. It is a same-day procedure, and you can begin weight bearing activity as tolerated that day. Some patients use crutches, and others don’t. We instruct you to ice and elevate that evening and maybe the next day and do some easy quadricep muscle exercises like straight leg raises and tightening the quadricep muscles for a three second hold of ten to twenty reps several times a day. It is okay to also bend the knee, and you can shower the next day. We try and make it as easy as possible for you to get back to your life.
If you have a tear or knee concern, give us a call at (304) 599-0720, and we would be happy to see you. For more information on sports injuries and how to prevent them, visit here.
Thank you for letting us help you,
MOA