Arthroscopic meniscectomy is an outpatient minimally invasive surgical procedure used to treat a torn meniscus cartilage in the knee. The meniscus is usually torn as a result of sports that include running and jumping. There is significant over treatment of knee pain with arthroscopic partial meniscectomy when alternative, less invasive and less expensive treatment options are equally effective. First-line treatment of degenerative meniscus tears should be non-operative therapy focused on analgesia and physical therapy to provide pain relief as well as improve mechanical function of the knee joint. Pre and post physical therapy has great outcomes when dealing with a partial or full meniscus tear.
Sign and Symptoms of a torn meniscus:
- Swelling and well-localized pain in the knee
- Pain is made worse by twisting or squatting motions
- Locking of the knee / displaced piece of meniscus
- Difficulty extending the knee fully Pain during high impact motions
Some of the things to consider pre and post- surgical !
- Evaluation
- Cryotherapy or Thermotherapy
- Passive Range of Motion
- Therapeutic exercises
- Brace or splinting
- Manual TherapyEducation in home modifications
Sources:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5299550/
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2325967120954392
