Patients are allowed to initiate weightbearing at 6 weeks, but should avoid any significant squatting, squatting and lifting, or sitting cross-legged for a minimum of 5-6 months. From April 22 until May 1, my program changed again, slowly becoming more like my regular training. Meniscal root avulsions are a challenging injury causing meniscal extrusion and loss of hoop stress distribution, which can lead to the development of knee arthritis.1 Securing the meniscus in a small bone socket has proven to be an effective means to restore hoop stresses and improve outcomes.2 The FlipCutter II reamer and meniscal root marking hook allow for a minimally invasive . Heavy lifting, manual labor, strenuous exercise/activity, and sports should all be restricted until 3-6 months after surgery. A meniscus root tear can occur due to a traumatic event or degeneration. Meniscal root repairs and radial tear repairs should be progressed slowly because the tear involves complete disruption of the circumferential fibers of the meniscus. Examination of the medial compartment revealed a complete radial tear proximally 1cm medial to the posterior root insertion. My wait time for office visits has always been less than 10 minutes. If there is tissue there, it usually means that the meniscus root repair has healed down to bone. Historically, these root tears are often treated with benign neglect and either ignored or trimmed out. Factors Affecting Meniscus Tear Healing and Prognosis AOSSM Lecture, What Does an Orthopedist Do? His surgery and recovery has been perfect! Two weeks. Country. Contact Dr. Nwachukwus team today! And thats all good if youre going to end up having the surgery. 4. In addition, if the medial meniscus is involved, active The next step involves using a self-capture device to place either sutures or tape into the substance of the meniscus body. The second step is to prepare a bony bed where the meniscus repair will be performed. Dr. Burnham clearly cares about his patients and their follow up care. The patients are mostly allowed to walk immediately after arthroscopic knee surgeries. It helps to be strong, my PT remarked. Little information has been published regarding specific rehabilitation parameters for meniscal root repairs through all phases of rehabilitation. Physical therapy exercises can help to improve muscle strength, knee range of motion, and decrease sensitivity to the pain. When one drills a tunnel and tries to place stitches up a tunnel without a cannula in place, it can be extremely technically challenging. This allows the meniscus to heal back to the bone. Are you a candidate for a meniscal root repair? Early weightbearing has been found to be the cause of meniscus root repair failure, and this has been validated by our colleagues In general, almost all meniscus root tears require a 6-week period of being nonweightbearing to maximize the healing potential. A sports medicine specialist will examine your knee and any relevant imaging to determine which treatment you should start with first. He will now be caring for my hip and knee in the future. A meniscus can become damaged due to sudden trauma. One patient was noted to have an insufficiency fracture and spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee (SONK) as part of the root tear and came in in a wheelchair and she has had6 years of successful return to activities after her meniscus root repair, including hiking and cycling. There goes my knee again.. Proper fixation of the meniscal root can prevent or slow down the development of arthritis in that area of the knee. . If it is the right knee, the average time until the patient is able to drive is 6-9 weeks. It involves removal of some or all of a meniscus from the tibio-femoral joint of the knee using arthroscopic (keyhole) surgery. In younger patients, meniscus root tears often occur with a piece of bone being avulsed off the tibia. And then they lose motion. Controlling inflammation and swelling is still a key in this Phase, as increased motion without proper use of cooling therapy may put your meniscus at risk for re-injury. I would recommend his service to any recreational athlete. Thank you. Thank you Dr. Burnham and Jerrica for everything! Healing kind of goes fast the beginning and then it tapers off. I'm able to run and exercise without pain. 28323545 Additionally, preparing 2 transtibial tunnels to secure the meniscal root to its attachment site further increases the The meniscus is a cushion of the knee joint. MRI is used to look more closely at the meniscus and determine if it is something that needs surgical treatment, although not all meniscus root tears show up on MRI. . Keeping each meniscus in place are two roots that attach to the tibia (shin bone). Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone. I really like and appreciate the time and effort he commits to research. If the meniscus is extruded, the patient may not be having a restoration of their shock-absorbing capacity of the meniscus. Placing sutures or UltraTape on each side of the tear and pulling it down into tunnels should be a safe and reliable method for a bony avulsion root repair. You may need surgery to restore full knee function. They might have a follow up visit or two but its really physical therapy that suppose take over at that point in physical therapy just has you for two to three months and once theyre done with you same thing once youre back to walking and bending your knee all the way and straightening out your knee all the way. I wasnt taking any pain medication either, so I was alert. Therefore, most meniscus root tears need to have the scar tissue released so the meniscus can be pulled back into the joint. In particular, making sure the meniscus has a thorough release from scar tissue and making sure that ones sutures or UltraTape are placed into the best substance possible for the meniscus root repair, are important considerations to maximize the chance of healing of the revision root repair procedure. Most patients will also have some numbness around the surgical incision, but this is not a true complication and is anticipated with any type of surgical incision. Thank you for choosing Dr. LaPrade as your healthcare provider. At the end of March, my doctor told me I could take my brace off completely, and use crutches for another week if I needed to. Hey - if he is good enough for Olympic and professional athletes..he's good enough for me! That night, I drove myself to the gym. Can you tear your meniscus again after a surgery and if you do how can you tell? Dr Burnhams bedside manner was exceptional. Removal Repair Example of Root Tear Repair Q: HOW DOES THE SURGEON DECIDE WHETHER TO PERFORM A REPAIR OR REMOVAL? The most common method to fix meniscus root tears is through a tibial bone tunnel. I was worried for my future with my legs letting me walk but she put me at ease letting me know she will do everything in her power to fix me or send me to whatever specialist I need to see to make sure I have a good chance walking in my future, and they all truly fantastic doctors. Dr. Burnham and his remarkable staff have been a godsend for our son. Recommend highly. endobj I opened my gym shortly after taking up strength training in earnest to help address my back pain, and have been working for the past eight years to help others embrace their true potential and strength. I was adding 10 pounds a week for deadlifts but have now switched to pause deadlifts on Tuesday and add only 5 pounds a week to the heavy deadlift. The steps in a meniscus root repair are very intricate and our biomechanical studies have validated that the steps are essential. Two cannulas are subsequently placed into the area of bone that was decorticated to allow for the transtibial 2-tunnel technique to be performed. The meniscus is a piece of cartilage in the knee, often injured in sports. When a torn fragment is floating in the joint, patients will feel a sudden, sha twitter.com/i/web/status/1, According to an injury study done in 2021, #Pickleball has been deemed safer than #tennis and better for individual twitter.com/i/web/status/1, Cysts Acetabular Paralabral and Subchondral, ACL Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury of the Knee, Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome Runners Knee, PVNS of the Knee Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis, Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation Surgery (OATS), Patellofemoral Arthroscopy Runners Knee Treatment, Stabilization for Instability-Arthroscopic, Subacromial Decompression for Impingement, How to prevent common skiing and snowboarding injuries | Ski Injury Doctor Manhattan, BICMD Co-Founder and Co-CEO Announces Expansion of Services, Patients are partial weight bearing for the first 4 weeks and then during weeks 4-6 are progressed to full weight-bearing. Diego has an automatic and it was my left knee that was incapaciated, not my right, so the next day, I hobbled into his car and practiced driving around the block. This technically challenging procedure should only be done by an orthopedic knee expert like Dr. Nwachukwu who has had extensive experience in performing the meniscal root tear repair correctly. Therefore, addressing a meniscus root tear prior to the development of osteoarthritis would be indicated. And slowly, I started bending the knee more, and eventually took the box away from my bench. