Trauma & Joint Replacement Surgeon
There are many ways to repair a meniscus. The surgical technique used largely depends on the size and location of the tear. The surgery begins with knee arthroscopy to examine the meniscus and assess the meniscus tear. There are special suture implants that can be placed through the meniscus tear to allow repair of the meniscus. These implants do not require the surgeon to make additional incisions. For large meniscus tears, the surgeon often must make an additional incision to allow for passing the sutures and tying knots for a more secure repair. These partial open techniques often allow for a more robust repair for larger meniscus tears than would arthroscopic techniques alone.
In this surgery, the surgeon first performs a total meniscectomy and then obtains an appropriately sized meniscus from a cadaver tissue bank, which is placed in the knee. The donor tissue is repaired and sutured into place with the goal of achieving healing of the meniscus within the knee