When can I use KT taping for meniscus tear treatment?
You can use KT tape, especially at the beginning of the injury. It will help alleviate your pain and work great in combination with physical rehabilitation [1].
However, remember that KT taping is not a definitive treatment for meniscus tears. Rather, it is used as a supplementation to the usual standard therapy, which includes
- rest, ice, compression and elevation,
- pharmacotherapy,
- physical exercise,
- for complex cases, surgery [2, 3].
The doctor must choose the appropriate treatment method based on the degree of the tear.
Can I apply KT for a meniscus tear alone?
The use of KT take should be guided by a healthcare professional.
Remember that inappropriate treatment of meniscus tears can lead to more severe consequences like osteoarthritis [4].
Therefore, you should consult a physician before trying KT taping alone.
How effective is KT taping for a meniscus tear?
The effectiveness of KT taping for meniscus tears is known but not widely quantified in the medical literature.
Nevertheless, it proves useful in pain relief for chronic knee injuries [1]. It also supports the postoperative recovery process after partial meniscus excision knee surgery for a meniscus tear [5].
KT taping also helps with other conditions affecting the knee, like osteoarthritis. It relieves the pain and improves the patient's mobility [6,7].
What are the negative sides of KT taping for meniscus tears?
The biggest disadvantages of KT taping for meniscus tears are
- it is not a healing solution [1],
- it provides often only temporal pain relief [1],
- TK taping does not help to strengthen the knee muscles [7],
- it does not restore the motion range of the knee [8].
The disadvantages of KT taping underline that it can not be a standalone therapy for meniscus tears.
What are other non-surgical therapies for meniscus tear?
The non-surgical or conservative treatment for meniscus tears aims to alleviate pain, decrease inflammation, and improve the motion of the knee.
One of the most common and primary treatments is physical therapy. Regular, often daily physical exercise aims to stabilize and strengthen the knee. It focuses on muscles like the quadriceps, which, when strengthened, reduces the stress on the knee [9, 10].
Another common practice for treating meniscus tears is RICE, which stands for resting, ice cooling the knee, compression of the knee with bandages, and elevation of the leg. These four activities effectively manage symptoms and support healing [9].
Often, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen or naproxen are part of the meniscus tear therapy. They help with the pain and swelling. If oral tablets are insufficient, doctors can give you glucocorticoid knee injections [9, 11].
Orthobiologic or cell-based therapy is a relatively new method in orthopedic surgery that can also be promising for meniscus tears. For example, mesenchymal stem cells with platelet-rich plasma show promising results as a recovery therapy after surgical procedures and meniscal tears [12, 13, 10].
How long does a meniscus tear heal?
A meniscus tear that does not require surgery typically heals in 6 to 8 weeks [9].
However, individual healing time varies greatly, depending on the degree of the tear, one's age, and lifestyle.
Meniscus tears that require surgical treatment need more time to heal. After the surgery, you may not be able to put any weight on your knee for some time. It can take even 3 months [14].
Also, after the surgery, you will need extensive physical rehabilitation lasting a couple of weeks [14].
Moreover, a meniscus tear increases the chance of injuring the meniscus again. Some patients suffer from it again just a few months after it heals [15].
What are the indications for surgery for a meniscus tear?
Surgical indications for meniscus tear typically include:
- failure of non-operative treatment,
- severe tears,
- loss of blood delivery to the injured meniscus,
- complex tears,
- unbearable pain [9],
- re-injury of the meniscus [14].
The tear is assessed using an imaging scan, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) [16].
Tears that are longer than 1 cm usually require surgery. A meniscus tear this size has a low chance of healing on its own [14].
The decision to treat is vital, especially in young people. The primary consideration is preventing knee degeneration [14].
In older people, surgery is mostly required after non-surgical methods fail [14].
What surgical treatment is available for meniscus tear?
Meniscus tear surgical procedures include:
Partial meniscectomy is a common surgical solution for meniscus tears. It involves trimming the damaged meniscus away. This technique is used particularly when the tear is in a zone with poor or no blood supply [14, 18].
When the tear is in a well-vascularized region of the meniscus, the meniscus repair procedure is a perfect solution. During this surgery, the meniscus is sutured together, making the healing easier [14, 17].
A rarer procedure is meniscus reconstruction. It is based on a partial or complete meniscus replacement [14]. The reconstruction can be achieved, for instance, by allografts or collagen implants [18].