Prognosis | Internal meniscus lesion

Prognosis

The extent of the meniscus removal or the meniscal suturing determines the prognosis. In case of a pronounced removal after a meniscus lesion, gonarthrosis develops quickly. This leads to severe complaints when walking and may make an artificial knee joint (knee prosthesis) necessary.

As a rule, sporting activity must be reduced after every form of meniscus injury. The healing time of an inner meniscus lesion varies depending on the surgical procedure. After a normal arthroscopy, the knee is at least partially loadable immediately after the operation.

In this respect, it is also important to start physiotherapy and your own exercises as soon as possible. After 2-3 weeks, light sports can be resumed, initially preferably cycling on a home trainer. In most cases, after about 6 weeks you will be able to take full advantage of your physical strength again.

After a meniscus suture, the healing period is somewhat longer. Here, the knee is initially immobilized for about 1 week with a rigid splint. Afterwards, a splint is fitted, which allows movement in principle, but prevents overstretching or excessive flexion of the knee joint.

This splint must be worn for about 6 weeks. Of course, physiotherapy is also important after this operation. However, the full load capacity is only reached again after about 4-6 months. The healing time and splint treatment with a meniscus implant is comparable to that after a meniscus suture.

Summary

The inner meniscus lesion is a relatively common injury that occurs particularly in young men in the context of sports injuries. Since the inner meniscus has a smaller range of motion than the outer meniscus, it is much more frequently affected by injuries. Also in the context of degenerative changes, the meniscus can tear spontaneously or by a wrong movement.

Depending on the form of the tear, different types of meniscus lesion are distinguished. The clinical diagnostics consists mainly of the examination of different clinical signs, which, if they occur, increase the probability of an inner meniscus lesion. Furthermore, imaging procedures can confirm the diagnosis.

If a lesion of the inner meniscus is suspected, an MRI is usually performed. This serves for an exact diagnosis. In an arthroscopy (knee endoscopy) the therapy can consist of a meniscus suture or the removal of the meniscus (meniscectomy). Depending on the suture or the amount of meniscus removed, arthrosis of the knee joint may develop afterwards.