Meniscus Tear Surgery Perth
Surgical treatment of torn meniscus in Perth WA
Acute Meniscus Tear / Pain – Treatment through Perth Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine
Meniscus tears can occur through sports such as AFL, soccer, netball or running which are all common in Perth. Other meniscus tears can occur in day to day activity such as walking, working or running. Symptoms of acute meniscus tear include pain, swelling, instability or locking of the knee. Many meniscus tear settle and best initial treatment includes rest, ice, small knee brace and graduated motion of the knee as tolerated. For meniscus tears that are not settling or causing severe pain, Dr Daniel Meyerkort sees acute knees at Perth Orthopaedic in West Perth every Friday. Priority access to MRI scans are available through our clinic partners (SKG / PRC).
What is a meniscus tear?
The meniscus are two ‘C shaped’ disks within the knee. There is a inner (medial) and outer (lateral) meniscus. They are made of a tough cartilage (fibrocartilage). The meniscus are important shock absorbers and stabilisers within the knee. A tear of the meniscus can lead to pain, instability and early arthritis. It can occur during sporting activities / twisting injury or simply be related to wear and tear.
How are meniscus tears treated at Perth Orthopaedic?
Small / stable meniscus tears can heal or simply stop causing pain within your knee. Small / stable or degenerative tears should trial an exercise program before considering surgery. Large tears particularly in young patients are best served with meniscal repair. This involves suturing the meniscus back to the knee joint capsule with internal keyhole stitches. Success rates of meniscal repair are dependant on the type of tear and age of patients and range between 70 – 90 percent. Knee arthroscopy and meniscal repair is done as a day case procedure. Depending on the size of tear and stability of repair, a knee brace and crutches may be needed for six weeks. Meniscus surgery in Perth is performed by Dr Daniel Meyerkort at Hollywood Private Hospital, SJOG Subiaco and Bethesda Hospital.
Meniscal repair vs partial meniscectomy (trim)
In general a meniscal repair is preferable to a trim to protect the knee and restore the native function of the meniscus. A meniscal repair takes longer to recover from and has a failure rate between 10 – 30% however this is to protect your knee from arthritis in the future. In comparison a partial meniscectomy (trim) has a quicker recovery but will increase your risk of arthritis in the future. Every effort should be made to preserve the meniscus and perform a meniscal repair for large tears in young patients. Small tear in older patients may be suitable for a trim.
How long should I wait before meniscal repair?
In general success rate of meniscal surgery are higher in the first few weeks after injury. Urgent appointments with Dr Daniel Meyerkort at Perth Orthopaedic are available every Friday for acute knee injury with expedited surgery available.
