With surgical intervention, a meniscectomy has the shortest recovery time.Ī patient typically has about 4 to 6 weeks of recovery time and then is able to return to usual activities or athletics. The recovery time of meniscus tears and ACL tears differ drastically. An ACL repair is the best way to correct the stability of knee joint and allowing the patient to return to sporting activities.ĪCL & Meniscus Injuries Recovery Time After Meniscus Tears and ACL Tears
But as mentioned earlier, we will look at strictly ACL tears.Īn ACL repair is performed with either an autograft (your own) or an allograft (donor). It is important to note that the majority of ACL tears typically have an associated meniscus tear. They may perform physical therapy to rebuild the strength of the knee, but the knee will always have increased instability. However, surgical intervention is most likely required especially in athletic patients.Ī patient that is older or not active may opt-out of surgical intervention.
The severity of an ACL sprain will determine whether or not surgery will be considered for the patient. The repair keeps the structure of the meniscus well intact. This is when the damaged part of the meniscus is repaired with sutures and is anchored down to the tibial plateau. A repair can only be performed when the tear is a part of the meniscus with good blood supply. The other surgical option is a meniscus repair. With performing a meniscectomy, the knee joint loses the structure that provides “cushion” between the femur and the tibia. Typically, this procedure is only performed when the meniscus tear is an avascular area, meaning very poor blood supply. A meniscectomy entails removing the damaged piece of the meniscus. The common surgery has been a meniscectomy. If the meniscus tear lies within an area with good supply, the tear may be able to heal on its own. For meniscus injuries, the option to hold surgery would depend on the severity of the tear and if there is good blood supply. Surgical Treatment for ACL and Meniscus Tearsīoth injuries can be treated either conservatively or with surgery. The meniscus can be repaired or debrided. These two injuries are addressed in the same surgery. Often when someone tears their ACL, the medial meniscus is also torn or sprained.
For the purpose of this article, I will compare strictly an ACL tear vs a meniscus tear.įirst of all, there are some components to compare:ĪCL and Meniscus Injuries at the Same TimeĪCL Tears and Meniscus Injuries can occur together. But which injury is worse than the other? As in all things, it depends on the situation. In knee injuries, the phrase “ACL tear” is probably the most dreaded words that you could ever hear, while having a torn meniscus does not seem to be as terrible.