Question: How can I tell if my knee pain will get better after surgery? An MRI shows a slight meniscus tear, but my orthopedic surgery says I don’t necessary have to have surgery. What should I do?
Dr. Hibberd’s answer:
There are no guarantees here, and clearly your doctor is trying to guide you on what he or she believes will be best for you. A meniscus is a piece of cartilage. The medial cartilage (inside of knee) is contiguous with the medial collateral ligament, while the lateral cartilage is separate from the lateral knee collateral ligament.
Torn cartilage can get caught and may lock the knee and cause pain. If your doctor has suggested a conservative treatment strategy, it is because the results seen with surgery are not expected to be better than less aggressive strategies.
Listen to your doctor. Not all MRI abnormalities require immediate surgical management.
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