Early weightbearing has been found to be the cause of meniscus root repair failure, and this has been validated by our colleagues. Your doctor may give you a nerve block before surgery and will prescribe pain-relieving medications after surgery. Meniscus root repair rehab will usually start 1-2 days after surgery. We validated that the 2 simple suture technique had the least amount of loosening over time, but the other techniques were stronger. It helps to be strong, my PT remarked. Meniscal repairs offer the benefit of preserving the native meniscus, but they require a longer rehabilitation protocol as compared to a meniscectomy. Edina, MN 55435, EAGAN-VIKING LAKES OFFICE Weight bearing as tolerated after 6 weeks. A possible cause for knee pain 1 year after meniscus surgery would be a re-tear of the meniscus. Takes his time with you and doesn't hurry to rush out of the room if you have questions. Video chat with a U.S. board-certified doctor 24/7 in less than one minute for common issues such as: colds and coughs, stomach symptoms, bladder infections, rashes, and more. The knee buckled and I thought, Shit. When one drills a tunnel and tries to place stitches up a tunnel without a cannula in place, it can be extremely technically challenging. Great shoulder doc. MENISCAL ROOT REPAIR POST-OPERATIVE ORDERS . Therefore, any surgeon who performs ACL reconstruction should be well versed in performing a lateral meniscus root repair. The back attachment of the medial meniscus, called a posterior horn attachment, is the most common location for meniscus root tears to occur. Hey - if he is good enough for Olympic and professional athletes..he's good enough for me! The next steps involve placing self-capture sutures into the end of the meniscus root and then drilling cannulas into the area that was decorticated such that the sutures placed into the meniscus can be shuttled down the cannulas and then tied over the tibia. Continuing to train, moving it as much as I could, bearing weight as much as I could tolerate, not sitting around, and NOT just doing PT exercises 1-2x times a week. It is important to recognize that most patients who sustain isolated meniscus root tears happen with a medial meniscus root attachment. Very professional! In some severe cases, they cant fully extend their knee out or bend their knee all the way. This technically challenging procedure should only be done by an orthopedic knee expert like Dr. Nwachukwu who has had extensive experience in performing the meniscal root tear repair correctly. Thus, when one does sustain a lateral meniscus root tear with an ACL tear, consideration should be given to having a concurrent lateral meniscus root repair so the ACL graft does not stretch out. When I woke up I was in significant pain but the nurses had it under control by the time I left. Does having a cortisone shot help a meniscus tear or is surgery the only option? Some patients may experience catching, clicking, or locking of their knee. There are two menisci in the knee, medial and lateral. Everyone made us feel comfortable, and they were all polite and professional. This was devastating news after being a top triathlete (3rd in the world in my age group in 1989 & 1st nationally in my age group) and a big marathon runner. Dr. La Prade had just moved to Vail and I was his 2nd patient @ The Steadman Clinic. Meniscal repair may be performed either by open surgery under direct vision or minimally invasively using an arthroscope that can be inserted into the knee through a very small key-hole incision to locate and repair the damaged meniscus. So you need to just have that expectation right now if youre going to go get a surgery, or if youve already had one, if its been more than six months, or youre in that you know, past six months, six to 12 months range or longer since your meniscus surgery, then its okay as long as you dont have another tear or some other massive injury to it, you can probably get that swelling under control, regain your motion back as long as it hasnt been too long. It can also occur while bending the knee deeply. Range of motion exercises occur more slowly than a standard meniscus repair and will continue for the first 4 weeks. I also started boxing sessions once a week with one of my coaches as I am not allowed to start back to BJJ until September. And I feel my rode to recovery will be wonderful. Sutures are passed through the meniscus, and then pulled down into a bone tunnel located at the same site as the root attachment before it tore. I went to Dr. Burnham for issues I was having with my shoulders. United States. When the meniscus root becomes detached, the meniscus can extrude out of the joint and lead to effectively having no functional meniscus. Dr. Burnham and his remarkable staff have been a godsend for our son. Ive dealt with other knee doctors in prior injuries, but Dr. Burham and his team clearly stood out. I consulted with SSC and DPT Darin Deaton prior to my surgery and then afterwards, when I discovered it had been a meniscus root repair. In cases the patients undergo meniscus repair or ligament reconstruction, they are given a brace to support the knee in full extension. I did a few jungle gym rows, and finished with planks. We have published on several of these, noting that a PCL tunnel which is placed too close to the joint can detach the posterior horn of the medial meniscus and lead to the development of arthritis of the medial compartment. Country. After about five minutes, the