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If you were Roy just how far are you willing to go to try and fix or improve your knees? Would you be willing to be the first athlete to have a procedure done like Tommy John did?
If I were Roy I'd shut it down for the season and immediately start looking at any and all options. Here's an interesting article I found on the University of Washington's Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine website-
Meniscus Allograft Replacement Surgery: A minimally invasive method to restore previously removed torn knee cartilage with cadaver tissue
Review of the condition
Characteristics of meniscus tear
A torn meniscus generally produces pain in the region of the tear and swelling in the knee joint. These symptoms are made worse with pivoting motions, squatting, and vigorous activities. Torn meniscus fragments can get caught in the knee joint and cause catching sensations. If a large enough fragment becomes lodged between the bearing surfaces, the knee may ‘lock’ and become unable to be fully bent or extended. Since most meniscus tears are not repairable, they require removal of meniscus tissue (meniscectomy). The loss of meniscus cushioning overloads the articular (gliding surface) cartilage leading to the development of arthritis over the ensuing decades. A few patients experience pain in the region of the removed cartilage prior to the development of arthritic changes. This small group may benefit from allograft meniscus surgery.
Types
Meniscus tears are described by the tear pattern. Tears occur in either the horizontal or vertical direction, or a combination of both. Although the goal of meniscus surgery is to preserve healthy meniscus tissue, many types of tears are not repairable. A meniscus tear requires a blood supply to heal, and since only the peripheral third of the meniscus has it, repairs are generally limited to the peripheral region. Please see arthroscopic meniscectomy, and arthroscopic meniscus repair for more information.
Similar conditions
Injuries to the articular (gliding surface) cartilage can also cause pain, swelling and catching symptoms in the knee. An experienced surgeon can often distinguish between the two conditions with a thorough history and physical exam, but MRI can be useful as well. These two conditions can occur together and are most accurately diagnosed by arthroscopy. Please see articular cartilage injuries for more information.
Incidence and risk factors
Meniscus tears are common in active participants of sports, which require cutting and pivoting. In the United States, there are an estimated 850,000 meniscus surgeries performed each year, the vast majority being meniscus removal (meniscectomy) operations. The meniscus on the side closest to the other knee (medial) is torn more frequently, and men injure their meniscus more often than women.
Diagnosis
A torn meniscus is diagnosed with a thorough history and physical exam. Traumatic meniscus tears often occur with twisting type or hyper-flexion injuries. Physical exam maneuvers that reproduce these symptoms may include squatting and rotational manipulations. MRI is useful to confirm the diagnosis, but the most accurate test is diagnostic arthroscopy. The short term results from menisectomy and meniscus repair are good, but a few patients who have had significant portions of their meniscus removed, develop pain in the local area. X-rays are important to make sure that arthritis has not yet developed, since meniscus replacement is not effective once advanced degenerative changes are present.
Medications
Anti-inflammatory medications, taken by mouth or injected directly into the knee, can be useful to reduce the pain and swelling symptoms associated with meniscus tears, but do not improve healing. No medications or nutritional supplements have been scientifically documented as beneficial for meniscus healing.
Exercises
Quadriceps strengthening exercises are useful to reduce swelling and restore normal muscular control to an injured knee. They useful to reduce symptoms and speed rehabilitation.
Possible benefits of allograft meniscus replacement surgery
The meniscus is an important structure for load transmission and shock absorption in the knee. The knee is subjected to up to 5 times body weight during activity, and half this force is transmitted through the meniscus with the knee straight, and 85% of the force goes through the meniscus with the knee bent ninety degrees. Loss of the meniscus increases the pressure on the articular (gliding) cartilage, which eventually leads to degenerative changes. Pain may develop in the area after a significant portion of the meniscus has been removed. A successful meniscus replacement restores the cushioning meniscus tissue, relieving this pain.
http://www.orthop.washington.edu/uw...6/ItemID__287/PageID__2/Articles/Default.aspx
If I were Roy I'd shut it down for the season and immediately start looking at any and all options. Here's an interesting article I found on the University of Washington's Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine website-
Meniscus Allograft Replacement Surgery: A minimally invasive method to restore previously removed torn knee cartilage with cadaver tissue
Review of the condition
Characteristics of meniscus tear
A torn meniscus generally produces pain in the region of the tear and swelling in the knee joint. These symptoms are made worse with pivoting motions, squatting, and vigorous activities. Torn meniscus fragments can get caught in the knee joint and cause catching sensations. If a large enough fragment becomes lodged between the bearing surfaces, the knee may ‘lock’ and become unable to be fully bent or extended. Since most meniscus tears are not repairable, they require removal of meniscus tissue (meniscectomy). The loss of meniscus cushioning overloads the articular (gliding surface) cartilage leading to the development of arthritis over the ensuing decades. A few patients experience pain in the region of the removed cartilage prior to the development of arthritic changes. This small group may benefit from allograft meniscus surgery.
Types
Meniscus tears are described by the tear pattern. Tears occur in either the horizontal or vertical direction, or a combination of both. Although the goal of meniscus surgery is to preserve healthy meniscus tissue, many types of tears are not repairable. A meniscus tear requires a blood supply to heal, and since only the peripheral third of the meniscus has it, repairs are generally limited to the peripheral region. Please see arthroscopic meniscectomy, and arthroscopic meniscus repair for more information.
Similar conditions
Injuries to the articular (gliding surface) cartilage can also cause pain, swelling and catching symptoms in the knee. An experienced surgeon can often distinguish between the two conditions with a thorough history and physical exam, but MRI can be useful as well. These two conditions can occur together and are most accurately diagnosed by arthroscopy. Please see articular cartilage injuries for more information.
Incidence and risk factors
Meniscus tears are common in active participants of sports, which require cutting and pivoting. In the United States, there are an estimated 850,000 meniscus surgeries performed each year, the vast majority being meniscus removal (meniscectomy) operations. The meniscus on the side closest to the other knee (medial) is torn more frequently, and men injure their meniscus more often than women.
Diagnosis
A torn meniscus is diagnosed with a thorough history and physical exam. Traumatic meniscus tears often occur with twisting type or hyper-flexion injuries. Physical exam maneuvers that reproduce these symptoms may include squatting and rotational manipulations. MRI is useful to confirm the diagnosis, but the most accurate test is diagnostic arthroscopy. The short term results from menisectomy and meniscus repair are good, but a few patients who have had significant portions of their meniscus removed, develop pain in the local area. X-rays are important to make sure that arthritis has not yet developed, since meniscus replacement is not effective once advanced degenerative changes are present.
Medications
Anti-inflammatory medications, taken by mouth or injected directly into the knee, can be useful to reduce the pain and swelling symptoms associated with meniscus tears, but do not improve healing. No medications or nutritional supplements have been scientifically documented as beneficial for meniscus healing.
Exercises
Quadriceps strengthening exercises are useful to reduce swelling and restore normal muscular control to an injured knee. They useful to reduce symptoms and speed rehabilitation.
Possible benefits of allograft meniscus replacement surgery
The meniscus is an important structure for load transmission and shock absorption in the knee. The knee is subjected to up to 5 times body weight during activity, and half this force is transmitted through the meniscus with the knee straight, and 85% of the force goes through the meniscus with the knee bent ninety degrees. Loss of the meniscus increases the pressure on the articular (gliding) cartilage, which eventually leads to degenerative changes. Pain may develop in the area after a significant portion of the meniscus has been removed. A successful meniscus replacement restores the cushioning meniscus tissue, relieving this pain.
http://www.orthop.washington.edu/uw...6/ItemID__287/PageID__2/Articles/Default.aspx