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you b. Therefore, one should attempt a meniscus root repair whenever possible in most patients up to age 70. Being aware of the location of the meniscal attachments at the time of ACL and PCL surgeries is essential to minimize the chance of an iatrogenic root tear. Theyre kind of done with you too but what if you want to go play with the grandkids do you want to kneel what do you want to exercise youve got to set your expectations to still take it easy still rehab or strengthen the right muscles or do the right kind of treatment for yourself so that you can continue to heal. For potential or actual medical emergencies, immediately call 911 or your local emergency service. So if youre sitting at home right now, and you just had your meniscus surgery a month or two ago, and youre thinking, gosh, why arent I much better already. The back attachment of the medial meniscus, called a posterior horn attachment, is the most common location for meniscus root tears to occur. Repair of the meniscal root significantly increased functional outcomes scores in 14 of 14 studies and the rate of conversion to TKA was considerably less than those observed following conservative treatment or partial meniscectomy. What could you eat or do for a meniscus tear to heal faster after surgery? This is done to protect the repair and let the body heal it. Dr. Ahmad M Hadied and another doctor agree, is on the left leg i let some patients The goal of a meniscus root tear repair is to locate the torn root and tack it back down to the bone using strong sutures. And Im a specialist physical therapist El Paso manual physical therapy. And unless you have been following my Instagram page and know about my rehab, you would never even know that I had knee surgery. Most patients with meniscal root tears will ultimately need surgical fixation of the root. Meniscus (cartilage) Repair patients cannot do twisting, pivoting, squatting, deep knee bends or impact activities for four months. When the tear is examined during arthroscopy, Dr. Hess will decide if the tear is able to be repaired . <> This is because a lack of meniscus attachment at the root causes extra stress to be placed on an ACL graft and it can also result in the patient having more instability, both with anterior tibial translation, and with twisting and turning activities during the pivot shift, when there is a concurrent lateral meniscus root tear. Please help. In general, in our practice, most patients who do have pain after a meniscus root repair fit into this category. Thus, these patients can often have early onset arthritis, the development of bony edema, insufficiency fractures, and the failure of concurrent cruciate ligament reconstruction grafts. I am now adding 10 pounds a week to the bar for squats. In general, patients have to develop good quadriceps strength to allow for maximum absorption with activities prior to returning back to any significant hiking, jogging or running activities. His extensive schooling, research, and commitment to his craft shined through at every turn as he evaluated my injury, presented all my options (clearly explaining non-surgical options and expected outcomes), and helped me plan my course of treatment and recovery. #12. Hands down would recommend him!! What most people just dont get from their medical professionals is that the meniscus is a type of cartilage. And I feel my rode to recovery will be wonderful. These are totally different. I had shoulder cuff repair, involving 2 ligaments & bone spurs, only 6 weeks ago. I was told by one of the orthopedic surgeons that I worked with that I would never run again and would be lucky if I could ever hike again. Meniscus repair rehab protocol. It was press/bench day, so I set up for some seated presses and dragged a stool over to prop my left leg up while I benched. A week later, I got my MRI results and I was told that this was going to be a very long recovery, but I had other plans. When the meniscus root becomes detached, the meniscus can extrude out of the joint and lead to effectively having no functional meniscus. Meniscus root repair rehab will usually start 1-2 days after surgery. Is this normal? Dr. Burnham was very thorough and took the time to explain what he thought my root problem may be, why, and how he suggested we proceed with my care. Oct 24, 2020. As always, Dr. Burnham and his staff were caring, knowledgeable & professional at my recent visit. What do you suggest if my MRI says that I have a horizontal tear in the body of the lateral meniscus is shown do I need surgery? This answers all my questions! Ill def refer friends and family! Super knowledgeable. In general, almost all meniscus root tears require a 6-week period of being nonweightbearing to maximize the healing potential. If your job mostly involves sitting at a desk, you may be able to get back to work in a week or two. And Im a specialist physical therapist El Paso manual physical therapy. And they can get back to normal in about two or three months after having the surgery. Great doctor. The High Tech Shirt Problem in the Squat Rusty Holcomb, Observations on Training by an Old Guy Phil Ringman. During our biomechanical testing, we found that if we