|
BUCKET HANDLE MENISCUS TEARS
Ross Hauser, M.D.
The lateral and medial menisci sit between the femur and tibia bones.
They are the shock absorbers in the knee. As such do you think it is a
good idea to have them removed. I don’t think so. So many folks from
around the country are coming to
Caring Medical to get
Prolotherapy for their
meniscus tears.
One of the more common ones is a bucket handle tear. For the record a
meniscus tear can be a horizontal tear, bucket handle tear, longitudinal
tear, posterior horn tear, radial tear, flap tear and oblique tear. I am
sure I am missing a few different types of tears. Take home point is
that Prolotherapy is a good treatment for all types of meniscus tears.
Realize
MRI’s
can miss meniscus tears. Typically meniscus tears occur medially and
sometimes the knee will intermittently lock and will not fully extend.
More commonly though, the person has medial joint line pain that
increases with squatting. It can be very pin point where the pain is.
Sometimes the knee swells.
Traditional treatments for meniscus tears is
Arthroscopy.
This is for tears that don’t heal on their own. I believe the vast
majority heal on their own. Those that don’t heal typically end up
getting shaved away during arthroscopy. Sure, some can get repaired, but
more often then not when I read arthroscopy reports, the tear was shaved
away. When I ask the client why this was, they don’t know. Somewhere
there is misinformation in that the meniscus and
Cartilage don’t
repair. I am telling you after treating folks with meniscus tears for 15
years with Prolotherapy, meniscus tears heal. The problem is whether
they are repaired on their own or with Prolotherapy or by the surgeon,
the density of the tissue in the repair is not the same as normal
tissue, so the MRI - See Knee Research
Study still looks a little goofy. What isn’t goofy is the
knee. It is typically strong after Prolotherapy. No limitations. Yes the
athlete can still cut, twist, turn, and run. Yes they can jump.
Why choose Prolotherapy over
arthroscopy? There is an innate feeling in
most people that taking tissue out of the body in the long run is going
to have a detrimental effect. Guess what happens when you have a
meniscectomy? Yes, most likely you are going to accelerate the arthritic
process dramatically in your knees. Most folks instinctively know that
general anesthesia and arthroscopy is serious business and if an
alternative is available they’ll look at it.
Prolotherapy stimulates the body to repair painful areas. It works great
on the soft tissues of the body including meniscus, ligaments, and
tendons. It helps these tissues become stronger and thus the joints are
more stable.
How many treatments are needed for a meniscus tear to heal with
Prolotherapy. Typically it is between three to six visits. The visits
are usually about three to five weeks but can be sped up for athletes
that are in a hurry.
Are there any studies of Prolotherapy helping meniscus tears. There is
just anecdotal evidence. This means doctors doing Prolotherapy have been
using Prolotherapy in the treatment of meniscal tears for many years.
|