wheels were spinning. Please help. How long recovery takes depends on the type of meniscus surgery and the severity of the injury, but expect two weeks down time, at minimum. A physical therapist will be assigned to you and begin a routine of light exercise to help stabilize the knee. Non-anatomic root repairs do not restore normal joint biomechanics . An iatrogenic meniscus root tear means that a tunnel was drilled for an ACL or PCL reconstruction and hit the meniscus root and detached it from bone. I wont ever go anywhere else. We will determine during your consultation whether general or regional anesthesia would be appropriate - either way, no pain will be experienced during the procedure itself. Often, when a meniscus root is torn, it will retract in the joint and become stuck in place. Prior to that, they are recommended to use crutches. Synopsis There is a growing body of evidence surrounding the pathology and treatment of meniscal root tears. Swelling and stiffness. There are many factors that go into this, including a patients weight, with overweight patients putting more stress on the meniscus root tear, ones alignment, where one being bowlegged with a medial meniscus root repair putting extra stress on the repair, and also the amount of underlying arthritis present prior to the root repair. The meniscus is a very important piece of cartilage in the knee. His MA Michelle was very professional and kind. He spent a great amount of time explaining everything to me in a way that I understood everything. In layman terms, I had completely torn my medial meniscus from the bone, and it had to be sewn back on. The why answer is that the meniscus root is an important stabilizer to the meniscus to ensure that it can function as effectively as possible as a shock absorber. Phase I of Rehab: Surgery until 8 weeks. I was cleared to drive at my followup appointment 2 weeks after surgery, which was exactly what my surgeon had told me to expect. He and his staff could not have been more helpful and professional. Other sources of pain can include scarring within the joint that occurs as a normal part of a surgical procedure, or pain from other pathology and joint, such as arthritis under the kneecap. Meniscus root repair surgery recovery Most patients can return to full activity 4-6 months after a meniscus root repair. Request Case Review or Office Consultation, Lateral Patellotibial Ligament Reconstruction, Anatomic Analysis of the Posterior Root Attachments of the Menisci, Posterior Root Avulsion Fracture of the Medial Meniscus, Not Your Fathers (or Mothers) Meniscus Surgery, Anterior Intermeniscal Ligament of the Knee An Anatomical Study, Popliteomeniscal Fascial Tears Causing Symptomatic Lateral Compartment Knee Pain, Prospective Outcomes Study of Meniscal Allograft Transplantation. And theres things that you can do, which Ill allude to here in the middle. He has repaired both of my shoulders and he is awesome to the max. When a torn fragment is floating in the joint, patients will feel a sudden, sha twitter.com/i/web/status/1, According to an injury study done in 2021, #Pickleball has been deemed safer than #tennis and better for individual twitter.com/i/web/status/1, Cysts Acetabular Paralabral and Subchondral, ACL Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury of the Knee, Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome Runners Knee, PVNS of the Knee Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis, Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation Surgery (OATS), Patellofemoral Arthroscopy Runners Knee Treatment, Stabilization for Instability-Arthroscopic, Subacromial Decompression for Impingement, How to prevent common skiing and snowboarding injuries | Ski Injury Doctor Manhattan, BICMD Co-Founder and Co-CEO Announces Expansion of Services, Patients are partial weight bearing for the first 4 weeks and then during weeks 4-6 are progressed to full weight-bearing. Please note, we cannot prescribe controlled substances, diet pills, antipsychotics, or other commonly abused medications. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you b. The results of meniscus root repairs in the literature are encouraging, but more improvement is necessary in the future. We found that the technique was very successful at restoring function to patients and significantly reducing their pain. The mini First-Pass device allows placement of either a suture or an UltraTape through the substance of the meniscus, capturing the end of the stitch as it is placed through the meniscus and then it can be pulled out of the joint. I press and bench with no modifications. I asked him about biking, and he told me that he allowed his patients to start biking two weeks after surgery. There are 2 main variants of the transtibial root repair technique. (including injections and arthroscopic surgery), I heard Dr. La Prade was going to practice in the Twin Cities - where I live, & waited for him, based on his renown reputation. Most meniscus root tears occur very close to the root near the meniscus itself and are called radial root tears. In general, patients have to develop good quadriceps strength to allow for maximum absorption with activities prior to returning back to any significant hiking, jogging or running activities. Robert LaPrade, MD, PhD 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. Most importantly, I have not missed a single coaching or training session since my surgery. He has a great rapport with teenagers.