tied the sutures directly over bone, with cyclic loading, the sutures would cut into the bone and the repair would become loose over time. In this technique, sutures are placed into the torn meniscus root and then shuttled down tunnels in the tibia to tie the repair into place. It can be very difficult to interpret an MRI after a meniscus root repair. Did you have any meniscus surgery in the past and youre still dealing with pain, swelling and possibly even losing motion in your knee? Timeline for Meniscus Repair Recovery: It will take around 4-6 weeks before you can walk, drive, and otherwise move normally as you would prior to your injury. I felt very informed and well cared for. His team is prompt, thorough, and fun - always smiles. A meniscus root tear occurs when one or both of these roots tear away from the bone. If not treated, part of the meniscus may come loose and slip into the joint. Thank you, Dr. LaPrade, for treating me with the care, focus, and expertise as if I was an Olympic athlete!- From your 63 year old very appreciative patent ~. Educational text answers on HealthTap are not intended for individual diagnosis, treatment or prescription. An iatrogenic meniscus root tear means that a tunnel was drilled for an ACL or PCL reconstruction and hit the meniscus root and detached it from bone. Often, when a meniscus root is torn, it will retract in the joint and become stuck in place. You'll begin a graduated rehabilitation protocol. Video chat with a U.S. board-certified doctor 24/7 in a minute. A meniscus repair to the knee cartilage is a minimally invasive surgery that can normally be performed on an outpatient basis. Connect with a U.S. board-certified doctor by text or video anytime, anywhere. W;5$u4Yxa_V_bm}q8=^_qbY,H(+",X'{|oMs"&A;3.E s&L=Z`)!]$],b }zb& Y@dy.Lif1:4@"Fz"U2`/h0|6^T&}56+Q:Dn{d:rqW@3 7 U. Dr. Burnham and his staff were/are amazing. These radial root tears are equivalent to a meniscus root tear. The torn meniscus is corrected via a minimally invasive procedure depending on the kind of injury. Stated to me , in detail, what to expect and how long my recovery will take. I asked him about biking, and he told me that he allowed his patients to start biking two weeks after surgery. He made my daughter feel comfortable and made sure to listen to both of our concerns prior to his diagnosis. I was life flighted to MCR in Loveland, CO. My orthopedic injuries were severe, but totally missesd by the orthopedic team at Poudre. If you break down what most healthcare provision professionals tell their patients, it could be an orthopedic surgeon, or even a physical therapist, its telling somebody whos just had a meniscus surgery, theyll say, well, 80% of healing is done in the first two to three months. In radiologic terms, this is called a bony ossicle. The technique for a repair for a bony avulsion, called a type 5 meniscus root tear, is similar to the other techniques other than it should have the bone piece shaved down and cleaned off such that it can be pulled back into the area where it had been avulsed from. The most important difference is that rehabilitation following a meniscal repair requires limiting early postoperative weight bearing and knee flexion beyond 90 degrees to . Immediate and intense knee pain can signal a meniscus root tear, especially with pain at the back of the knee. His MA Michelle was very professional and kind. I definitely know that I would not have been able to do all that I can do now, if I had not gone into the surgery strong. Your knee will be swollen. Meniscal repair may be performed either by open surgery under direct vision or minimally invasively using an arthroscope that can be inserted into the knee through a very small key-hole incision to locate and repair the damaged meniscus. Dr. Burnham has an awesome bedside manner. %PDF-1.5 Appreciate the attention and time spent during office visits. Eventually, as I get into the mid 100s again, I will start adding five pounds a week. Dr. Jeremy Burnham did a reconstruction of my ACL on April 19th. Matthias J. Feucht1,4 Received: 19 May 2022 / Accepted: 13 February 2023 I would like to thank Dr. Jeremy Burnham for his wonderful work and surgery on my left shoulder. Now, the focus when you go into a surgeons office, theyre looking at your MRI, theyre looking at your meniscus on the MRI, theyre telling you the tear in the way that its torn and how theyre going to repair it. If one does a meniscus root repair in that extruded position, the chance of a meniscus root repair working over the long term is very minimal. This specific type of tear makes up 90% of all meniscal root tears. Strength. He is walking without a limb and is on schedule with his progress. This step involves making a surgical incision or extending a previous surgical incision (such as with an ACL reconstruction) and ensuring that one is dissected down directly to bone.