Question:
I got injured about ten weeks ago and I just had an MRI taken. Here are the results: fluid behind the knee cap, posterior tear lateral horn of meniscus extensive, all the way through, and a popliteal cyst. Lastly, I can’t straighten my knee either and I don’t want atrophy. Are there any alternatives to surgery or would you recommend it? What can I expect if I have the surgery? Will I fully recover? Will I forever be where I am at now?
Dr. Foreman Says:
Once a meniscus is torn it is torn and won’t heal on its own. Your alternatives are to live with the knee as it is or have arthroscopic surgery to fix it. Following arthroscopic surgery and the ensuing therapy you should be able to return to most all activities without significant problems, assuming no other problems are encountered in the knee, at the time of surgery, that the MRI didn’t pick up.
