Surgical Explanations
Rehabilitation Protocols
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Knee Arthroscopy / Meniscus Tears
Arthroscopy is an outpatient surgical procedure used to visualize, diagnose, and treat problems inside a joint. During an arthroscopic examination, Dr. Bryan makes a small incision in the skin and then inserts pencil-sized instruments that enlarge and illuminate the structures inside the joint. A light and camera on the end of the arthroscope allows Dr. Bryan to visualize the inside of the joint on a TV screen in the operating room.
Dr. Bryan uses this technology to look around in the joint and determine exactly what is causing difficulty for the patient. Once the determination is made, the arthroscope allows him to correct the problem. In a knee, this frequently means removing debris or reshaping the cartilages inside the knee that help cushion the joint or reconstructing a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
A menisectomy is a more precise procedure that involves using the arthroscope to remove or trim partial tears of the meniscus in the knee. The meniscus is a C-shaped cartilage that sits in the space between the thighbone (the femur) and the shin bone (the tibia). There are two menisci in the knee joint, one on the inside compartment of the knee (the medial meniscus) and one on the outside of the knee compartment (the lateral meniscus). Because the knee is a weight-bearing joint, this cartilage is vital to reducing the impact we put on our knees in day-to-day life. These cartilages can tear in many ways—we turn sharply, we fall, we get older and they just wear out—and when they do, it can be painful. You may feel a “locking” sensation in your knee, as though something is caught inside the joint. During a menisectomy, Dr. Bryan examines the space with the arthroscope and uses it to trim and reshape the meniscus so that it can provide cushioning again.
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