The human body is a beautiful and complex collection of intricately moving parts that, when functioning properly, allow us to enjoy many activities such as running, walking, swimming, and yoga. But sometimes these activities that we love can lead to painful injuries, such as a meniscus tear. This extremely common injury can leave you stressed and confused, wondering which treatment option is best.

You may have even heard that your only option for successful recovery involves surgery. Before you make that choice, let’s look at some treatment options you may not have known were available and why they may be right for you.

Let’s take a closer look at what the meniscus does for us:

Since a tear in the meniscus is one of the most common injuries we treat, it is important to know exactly how these C-shaped fibrous tissues help the body to function.

Although we often hear the meniscus referred to as just one structure, there are actually two menisci in each of our knees -both made up of a strong tissue known as fibrocartilage. The lateral meniscus is positioned on the outer side of the knee and the medial meniscus is positioned on the inner side. Each menisci perfectly fits the shape of the bones of the tibia (shin bone) and femur (thigh bone).

Together, both the medial meniscus and the lateral meniscus function as a cushion to keep the bones of the knee joint from grinding against one another during activity. This works to prevent damage and pain. It also distributes the weight of the body evenly across the knee joint, allowing us to stand up straight and further prevent any injury to the knee joint.

Any activity involving bending, twisting, or quickly pivoting can cause a tear in these important tissues. Because of the nature of the injury, many competitive sports athletes are at particularly high risk for meniscal tear-type injuries.

What happens when the meniscus is torn?

We generally see two types of meniscus tears. A degenerative meniscal tear happens over time as we age, and a traumatic meniscal tear happens rapidly in the event of a forceful twist of the knee. A traumatic type of tear often happens as a result of athletic performance or strenuous activity. Essentially any activity that causes the person to twist or over-rotate the knee can easily cause a tear in the meniscus.

The key symptom of a meniscal tear is pain in the knee joint combined with a locking or catching sensation within the knee. The knee joint will also often become swollen. The torn tissue of the meniscus can also lead to a feeling of weakness in the leg and a sense of “giving way” during weight-bearing activity. This can also be described as a buckling of the knee joint. Pain is usually felt in the area of the knee just above the meniscus while bearing weight on the affected side. Activities, such as walking up and down stairs, can be particularly painful and may increase swelling dramatically.

We can generally diagnose a meniscal tear based on these symptoms alone, however, X-rays and MRls are generally used to rule out any injury to the bone and detect the exact location of the tear.

Now that you know you have a tear, what can you do about it?

The issue with the meniscus is that it is not very vascular. This means that it does not have a very high volume of blood flow and will not heal well on its own. With the common nature of this injury, we’re sure that you may have heard that surgery is the only option when it comes to healing. We’re here to tell you there is absolutely another solution – one that will not simply lead to more problems, such as arthritis and joint deterioration, down the line.

You see, the problem with surgery is that it only does one of two things: removes a piece of torn meniscus or sews two pieces back together. This is often only a temporary solution, which leads to further issues down the road. Entering the knee joint and creating structural change through surgery is often problematic because it leaves you open to future problems such as chronic pain, arthritis, and joint breakdown. Joint breakdown in the knee may even eventually lead to knee replacement. Added to all this is also the issue of the long-term use of anti-inflammatory pain medication to treat pain that can become chronic following surgery.

This is where you need to take a moment to assess your own personal healing goals. As yourself, “Do I want my relief to be short-term or long-term?”

In a landmark study by the British Medical Journal, 1500 patients who underwent typical arthroscopic meniscus repair surgery were reviewed for efficacy and post-op satisfaction. The conclusion was that the inconsequential benefits of meniscus surgery did not outweigh the risks. Furthermore, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine back in 2014, concluded that those individuals who underwent surgery for a meniscus tear were likely to need to undergo knee replacement surgery up to 33% sooner.

These results may be shocking to some, but they aren’t to us. We understand that the body is always working towards a state of health and homeostasis aka all its moving parts working together to achieve a state of fully functional health.

Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy for Meniscus Tears with Ortho-Biologics:

One amazing treatment option for a torn meniscus is platelet-rich plasma therapy. This non-surgical treatment involves drawing a patient’s own blood and re-injecting it back over the site of meniscal injury to promote the healing of the tissues at the site of the tear. This is known as “autologous” treatment, meaning the healing material is provided by your own body. This treatment, unlike others, comes without the risk of tissue rejection by the body.

Once blood is drawn it is put in a machine called a centrifuge. This will separate the red blood cells from the platelets and the plasma. After the centrifuge has concentrated the platelets and the plasma they are then injected over the site of meniscal injury to promote cellular regeneration and healing.

This regenerative medicine technique has gained popularity due to its high success rate and outpatient nature. This advanced technology helps the injury to heal in the most natural and effective way possible, helping to keep you away from further painful complications. This is a great treatment for not only managing the pain but for long-term relief as well. This approach will allow for full recovery from your injury while also helping to prevent the need for knee replacement down the line.

This type of cell therapy with ortho-biologics leverages natural regenerative healing processes that will give you positive results within weeks. Treating meniscus tears with platelet-rich plasma is highly effective.

Cell Therapy Ortho-Biologics:

We love this type of regenerative medicine because of its ability to use naturally found substances in the body for healing. We will always use your own donor tissues –    never ones from an outside source. We believe this approach provides the best possible healing results.

Cell Therapy Ortho-Biologics can be used to treat a variety of conditions by reducing inflammation, lowering pain, and stimulating tissue regeneration. This can help you stay away from the potential lingering complications of surgery while also restoring range of motion, mobility, and improving overall musculoskeletal function.

At Orthobiologics Associates, we know that no two people are alike in their needs. This is why we tailor each treatment plan based on your individual circumstances. Together, we will create a customized treatment plan that will maximize your body’s ability to heal, getting you back to living the life you love to live.

With us, you can always expect superior outcomes. To learn more about what we do and how we can help you, please give us a call at 877-381-4200 or contact us online via our website www.OrthobiologicsAssociates.com. We look forward to serving you!