How can you know if a meniscus repair failed?

If you are having pain or other symptoms after undergoing surgery, how can you know that it’s serious and not healing the way it should? In this week’s Ask Dr. Geier video, I answer the question from a reader who wonders how she could know that her meniscus surgery wasn’t healing normally.

When it comes to a meniscus injury, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. But if you take a moment to tell me about your situation, I can give you the #1 thing you need to do next to overcome your torn meniscus, designed specifically for YOU (absolutely free). Click the link above!

Click the link above for more information about meniscus repair and other resources about sports and exercise injuries.

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Mary asks:

What are the failure symptoms of an arthroscopic repair of a bucket handle lateral meniscus tear? What method would best confirm failure of the meniscus repair?

A meniscus repair involves sewing the meniscus back together. This surgery is different than trimming out the torn portion – a partial meniscectomy. While the success rates of meniscal repair surgeries are good, they aren’t perfect. Up to 20% of them don’t heal.

In this video, I discuss common symptoms a patient might have if the repair didn’t heal. I also explain the best test that could show the repair hasn’t healed and why a regular MRI might miss that fact.

[DrDavidGeier]

If you have questions about the injuries or treatments mentioned in this video, or about a sports or exercise injury, subscribe to my channel and click the bell to be notified of my Better Than Ever LIVE! streams, including an Ask Dr. Geier live show I do most Fridays at 12:00 PM ET.

[gijdag]

Biggest mistake of my life was getting knee surgery for meniscus tear on both sides of one knee, didn't even notice the lateral was torn and never suffered any aggravation of the knee whenever running, after surgery it is the lateral which now aggravates me constantly. was told by doctor I would be able to run again within 9 months providing it was slow and gradual with an increase to full capacity after a year, one year and six months on and I have gone from running an average of 95k a week to being incapable of running no more than 2k before the knee breaks down and the pain becomes unbearable. I'm no surgeon but I would advise anybody suffering from tears to not rush in and get surgery but wait and see if it can be recovered with rehabilitation, I rushed in and am not better off. it's actually worse.

[jillbirch]

Thank you to Dr.David Geier for uploading this fab video.
I have been reading all the comments and feel for everyone and totally understand. The mental strain is tough.

My doctors nor physio would not help me. All I kept hearing was strengthening exercises. I asked my physio to send me for a MRI he said no I said I’m going to pay for a private one to be done, his reply why waste your money.
The verdict was I did go ahead and pay as we all know our own bodies and know when something is not right.

I had been enduring a lot of pain and stiffness of the knee with giving way, then the swelling got so bad it wouldn’t go down.
The MRI came back that the MCL had torn extruded and truncated and with sign of arthritis and also degenerative. I took these results back to the physio which they then referred me to a surgeon. I’ve had the surgery 10/5/22 the surgeon had sewn trimmed the meniscus. After about 6/8 weeks after surgery I felt like my life was back on track. Then into 4th month I feel like I’m back to where I was before surgery. The swelling hasn’t gone, the pain is starting to get worse. I struggle badly when I get up from bed to walk and when I’ve been lightly walking ie shopping I start to feel sick with pain and after rest when I get up and feel so stiff that I feel like I’m 90. Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been waking in the night a few times a night in pain. It’s ruining my life I’m a post lady and now I’m on zero wages and the mental stress of all this is very tiring. I went back to my doctors and just to be told maybe I should accept that it’s never going to be like before and also maybe I can’t do my job anymore and to be told nothing more we can do for you. When this isn’t true after seeing this video. So thank you.

[janettewitt]

had a partial meniscus repair July 2020 (in between lockdowns) and its still sore :( have had MRI that has shown some extrusion of the medial meniscus into the medial gutter. had cortisone shot which did nothing to change the pain. thanks for the you tube

[damubadminton]

Me 23, acl reconstruciton at 18, bucket handle meniscus tear at 20, acl revision and bucket handle menisucs tear at 22, now buckethandle tear again. Currently not consider surgery....😅. Personally have hypermobility syndrome, so without gym to build up the muscle all the surgeries are useless until my muscle can fully support the parts(ligament, tendon...).

[marcocastagnetti]

Hi David, love your videos I would just like to ask one question if I may I had a medial meniscus repair arthroscopy 3 months ago stage 1 tear and I am doing my exercises religiously but the pain is still there as before, I know it can take up to 6 month's but after 3 months there is no improvement should I be concerned.Many thanks Marco.

[jennymontague]

HELP needed in Casa Grande, Arizona. I just had a 3rd Meniscus repair that I was told by this Doc was medial. After surgery, I was also told by his partner that they also god rid of some arthritis. What that means, I don't know. I was concerned when I removed the bandages 3 days after surgery and noted this Doc had gone through both sides of the knee with the scope, not just the medial side. He also put one stitch over each of the scope holes with a tough plastic type black thread instead of tape. My knee was badly bruised and had 4 red dots in the middle of the knee where I was later told they gave me shots (of what I don't know). This is my 3rd Meniscus surgery by scope and I have never seen anything like this. This is a small town Dr. near my home as I had to move here to be near my last job as a social worker/counselor on an Indian Reservation. People in town said he was a good Doctor, but I have never seen anything like this. I also threw up for 2 days after surgery and wasn't able to keep anything, even broth down until the 3rd day. I feel this old Doc is old school and I have doubts in my gut about his abilities and competence. Can someone please advise. Who do I report this to? I'm supposed to go back on Friday for a follow up. I don't want this man touching my knee again and it is still oozing yellowish liquid and the bluish/green bruise is spreading.

