Meniscus Tears & Knee Arthroscopy
What Is a Meniscus Tear?
The meniscus is a C-shaped piece of cartilage that cushions and stabilizes your knee between the thighbone and shinbone. A tear can happen suddenly, from a twisting or pivoting injury, or gradually, from age-related wear, also called a degenerative tear. Not all meniscus tears are treated the same way: tears in the outer, blood-supplied portion of the meniscus (sometimes called the “red zone”) often have the ability to heal and can be repaired, while tears in the inner portion (the “white zone”) lack a blood supply and are usually treated by removing the damaged tissue instead, a procedure called a meniscectomy, performed through knee arthroscopy. As we age, meniscus tissue naturally becomes weaker and less likely to be repairable, which is often why these degenerative tears occur alongside osteoarthritis rather than on their own.
This is you if:
- You felt a twisting or pivoting injury, followed by knee pain, swelling, or catching
- Your knee catches, locks, or feels like something is “in the way” during movement
- You've had knee pain along the joint line that hasn't improved with rest
- You've already been told you have a meniscus tear and want an honest read on whether it can be repaired or needs to be trimmed
- Physical therapy hasn't resolved your symptoms and you want to know what's next
Symptoms
- Pain along the joint line of the knee
- Swelling that develops within a day or two of the injury
- Catching, locking, or a sensation that the knee won't fully straighten
- A feeling of the knee giving way
- Stiffness or reduced range of motion
Causes & Risk Factors
- Twisting or pivoting injuries — common in sports involving sudden direction changes
- Deep squatting or kneeling — can put excess stress on the meniscus
- Age-related degeneration — often called a degenerative tear, meniscus tissue weakens over time, making tears more likely even without a specific injury
- Prior knee injury, including ACL tears — can increase the risk of a future meniscus tear
Non-surgical first.
Not every meniscus tear needs surgery. Small, stable tears, especially in lower-demand patients or those with significant underlying arthritis, can improve with physical therapy and activity modification alone. Age-related (degenerative) tears especially are treated without surgery to start.
Meniscus Repair.
When surgery is appropriate and your tear is in a part of the meniscus with a blood supply, arthroscopic repair is usually the better choice: reattaching and preserving your own meniscus tissue using sutures, rather than removing it. Preserving as much of your natural meniscus as possible is important for your knee's long-term health and its ability to absorb impact for years to come. This is most beneficial in younger patients who don't have significant arthritis or other damage to the knee.
Meniscectomy (Knee Arthroscopy).
When a tear is in a part of the meniscus without a blood supply, or the tissue is too damaged to repair successfully, the damaged portion is trimmed and removed arthroscopically instead. This is a shorter, less involved procedure than repair, with a notably faster recovery, but it removes tissue rather than preserving it. Complex tears, those with poor-quality tissue, tears running in multiple planes, or tears with loose flaps of tissue, are less likely to heal successfully if repaired, and are generally recommended for meniscectomy instead.
Both meniscus repair and meniscectomy are performed arthroscopically, through small incisions, making each a minimally invasive procedure regardless of which one your tear requires.
Dr. Thon will tell you honestly which option your specific tear allows for, and won't recommend a repair that isn't likely to heal, or remove tissue that could otherwise be saved.
Recovery & What to Expect
If you have a meniscus repair:
- Brace: A minimum of 6 weeks, worn at all times except during physical therapy, showering, changing, and while awake at complete rest.
- Crutches: Typically 1-2 weeks.
- Physical therapy: Begins within 1-2 weeks after surgery, at least once weekly for the first 6-12 weeks.
- Follow-up visits: You'll be seen 6 times after surgery, spaced with gradually increasing time between visits over the following year.
- Overall timeline: Recovery is gradual — expect 1-2 months to regain normal gait and full motion, 3-4 months to feel a significant difference, and 5-6 months to return to full sports.
If you have a meniscectomy (knee arthroscopy):
- Brace: Not required.
- Walking: Most patients can walk immediately after surgery, with crutches used only for a few days if needed.
- Physical therapy: Begins within 1-2 weeks after surgery, at least once weekly for the first 6-12 weeks.
- Follow-up visits: You'll be seen 4-6 times after surgery, spaced over roughly 2-6 months.
