Can I walk the day after meniscus surgery?

After a partial meniscectomy, most patients put some weight on the knee immediately and walk, usually with crutches for comfort, within a day or two. After a meniscus repair, you typically need crutches for four to six weeks while the repaired tissue heals. Your surgeon will give you a specific weight bearing plan.

How long is recovery after partial meniscectomy or meniscus repair surgery?

Partial meniscectomy recovery runs about four to eight weeks for most activities. Meniscus repair takes three to six months before return to higher impact sport. Meniscus transplant is the longest at six to twelve months for a full athletic return. Full physical therapy continues throughout.

Is meniscus tear surgery worth it?

For a large traumatic tear, a tear that causes mechanical locking or catching, or a tear that has not responded to physical therapy, surgery is usually the most reliable way to get back to normal activity and protect the knee from early arthritis. For smaller, stable tears in patients without mechanical symptoms, conservative care is often the first move.

How painful is meniscus repair surgery?

Most patients describe the first week of pain as uncomfortable, not severe. Because the meniscus surgery is minimally invasive through small incisions, pain typically peaks in the first 48 hours and then drops quickly. Dr. Petty uses short course prescription pain medication, NSAIDs, and local anesthetic protocols so postoperative pain stays manageable without heavy reliance on opioids.

What is the difference between meniscus repair and meniscectomy?

A meniscus repair stitches the torn meniscus back together so the tissue heals as one piece. A partial meniscectomy removes only the damaged part and leaves the rest alone. Repair has a longer recovery but a better long term outcome for the knee when the tear location and tissue quality will support it.

What happens if I ignore a torn meniscus?

Some tears heal or stabilize on their own. Others, especially unstable flap tears or bucket handle tears, get worse and chew up the surrounding joint cartilage. That is when a simple meniscus surgery becomes a meniscus plus cartilage problem. The sooner Dr. Petty sees the knee, the more options you have.

Can a torn meniscus cause arthritis?

Yes, over time. The meniscus is your knee’s shock absorber, and losing it changes how load transfers through the joint. That is the reason Dr. Petty preserves as much meniscus as possible and addresses any concurrent cartilage damage at the same arthroscopic procedure.

Is meniscus surgery the same as knee arthroscopy?

Not exactly. Knee arthroscopy is the technique, an arthroscopic procedure in which a small camera and instruments go through a few small incisions. Meniscus surgery is one of the most common reasons surgeons perform a knee arthroscopy. Your surgeon may also use the arthroscopic view to look for cartilage damage, loose bodies, or other sources of knee pain at the same time.

Meniscus Surgery and Meniscus Repair in Nashville

A torn meniscus has a way of turning an ordinary step into a sharp jolt, or waking you up at 3 a.m. when the knee swells. If that sounds like your knee right now, you want two things from your surgeon. A clear diagnosis of what is actually torn or damaged inside the joint, and a plan that saves as much healthy tissue as it can. Dr. Damon Petty has been doing that work for more than 25 years. He performs meniscus surgery and advanced cartilage repair in Nashville through Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance, and sees patients from Brentwood, Franklin, Murfreesboro, Hendersonville, and the rest of Middle Tennessee.

Whether you need a straightforward arthroscopic meniscus repair, a partial meniscectomy for a degenerative tear, or a more involved cartilage restoration because the meniscus tear has already chewed up the joint surface, Dr. Petty builds the plan around your specific injury, your age, and how you use your knee.

SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION WITH DR. PETTY

Understanding Your Meniscus and Why a Tear Happens

Each of your knees has two menisci, a medial meniscus on the inside and a lateral meniscus on the outside. These two crescents of cartilage sit between the thighbone and shinbone and act as shock absorbers, distributing load across the knee joint and keeping the joint stable. Without them, the knee is exposed to several times the force it normally handles.

A torn meniscus tends to happen in one of two ways. An acute meniscus tear is usually a sports injury: a twisting load on a planted foot, a deep squat gone wrong, or a tackle. A degenerative meniscus tear is the slow version. The cartilage weakens over the years and some small everyday motion finally finishes it off. Both kinds of tear cause the same cluster of symptoms. Pain when you rotate the knee. Swelling. Clicking or catching. A feeling that the knee is locking up. Sometimes an inability to fully straighten the leg.

The location of the tear matters almost as much as the cause. The outer third of the meniscus, the red zone, has a good blood supply and can heal after a surgical repair. The inner two thirds, the white zone, does not, and tears there usually need a partial meniscectomy instead.

Types of Meniscus Surgery: Repair, Meniscectomy, and Transplant

Not every meniscus tear needs surgery. Small, stable tears in patients with good tissue quality can often heal with physical therapy, activity modification, and time. When conservative treatment has run its course, or the tear is large, unstable, or locking the knee, Dr. Petty will talk through three surgical options.

Meniscus Repair Surgery

A meniscus repair is exactly what it sounds like. Through two or three small incisions, the surgeon uses knee arthroscopy to pass sutures across the torn edges of the meniscus and stitch them back together so the tissue heals into one piece. Meniscus repair surgery is the first choice whenever the tear location and tissue quality will support it, because saving the meniscus protects the cartilage surfaces for the long haul. Most of Dr. Petty’s meniscus repair patients are younger athletes or active adults with a meniscus tear in the well vascularized red zone. Recovery is longer than a partial meniscectomy because the repaired tissue has to heal inside the knee before it can take full weight.

