Having a Torn Meniscus Removed

Treatment of a torn meniscus, often called a cartilage tear of the knee, may consist of removing the torn fragments with an arthroscopic surgery. In an arthroscopic surgery to remove a torn meniscus, a camera is placed into the knee joint through one small incision, and small instruments are placed into the other incision to remove the damaged meniscus.

I often hear the concern about having meniscus removed from the knee. The truth is, in most cases, the amount of meniscus being removed is small. Furthermore, the torn meniscus is not healthy, and removing it is unlikely to cause further problems. In some cases of very large meniscus tears, especially in young patients, repairing the meniscus is possible. But in most cases, the small torn portion of meniscus is simply removed.

Related: Meniscus Tears | Meniscus Repair