Meniscus Surgery - Vital Information About This Delicate Procedure

A tear in the meniscus, regularly just referred to as a cartilage tear, is often cared for by means of meniscus surgery. Meniscus type cartilage is actually found in a couple joints in your body, but it is commonly referred to as the cartilage in the knee. Meniscus tears are typical in young people who join in high impact athletics and in older people where degenerative tears occur.

Surgery isn't required in every situation. But if after 72 hours of icing your knee, keeping off your feet and keeping the leg elevated does not minimize the pain and swelling, it may be time to see your physician. There are 2 primary varieties of meniscus surgery. Only meniscus connected to the blood supply through the vascular system are able to undergo repair. If the part of the cartilage torn is not the region linked to the vascular system, a meniscectomy may be executed to eliminate the affected cartilage.

Several tears are handled with meniscus surgery, also referred to as arthroscopic surgery. An arthroscope is a miniature camera with a light that is inserted in to the knee through little incisions surrounding the knee cap. This tool allows a doctor to view the damage and repair it with nominal affect to the patient. Typically, some kind of an X-ray is used to diagnosis at tear in the meniscus once a concern is assumed. This surgery only calls for very small incisions to be made around the knee cap, letting the incisions to heal rapidly.

The physician's instructions will be to stay off your feet and to elevate the leg as much as possible for a few days. A few days later you should be able to walk around though some individuals might be on crutches for a few weeks. Low impact exercise should not begin until 3 months later with heavier exercise being acceptable after four months. High impact exercises that are stressful on the knee should not be practiced until a complete six to eight months later. Some individuals can never go back to participating in sports such as basketball or football. The above time lines are just general guidelines, based on your body's ability to heal and the severity of your surgery, your recuperation experience could differ.

The ideal ways to avoid ever having to endure meniscus surgery are the logical type of practices that go hand in hand with proper exercise techniques. Warm ups let your muscles to slowly ease into exercise instead of being unexpectedly shocked with intense activity which increases the danger of an injury. Weight training to balance out your muscles ensures that your body is operating proportionately. Just as essential as strengthening is getting enough rest in between intense physical activity so that your body can restore. Lastly, be certain to use the correct sneakers built for your body type and the sports you play.

Meniscus tears differ in severity. With appropriate care or surgery, many individuals will make a total recovery. Take the time to make a total recovery following meniscus surgery to ensure that you can return to playing the sports you love.