How Long Does A Bad Meniscus Tear Take To Heal After Repair

For such a small part of the trunk, the c-shaped slice of cartilage between the tibia and femur bones play a large office. This piece of cartilage, known as the meniscus, serves equally both a stabilizer and shock absorber for the knee. And when y'all injure your meniscus, y'all know. The question is, what happens when a meniscus injury requires surgery, and how long does information technology take to recover?

READ: Meniscus Repair Rehabilitation Protocol by AlterG

Mutual Causes of Meniscus Injuries
Before nosotros get into care, let'south talk about cause. A sudden stop and turn, an bad-mannered twist or landing—all of these can cause a meniscal tear. Meniscus injuries crop upward most oft during contact sports, such every bit football, soccer, and hockey.

However, meniscus tears tin can as well consequence from heavy lifting, pivots and turns (think: basketball, volleyball, and the like), also every bit osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and other conditions that come up with age. Causes vary. Here'southward what recovery might look similar.

What to Await Afterwards Meniscus Surgery
Afterward a meniscus injury, physicians use MRI to determine the severity of injury and whether or not surgery is required. Typically, anything Course III and above will crave surgery (though not always). Information technology all depends on the extent to which the injury is likely to heal on its ain. For those injuries that do require surgery, here's what to await afterward:

Residue, healing, and recovery fourth dimension: Immediately after the injury, patients volition be put into RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) protocol aslope hurting and inflammation medication as needed. Though the surgery to repair a meniscus tear alone is not terribly long, the recovery fourth dimension can final anywhere from iii weeks to six months for a full return to activity.
As with any injury, recovery time for meniscus surgery will depend on the severity of the surgery (full removal or repair, for example), location of the injury, as well equally any other damage that was done to the genu. Rehabilitation time will also vary accordingly.
Crutches, a brace, and a tedious return to weight-bearing: After surgery, most patients will be on crutches, article of clothing a brace, or some combination of both for at least a couple of weeks. This helps eliminate impact on the articulatio genus to permit the repaired tissue to begin healing and reduce the risk of re-injury.
The physical therapy program: Afterwards an initial recovery period, about patients will brainstorm a physical therapy program to start a gradual and progressive render to regular activity. This includes a gradual return to weight-bearing activities. The integrity and regularity of this plan will directly impact the patient'southward recovery time, and may include the following focus areas:
- Stabilization
- Flexibility
- Strength
- Endurance

Shortening Recovery Times with Precision Unweighting
Once a patient is cleared to return to weight-bearing activities, their physical therapist volition tailor the duration and intensity of their protocols depending on the severity of the meniscus injury.

Aside from traditional protocols, many physical therapists are now adding unweighting activities, such as pool therapy or tools like the AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill™, to re-innovate walking and running motions while limiting injury hazard. How? By calculation weight-begetting in smaller, tolerable increments and controlling those increments precisely.

To learn more, read the medial meniscus tear case written report by AlterG.