[lynaecarvalho]

I had multiple partial tears of my left knee, partial tear of my meniscus a year ago, the physician kept dismissing my symptoms. About 3 months ago, I went for a second opinion, I also requested a comparrison MRI since so much time had passed. The physican for the second opinion said he would not have let my injuries go, and would have repaired the tears back then. Needless to say, I ended up having the surgery done almost 3 weeks ago. The first few days I felt nothing (he used a nerve block to help mediate the pain for a few days). After the few days, I noticed my foot was cold, modeled, and was sore and achy, but was up and walking with the knee immobilzer. I hadnt felt this good in a while ( I was not medicated). I took off the teds, because they were hurting me. I actually had to cut them off due to the swelling. At the moment, I still have a lot of swelling, and was told not to bear weight.


A lesson learned. I should have made solid plans for someone to care for my dogs, help me cook and clean. The biggest challenge post-op, was the reduction of my ADL's. I hope that no one has to be alone if they have this surgery, it can be overwheing having to do so much by yourself.

[SamirAmezian]

Hi! I’ve had a meniscus bucket handle repair 4 weeks ago. For someone that’s always active and works as a personal trainer. This injury was mentally a hell! My doctor couldn’t stress enough about the recovery after the surgery. He kept mentioning that I have to take rest for at least 6 weeks. That means not putting to much pressure on it. Walking on crutches, and never bend the knee more than 90 degree. Even if you don’t feel pain. And to be honest I have kept myself to most of his advice. If I had a financial back up I would have probably done what my doctor said. I don’t feel pain anymore and I am almost back to walking normal again. My physical therapist did some deep tissue massage on my upper leg to keep the muscle working and some electro stimulation. There are times that when I stand to long that I feel some irritation but it’s slowly disappearing. In two weeks I have my second checkup, my doctor will than do some test on me like twisting and bending my leg/knee. Let’s hope for the best. One more thing before I go. If you ever have to go through a meniscus repair keep in mind that you need to have patience! A lot of it!!!

[charlasalyer]

i have a meniscus tear in my right knee. I will have knee surgery done to fix it. Im ready for it.

[laurenmahabir]

what does it mean after doing a bucket tear repair surgery and im getting a pulling sensation all up my thigh. to be honest i havent been icing an exercising it as i should

[amandatrickett]

Hi! Greetings from South Yorkshire, Uk. I'm new to this pin. Anyway here goes, I had a anthroscopy on the 2nd of July around 5 or 6 weeks ago. I twisted my left knee getting out of a low down Sports car about 4 years ago and after a few steroid injections, I was offered an anthroscopy. Had the op for a lateral meniscus tear on left knee. I have had keyhole surgery where surgeon has flushed the joint out and cartilage trimmed. I am so worried that my knee isn't healing successfully as it is feeling worse now than before. It is clicking and grinding as though there's something catching. This happens when I turn my knee and I find myself helping to lift and move my knee with my hands. My knee still feels stiff when I bend it. I am doing the physio exercises that I have been given. I am seeing the consultant on the 17th of August, so I need to be asking him lots of questions. I am feeling quite miserable at the moment as I was expecting more of an improvement by now. I am wanting to get back to work and walking and cycling. 😢

[MyThecount]

Hi I'm from Ireland I'm a Martail artist I've got meniscus rares I exersise I've tried all kinds of exercises the mri scans showd tares when I walk I'm still in pain in my knee. But I'd say I'll push for surgery

[chrizrocks]

Just had my surgery 3 days ago and no pain. Reading these comments is scaring me though, hope my knee heals up and has no more issues 🙃

[lakshminarayana]

Hi sir, one year back I had ACL reconstruction and partial menisectomy .because of lnstabilty in knee yesterday I had MRI but shocked with that result as medial and lateral meniscus tear again..is it possible to re torn of meniscus after surgery wolithour any twisting of knee. Or it is surgereon fault? .now I am in confusion whether it's my mistake or doctor's mistake, but doctor said I removed the torn part, but a small invisible tears become big is it true sir?.is there any invisible tears in meniscus

[jeezburns]

I have a posterior lateral tear on right meniscus. Get pain on the outside behind knee and at the top of the fibula.... it pops when I walk but is still functional... I'm 34 work construction.... should I have the surgery to fix it

[billsomrak]

I has a partial meniscusectomy for a medial tear on 9-12-22. Now, 7 weeks later, I still have a lot of pain when trying just to walk. When I 1st get up in the morning, its not too bad, but a couple hours into the day, after walking without a cane, the pain is bad enough that I have to go back to using a cane. This tear was a result of mount/dismount of a high seated bicycle for 20 mile morning rides. I am SO discouraged .. I expected to be able to be fully healed & back to regular use of my knee by this time. My Orth. Sur. is supposedly one of the best in NE Ohio. When do I call that TV Ambulance chaser "Tim Mizny" to "make him pay" for screwing up my knee? I've had 2 post op visits & his options were: 1) cortisone shot 2) partial knee replacement ... Neither one sound good to me after all I've already been thru.

[patrickwhite]

I had what the surgeon described as a "massive bucket handle tear" in my medial meniscus repaired in November last year. My rehabilitation was going well until a few weeks ago when I felt a brief sharp pain when I was using the leg press machine (an exercise prescribed by my physiotherapist) and shortly after that I noticed that my knee was catching in certain positions, and then clunking back into place. There's no doubt in my find that this is because the tear has re-opened. I feel that this is the end of the line for me in terms of ever playing sport again, which is hard to come to terms with.

[ziadtwins]

Hey doctor i had mine on December 8th 2020 but after 6 weeks start swollen and inflammation above the knee and now little bit pan and it's feel pressure when it bend it the doctor said this normal and that just fluid and tell me to get some pain killer like Advils or lbuprofen and it's really annoying me thanks

[brettcohen]

Suppose my repair did not heal. Should I just leave it or should I have the surgeon go back in a take out torn region?