A little over five years ago, I decided to change the trajectory of my life and chose a different path to take this life journey on. It started with learning self-care and not ignoring when I felt pain, whether it was physical or psychological. When it came to the physical part, I learned that it, too, was a process and a journey to recovery.
Since that time, I have liked to joke and say that I have been “under construction.” I usually get at least a chuckle. I have to laugh, or I would be crying because I have gone through many rounds of physical therapy, acupuncture and have had a Tenex procedure in my right shoulder. I have been dealing with chronic pain all of this time.
Currently waiting to hear what my orthopedic says I need to do about my knees. Yes, I meant to say plural because both knees have torn meniscus. Plus, I hear a lot of cracking and popping going in my knees that gives me the heebie-jeebies!
So, I am not sure if I will end up having both knees completely replaced or if I will try to go the arthroscopy route first. I would still need physical therapy and possibly a post-surgery arthroscopy recovery machine, but maybe return to a better normal than it’s been for years. Then, hopefully, I can put off total replacement for at least another five to ten years.
In response to how arthroscopy helps a torn meniscus, The Mayo Clinic says, “In some cases, your doctor might use an instrument known as an arthroscope to examine the inside of your knee. The arthroscope is inserted through a tiny incision near your knee.
The device contains a light and a small camera, which transmits an enlarged image of the inside of your knee onto a monitor. If necessary, surgical instruments can be inserted through the arthroscope or through additional small incisions in your knee to trim or repair the tear,”.
The conclusion to a study by The National Institute of Health says this about the difference between arthroscopy and knee replacement, “Our overview of treatment for meniscal tear shows some promising step forward in the understanding of the important role of the meniscus that have led to a move toward meniscal preservation. Therapies that successfully repair or replace the meniscus are therefore likely to prevent or delay osteoarthritis progression.
Meniscal repair, whenever possible, must be the preferred option for patients with a meniscal lesion. The biomechanical properties of the native meniscus are not copied entirely by the scaffolds that exist today. Congruence, fixation, biocompatibility and potential infection will always remain as limitations for the users of allografts.
As research in biological augmentation and tissue engineering continues to develop, we expect that conservative treatments and meniscal replacement will be more widely used in younger patients in the future,”.
Okay, now I have more to think about.
Will a knee replacement help a torn meniscus?
I was told that if I needed knee replacement surgery, it meant that my knee pain was likely to be persistent, that it would disrupt my sleep, interfere with my daily activities, and the pain wouldn’t respond to over-the-counter pain medications. They said that in order to relieve my constant pain, my doctor would probably recommend knee replacement surgery.
However, I must remember that the outcome of what my professional healthcare team decides is not under my complete control. Even though I will consult with various doctors and close friends who have undergone this type of situation before making my final decision, I do have a great team, and I completely trust their professional opinions.
To give you an idea of what someone with a torn meniscus feels, The University of Michigan Medicine explains it this way, “When cartilage inside the knee joint starts to break down, a person may begin to experience pain.
‘If you were to look inside a healthy knee joint you’d see a thick cushioning of cartilage that covers and protects the ends of your bones, as well as another type of cartilage, called the meniscus, that acts like a shock absorber between the bones,’ says Andrew Urquhart, M.D., a professor of orthopaedic surgery at Michigan Medicine’s Comprehensive Musculoskeletal Center,”.
That’s exactly it – I have been telling people that it feels like I do not have any shocks! My concern, though, is that recovery time is warranted as I work full time, am a single mom of two teenage dogs, and am a sole homeowner (that’s also been under construction for the last two years).
How painful is a total knee replacement?
From what I have heard, it is painful after surgery, but what surgery isn’t? And for that matter, what injury isn’t painful to continue to feel? I’m looking forward to enjoying a somewhat pain-free lifestyle again. But inevitably, the pain will be there, especially in the first few weeks of recovery from the surgery itself, as well as pain as the body begins to heal.
“Most patients — about 80 to 85% — feel their knee functions better than before they had surgery. These patients can get back to low-impact physical activity, such as walking, hiking, biking, playing golf or tennis and other light recreational activities. We discourage high-impact activities, such as basketball and running, as these can reinjure the knee,”. – University of Michigan Medicine
Beyond grateful to hear that after knee surgery, I will be able to do low-impact activities again, like taking my dog for a walk, riding my bike on a flat, easy trail, or going on a hike with my sons. That gives me a great sense of hope and makes me look forward to my future. I seriously thought that I was going to be stuck with a glum life, benched indefinity – and for an active person like myself, it is basically a death sentence.
Okay, so if my orthopedics suggest surgery, I think I am going to go for it because getting back to living a more physically active life is something that I genuinely miss and deeply need in my life.
Difference between arthroscopy and knee replacement
Both arthroscopy and knee replacement surgeries offer distinct pathways toward relief from chronic knee pain, but the choice largely depends on the severity of the condition and long-term goals.
Consulting with a healthcare team is crucial to making an informed decision tailored to individual health needs. Regardless of the path chosen, both surgeries aim to improve the quality of life and restore a degree of normalcy.