OP: Yes or no?

The operation of the inner meniscus is one of the most frequently performed operations in Germany. Exactly when an operation after cartilage damage makes sense is the subject of current medical discussions and has not yet been clarified. Depending on the type of cartilage damage, conservative therapy may be sufficient to treat it and achieve complete healing of the knee joint even without surgery.

This is particularly the case if there are only minor cartilage defects and these occur in areas that are well supplied with blood and therefore have a good chance of healing. In the case of larger cartilage defects, conservative therapy is often not of satisfactory success, as symptoms often remain and a complete cure cannot be achieved. Therefore, comprehensive diagnostics are particularly important in order to determine the extent of the damage to the inner meniscus and thus to be able to assess whether conservative therapy is superior to surgical intervention.

Individual factors of the affected person play a further important role in the decision whether an operation of the inner meniscus is reasonable. Previous illnesses, risk factors and the age of the affected person are among these factors. In order to get certainty that an operation is really necessary, it is recommended to get a second opinion from another doctor.

How long sick?

The duration of the healing process after an operation on the inner meniscus depends on a number of different factors and can vary greatly from person to person. For example, the time during which the affected person is ill and cannot work is strongly dependent on the progress of healing. This healing process differs especially between the surgical methods.

The days after the operation should be generally spared, although partial weight bearing may be possible after only 3-5 days. This should initially take place under the supervision of the treating physiotherapist. The time until the knee joint can be fully loaded can be between 6 weeks and 3 months, depending on the healing period and the surgical method.

In addition, the duration of a sick leave depends very much on the type of profession practised. Work that involves considerable stress on the knee joint should be avoided for longer than work that does not involve stress on the knee joint. In summary, the individual sick leave is thus based on the symptoms that occur and is controlled in narrow time intervals. Depending on the chosen surgical method and individual findings, as well as the profession exercised, the attending physician can estimate the duration of the entire sick leave.