Meniscus and Arthritis

Do you know what a meniscus is? It’s a disc of soft fibrous material that goes in between the two bones in the knee joint. Like everything in the body, it’s there for a reason. The Lord put it there to absorb the shock between the bones when we bear weight on our legs. As long as the meniscus is strong, we can run, jump, ski, etc. without ever having to worry about traumatizing our knee joints. But what if it isn’t there? What if your surgeon surgically removes it? Why would I surgeon remove this important part of our body?

Because of what it does, the meniscus is in a risky position. Make just the wrong kind of move and it can break in half. That can happen all too easily in various sports. And when it happens you know it right away. The knee becomes swollen, hurts, and is very painful if not impossible to move. And after the initial swelling and pain die down, the problems are not over. The knee joint often becomes locked in certain positions, making running, hiking, and even just walking very difficult. The most common therapy for a torn meniscus is surgery. The surgeon removes the broken fragment and the problem is solved. But is it really? And is there a better way to go than surgery?

To find the answer to that question, doctors looked at 107 patients who had undergone surgery for a torn meniscus some 21 years prior to the study. They examined their knees and also took x-rays of the knees. The average age at the time of the examination was 55 years. Then they compared their findings to 68 men and women who were the same ages, but had never had any knee surgery. What they found should turn a few heads when it comes to meniscus surgery.