I recently underwent arthroscopic surgery on my knee for a torn cartilage. The surgeon removed half of the cartilage. My pain is gone but I wonder if anything else could have been done rather than removing the torn cartilage. Also, is there anything that could or should be put back in its place?

Each knee has two menisci. These C-shaped rubbery type shock absorbers are on the medial (medial meniscus) and lateral (lateral meniscus) side of the knee. If you develop a “cartilage tear” the treatment depends on the size, type, and location of your tear and whether there are other factors in your knee such as ligament tears or arthritis. Sometimes it is correct to remove a piece of the cartilage and other times it can be repaired, and that is best determined by your surgeon at the time of surgery when they directly visualize your cartilage or meniscal tear through the arthroscope.

If the meniscus is repaired and saved the recovery is usually longer but in the long run it is better for your knee. Age is also a factor. The younger you are, the more likely your meniscal tear can heal, and efforts should be made to try to save it. Also, if you are young and have had your entire meniscus removed and you are having symptoms, there are some new alternatives. A donor meniscus from a cadaver (meniscal allograft) can be transplanted into your knee. This is a promising technique and the long term effects are not known for certain, but it seems to be an excellent alternative in select situations, especially younger patients who have lost significant meniscus.

If all or even part of your meniscus has been removed then you have lost some shock absorption in your knee so it becomes even more important to build up the external shock absorbers around your knee which means strength training and muscle building, especially your quadriceps muscle on the front of your thigh. Also, you can also reduce the stresses placed on your knee joint by keeping your weight down and avoiding higher impact activities such as running.

Here’s a video of one athlete’s meniscus surgery experience.

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