Meniscal Trephination
A minimally invasive treatment called meniscal trephination is performed to treat tears in the meniscus, a crucial piece of shock-absorbing cartilage in the knee joint. Small holes are made around the damaged area using this procedure, promoting blood flow and the body’s natural healing process. This encourages the growth of scar tissue, which supports and stabilizes the meniscus injury. Trephination seeks to reduce discomfort, enhance joint function, and stop future deterioration by maintaining this important knee tissue. This method provides a less intrusive option to more involved surgical treatments for people who have mild meniscal tears.
Are you a candidate for a meniscal trephination?
There are two ways to initiate a consultation with Dr. Khanna:
You can provide current X-rays and/or MRIs for a clinical case review with Dr. Khanna.
You can schedule an office consultation with Dr. Khanna.
(Please keep reading below for more information on this treatment.)
Meniscal Trephination Surgery
Meniscal trephination is a procedure that can be performed concurrently with other surgeries. It entails using a small needle to puncture the joint lining and penetrate into the substance of the meniscus, with the aim of stimulating a healing response in that specific location. The goal of meniscal trephination is to initiate the formation of a small blood clot at the site, which ultimately leads to the development of scar tissue and healing of the minor meniscus tear.
For larger meniscal tears, trephination alone is usually insufficient, and suturing is often necessary to achieve the best outcomes. When meniscal tears are unstable and cannot be adequately addressed through arthroscopic probing alone, they should not be treated with trephination and instead should be repaired using meniscal sutures. Vertical mattress sutures, performed in an inside-out manner, are considered the preferred and most effective technique for meniscal repair, consistently yielding superior results and outcomes for patients.