Arthroscopic Knee Surgery – What Treatment Entails?

Meniscal transplant surgery is an arthroscopic method for replacing damaged meniscus with donor-acquired cartilage that could be conducted on an out or inpatient basis. Irrespective of whether a person would require staying overnight would be based on the individual medical requirements.

Arthroscopic Knee Surgery Procedure

Arthroscopic knee surgery is among the most prevalently conducted operative methods. During this method, a mini camera is introduced via a tiny slit that has been made. This would provide an unobstructed sight of the inner areas of the knee. The orthopaedic surgeon would insert minuscule operative tools via the other tiny slits that have been made during the method.

Classically two to four inches sized slit is done in the knee area along with a couple of other tiny poke punctures. After this, anchoring of the new-fangled meniscal tissue is done into the shin bone for stabilizing the transplant during arthroscopic knee surgery. Placements of additional sutures are done into the meniscal transplant for sewing it into position.

Operative Complications

The risks of complications arising due to meniscal transplant surgery are rigidness, re-operation and partial healing being the most prevalent ones associated with the surgery. Other possible risks comprise of blood loss, infections and harm to nerves or blood vessels.

The possibility of contracting an infection from donor-derived tissue is diminutive, however it does happen. There is a two folds greater likelihood of being hit by lighting (one in eight lakhs possibility) than to develop HIV infection due to a meniscal transplant (chance being one in a million).

Rehab

Immobilization

Subsequent to surgery a person would require wearing knee brace and using crutches for the initial four to six weeks subsequent to the surgical procedure being conducted. This would give the tissue subsequent to transplantation some time for firm attachment to the bone.

Physiotherapy

No sooner have the initially experienced pains and swell up subsided then physiotherapy could commence. Particular exercises could help in restoring range of movements and build strength.

A therapy program helps in focusing firstly on flexibility. Stretching done in a gentle manner would aid in improving range of movements. With the healing process progressing, strength-building exercises would eventually be included to the program.

Return to Day-to-Day Tasks

Majority of the patients are incapable of returning to work for a minimal of fourteen days. Several patients having active careers need two to three months for rehab prior to being able to start resuming their occupations. The doctor would advice when the safest time for returning to job alongside any other sport-related activities. Six months to a year’s time is classically the time post-surgery for the patient to be given complete release.

Outlook

A successful arthroscopic knee surgery is dependent on several factors namely:

• The knee condition during the surgery.
• Accurate sizing of the transplant.
• The method of tissue placement.
• How committed the patient is towards rehab.

Studies on meniscal transplant surgery have shown a 21-55 percent overall failure rate within a decade’s time. Transplant surgery done on the outer or later portion of the knee have been found to have more success rates as compared to those performed on the inner or medial portion of the knee.