Partial Meniscectomy Surgery

A partial meniscectomy removes only the damaged part of the meniscus and leaves the healthy tissue in place. The surgeon works through small incisions with arthroscopic tools, trims the unstable flap or frayed edge of torn meniscus that is irritating the knee joint, and smooths the remaining rim. A partial meniscectomy is usually the right answer for degenerative meniscus tears, for complex tear patterns that will not hold sutures, and for older patients who want to be back on their feet quickly. Most patients who have a partial meniscectomy walk out of the surgery center the same day and are off pain medication within days.

Meniscus Transplant Surgery

When a previous surgery has removed most of the meniscus and the knee is at risk for early arthritis, a meniscus transplant may be an option. The surgeon removes the remaining damaged tissue and replaces it with a size matched meniscus from a donor. This is the least common meniscus surgery Dr. Petty performs. It is usually reserved for young, active patients who have little to no arthritis but whose knee has already lost too much native meniscus to function well without a replacement.

Dr. Petty will walk you through which surgery fits your tear, your anatomy, and how you plan to use the knee. His default is to save the meniscus whenever possible, because the long term outcomes for the knee joint are measurably better when the meniscus stays intact.

SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION WITH DR. PETTY

Cartilage Repair and Restoration of the Knee

Not every knee problem starts and ends with the meniscus. Many patients arrive with a cartilage lesion on the femur or tibia, sometimes from a sports trauma and sometimes from osteochondritis dissecans, a condition in which a segment of bone and cartilage loses blood supply and separates from the joint surface. Because damaged cartilage does not repair itself, these lesions often progress to pain, swelling, and early arthritis if they are not addressed.

Dr. Petty is a recognized leader in advanced cartilage repair. He selects the technique based on the size, depth, and location of the lesion as well as the patient’s age and activity level:

1.

Osteochondral Autograft Transfer (OATS or Mosaicplasty)

Healthy cartilage and bone plugs are taken from a non weight bearing donor site inside the same knee and placed into the damaged area of the knee joint.

2.

Fresh Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation

Living donor cartilage and bone restore joint function in larger lesions where an autograft cannot cover the defect.

3.

Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation (ACI or MACI)

Cultured cartilage cells, including techniques Dr. Petty helped pioneer with Genzyme, regrow cartilage in contained defects.

4.

BMAC Stem Cell Grafting with Thrombin

Autologous bone marrow concentrate combined with a thrombin gelling agent forms a stable stem cell graft that actually stays put while the cartilage regenerates. Most Nashville surgeons do not offer this.

5.

Microfracture and Drilling

Small channels stimulate new blood flow and natural healing in smaller, contained cartilage defects.

The right cartilage repair is the one that matches the specific lesion. A small contained defect in a younger patient is a different problem from a larger osteochondral loss after a trauma, and the plan has to reflect that. Dr. Petty has presented data on these techniques at the International Cartilage Repair Society, so he is not choosing from a menu he read about. He has used each of them and knows what they do well and where they fall short.

Biologic Augmentation for Meniscus and Cartilage Healing

For both meniscus repair and cartilage restoration, Dr. Petty routinely augments surgery with biologic therapies when the clinical picture calls for it. Bone marrow aspirate concentrate, known as BMAC, delivers mesenchymal stem cells directly to the repair site. Platelet rich plasma, or PRP, can support tissue healing for rotator cuff, tendon, and select meniscus repair cases. Neither is magic. They are tools, and when matched to the right surgical problem, they improve the biology of healing.

Dr. Petty performs every biologic injection himself under real time ultrasound guidance. That is unusual in orthopedics. Most practices hand injections off to a PA or nurse. Patients travel from across Middle Tennessee because they want the surgeon doing the work.

What to Expect Before, During, and After Your Meniscus Surgery

Before surgery

You will meet with Dr. Petty for a full exam and imaging review. An MRI usually confirms the tear pattern, the depth, and the location. The team will walk you through which medications to pause, fasting instructions, and how to arrange a ride home.

During surgery

Most meniscus surgery takes less than an hour and is performed as a minimally invasive arthroscopic procedure through two or three small incisions around the knee. An arthroscopic camera gives the surgeon a clear view of the joint, and small surgical tools are used to repair or trim the torn meniscus. Anesthesia is chosen with your care team and is usually general anesthesia or a regional block. Dr. Petty performs every meniscus surgery himself from the first incision to the final suture.

After surgery

Meniscus surgery is almost always an outpatient procedure. You go home the same day once the anesthesia wears off. Your care team will give you specific instructions for dressings, ice, weight bearing, and follow-up. Most patients start gentle range of motion within the first few days.

Recovery Timeline After Meniscus Surgery: Repair, Meniscectomy, and Transplant

Recovery depends on which type of surgery you needed.

