Meniscal Repair – Preserving Your Natural Knee Cushion

Your meniscus is a C-shaped cartilage cushion inside your knee that acts as a shock absorber between your thighbone (femur) and shinbone (tibia). Injuries to the meniscus — often due to sports, twisting movements, or age-related wear — can cause pain, swelling, clicking, and even locking of the knee.

At Wessex Knee Surgery, Mr Frame specialises in meniscal repair, a surgical technique to save and heal your own cartilage, helping you regain pain-free movement and protecting your knee from future arthritis.

🧠 What is Meniscal Repair?

When the meniscus is torn, especially on the outer edge where there’s a good blood supply, it can often be repaired rather than trimmed away. During a meniscal repair:

Mr Frame looks inside your knee with a tiny camera (keyhole surgery)

The torn edges of the meniscus are stitched together with special sutures

The repair is left to heal naturally

This is different from a meniscectomy, where torn cartilage is simply trimmed away.

🌟 Benefits of Meniscal Repair

✅ Preserves healthy cartilage — keeping your natural shock absorber

✅ Reduces your long-term risk of knee arthritis

✅ Restores normal knee biomechanics

✅ Gives you a strong, stable knee for sport and everyday life

✅ Avoids losing vital meniscus tissue

🤕 What to Expect from Surgery

Your repair is performed as a day-case under general or spinal anaesthetic.

Small incisions are made around the knee

The torn meniscus is carefully stitched back together using modern, bioabsorbable anchors

Any other damage in the knee is treated at the same time

🏃‍♂️ Recovery & Rehab

Healing of the meniscus takes time.

You’ll go home on crutches with a knee brace to protect the repair

Physiotherapy begins immediately with gentle exercises to reduce swelling and stiffness

Partial weight-bearing usually for 4–6 weeks

Return to light activities after 3 months

Sports and full activities after 4–6 months once the repair has healed

Every patient is different — Mr Frame will give you a tailored rehab plan and regular follow-ups to monitor progress.

🔍 Why Consider Repair?

If you’re active, want to protect your knee for the long term and your tear is suitable for repair, this is often the best choice. Repairing a tear can:

Relieve pain and mechanical locking

Preserve as much healthy tissue as possible

Help you keep your own knee functioning naturally into the future

📞 Book a Consultation

If you have knee pain, swelling or mechanical symptoms like locking or clicking — or have been told you have a meniscal tear — make an appointment with Mr Frame at Wessex Knee Surgery.

We’ll assess your knee carefully and explain if a meniscal repair is right for you. Contact us on info@wessex-knee.com or call the clinic today.