- Overall timeline: A notably faster recovery than repair — 1-2 months to regain normal gait and motion, 3-4 months to feel a significant difference, and full recovery generally within 2-6 months.
Every recovery is different, and depends on the extent of your tear, which procedure you have, and any other injuries addressed at the same time. Dr. Thon will walk you through your personal timeline in detail.
Why Choose Orchard Orthopedics for This
You'll always see Dr. Thon personally for your initial meniscus evaluation and surgery, not a resident or rotating provider. Preserving your own meniscus tissue when possible, rather than defaulting to removal, is central to how Dr. Thon approaches these injuries, paired with the direct access and unhurried follow-up care Orchard Orthopedics is built around.
Frequently Asked Questions
Understanding Your Injury
Not always. Small, stable tears, especially with underlying arthritis, sometimes improve with physical therapy alone. Dr. Thon will tell you honestly when that's realistic for your tear, and when surgery is the better path.
An untreated tear can continue to catch, lock, or cause instability, and in some cases lead to further damage within the joint over time. An evaluation gives you an honest picture of your specific risk.
Occasionally, the exact location and repairability of a tear is only fully clear during surgery. If that happens, Dr. Thon will address what's actually there, whether that means repair or meniscectomy, and explain exactly what changed and why, before, during, and after your procedure.
Deciding on Treatment
It depends on where your tear is located and its pattern. Tears in the outer, blood-supplied portion of the meniscus can often be repaired and preserved. Tears in the inner portion, without a blood supply, or complex tears with poor-quality tissue, multiple tear planes, or loose flaps, usually can't heal successfully if repaired and are instead trimmed through knee arthroscopy. Dr. Thon will tell you honestly which applies to your tear.
Repair only works when the torn tissue has a realistic chance of healing. If your tear is in a part of the meniscus without a blood supply, or the tissue itself is too damaged or complex, attempting a repair would be unlikely to succeed and could delay your recovery for no benefit. In that case, removing just the damaged portion is the more reliable option.
This usually results in a meniscectomy rather than a repair. Degenerative meniscus tears and arthritis often occur together, since the same joint wear that causes arthritis is often what leads to the tear in the first place. This combination can be difficult to treat because it's usually unclear how much of your pain is coming from the arthritis versus the meniscus tear itself. Arthroscopic surgery can help with the meniscus-related pain, but it can't do much for arthritis pain. If your pain is roughly an even mix of both, it's reasonable to expect meaningful, but partial, improvement, though the actual split could be closer to mostly arthritis or mostly meniscus, and that affects how much relief surgery can realistically offer.
Yes, especially before surgery. A second opinion isn't a lack of trust in your first doctor. It's a normal, expected step, and many patients return to their original surgeon with more confidence in the plan either way.
I have no insurance panel dictating my decisions and no quota to hit. I'll tell you honestly when physical therapy is a realistic path for your knee, and when surgery is the better call.
That's a completely normal reaction. Your visit is the place to ask every question you have, including ones about anesthesia, risk, and what the day of surgery actually looks like, until you feel genuinely informed, not just signed up.
Access & the Orchard Model
No. You can call and schedule directly, no referral or prior authorization required.
You'll always start with Dr. Thon on your initial visit for your meniscus evaluation and surgery. He remains closely involved in your care throughout.
Surgery & Recovery Logistics
Most patients can be seen same-day or next-day. Call the office and we'll get you scheduled quickly.
A meniscectomy typically takes about an hour; a meniscus repair typically takes about 1 to 1.5 hours. Both are outpatient procedures, so you'll go home the same day.
Only if you have a meniscus repair, for a minimum of 6 weeks. A meniscectomy does not require a brace.
Most people can drive again 2-6 weeks after surgery, once fully off narcotic pain medication. Return to work depends on your job and which procedure you have — desk jobs often resume in 1-2 weeks, while jobs requiring heavy lifting may take 8-12 weeks or longer.
A meniscectomy generally allows a full recovery within 2-6 months. A meniscus repair takes longer, generally 4-6 months, since the repaired tissue needs time to heal.
Repair or removal — get an honest answer about your meniscus, and a plan built specifically for you.
Already have a diagnosis or imaging from somewhere else? [ Get a second opinion ]