Crutches

0 to 1 week

4 to 6 weeks

Procedure

Partial meniscectomy

Meniscus repair

Meniscus transplant

Weight bearing

Immediate

Protected early, then progressive

Non weight bearing early

Physical therapy

Several weeks

3 to 6 months

Return to sport

4 to 8 weeks

4 to 9 months

6 to 12 months

After a partial meniscectomy, most patients put full weight on the knee right away, use crutches only for comfort for a few days, and get back to light activities within weeks. A meniscus repair takes longer because the stitched meniscus has to heal inside the knee before it can bear full load. Jogging usually starts around three to four months, and competitive sport returns around six months for most patients.

Physical therapy is the other half of the job. Dr. Petty coordinates with your physical therapist to rebuild range of motion and strength after meniscus surgery, and he adjusts the physical therapy timeline for athletes who need to get back to competitive play. Recovery timelines are guides, not promises. Your surgeon will set specific milestones based on the tear pattern, the repair, and how your body is actually responding.

Risks, Complications, and Long-Term Recovery After Meniscus Surgery

Meniscus surgery is safe and effective, but like any surgery it carries real risk. Possible complications of meniscus surgery include blood clots, infection, nerve or blood vessel injury from the small incisions, persistent knee pain, and stiffness. Your surgeon will walk through your personal risk profile before you schedule, including factors that raise the chance of pain or delayed healing.

The longer term issue is arthritis. Losing meniscus tissue changes how load transfers across the knee joint and can raise the risk of knee arthritis later in life, especially after a partial meniscectomy. That is why Dr. Petty’s default is to repair the meniscus whenever the tear location and tissue quality will support it, and to treat any concurrent cartilage damage at the same procedure with OATS, allograft, MACI, or BMAC grafting. Handling both problems in one surgery gives the knee its best shot at another few decades of good use.

When a meniscus tear shows up alongside a malaligned leg, a knee osteotomy can shift load off the damaged side and extend the useful life of the joint. Dr. Petty will flag it if your imaging and exam call for it, and we will talk through whether it is worth doing now or staging for later.

Why Patients in Nashville Choose Dr. Petty

Dr. Damon H. Petty is board-certified in Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine with over 25 years of practice. He completed his orthopedic residency at the Cleveland Clinic and his sports medicine fellowship under Drs. James Andrews and William Clancy in Birmingham, Alabama, one of the most selective sports medicine fellowships in the country.

He served as Head Orthopedic Team Physician for the Tennessee Titans from 2018 to 2026 and has been team physician for Tennessee State University for the last 15 years. He was also the head orthopedic surgeon for the Nashville Sounds during their affiliation with the Pittsburgh Pirates. On the cartilage side, Dr. Petty has delivered podium presentations on advanced cartilage repair techniques at the International Cartilage Repair Society, now the International Cartilage Regeneration and Joint Preservation Society, sharing data with global leaders in the field.

That combination is the point. A surgeon who treats a torn meniscus every week and who also understands cartilage science at the research level can do more than just remove damaged tissue. He can protect the knee joint for the next 20 or 30 years.

Across TOA, Dr. Petty holds a 4.7 out of 5 aggregate rating across more than 1,000 patient reviews. He still performs every arthroscopic meniscus surgery himself, from partial meniscectomy to complex cartilage repair, and he personally delivers every biologic injection under ultrasound guidance.

Patient Reviews

“Dr Damon Petty tells me like it is. Gives me options with all pros and cons then allows me to make the decision. He repaired my meniscus in 2023. I am hiking, playing softball and walking up and down the stairs because of his ability.”

— Cheryl Odom

“It’s always such a pleasure to see Dr. Petty. I know that I am under the care of a true professional who cares for the injury as needed, with easy solutions where available. I have had a full recovery from my lateral meniscus knee surgery almost 2 years ago.”

— Jennifer Ghanem

“Rapid recovery from knee surgeries.”

— Tracie Walker

"Dr Petty is a wonderful doctor. He is brilliant in diagnosing your issue and knowing what to do. If there are options, he explains those. He is very calm, kind and listens. He repaired my meniscus, repaired my college baseball player son’s shoulder, then he patiently dealt with my 89 yr old mother when she broke her shoulder/arm. I highly recommend for his skills and overall how he cares for his patients!"

— Janice Goodwin

Frequently Asked Questions About Meniscus Surgery

No. Many meniscus tears, especially small, stable ones or degenerative tears without mechanical symptoms, improve with physical therapy, activity modification, and sometimes a PRP or BMAC injection. Meniscus surgery is considered when conservative treatment has failed or when the meniscus tear is unstable, locking, or catching. Your surgeon will look at the MRI and your exam together before recommending surgery.

Schedule a Meniscus Evaluation with Dr. Petty

If a torn meniscus is keeping you off the field, out of the gym, or up at night, the fastest next step is a full evaluation with a surgeon who does this meniscus surgery every week. Use the online scheduling link to request a consultation.

We serve patients from Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, Murfreesboro, Hendersonville, Gallatin, Lebanon, and the greater Middle Tennessee area. Dr. Petty also sees patients who travel for world-class care, some from over 500 miles away, including recent patients from Kansas City, drawn by his specific expertise and reputation.

SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION WITH DR. PETTY