Two pieces of cartilage in the knee joint act as shock absorbers between the thighbone and shinbone, says the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, or AAOS. These pieces of cartilage look like wedges, and they are called meniscus. Menisci can be torn, and in some cases, surgery is required to repair them or replace them. Though complications from meniscus surgery are rare, they can occur.
Blood Clots
Blood clots, also called thrombophlebitis or deep venous thrombosis, can be a complication of any surgical procedure, but they occur more often in surgeries involving the hip, pelvis or knee, says eorthopod.com. If blood clots form in veins in the leg, the affected leg will swell and become warm and painful. If the clots break apart, one or more can travel to the lungs and block blood from flowing to the lungs. One way to help reduce the risk of blood clots post-surgery is to start moving as soon as possible after the procedure. Compression stockings worn on the legs to increase movement of blood and medications that thin the blood are two other ways to help prevent blood clots from occurring.
Graft Failure
If a meniscal graft is performed, graft failure is always a risk. According to the AAOS, between 21 and 55 percent of meniscal grafts fail within ten years of the operation. The AAOS adds that transplants on the outside of the knee tend to be more successful than those on the inside of the knee. Meniscal tissue has no living cells, so the tissue does not have to be matched up between donor and recipient like bone marrow grafts. The main reason for rejection, says eorthopod.com, is that patients try to do too much too soon after surgery. If the graft tears, the surgery will have to be redone.
Suture Anchor Problems
During surgery to repair a torn meniscus, fasteners called suture anchors are used to keep the torn ends of the meniscus together, says eorthopod.com. These anchors are typically biodegradable and disintegrate into the body. Complications arise if one of these anchors breaks and floats around in the knee joint, damaging other tissues in the knee; or if an anchor pokes through too far through the meniscus, causing irritation to other structures or tissues. According to eorthopod.com, sometimes another surgery is needed to repair anchor problems.
Other Complications
Additional complications that may arise include infection, slow recovery times or difficulties with recovery, and pain that was not relieved by surgery. Infections can be treated with antibiotics and wound care, but draining an infection may be necessary, which is a minor surgical procedure. Individuals with damage to other parts of the knee may have a more prolonged recovery time than patients who do not, and those with continued pain after recovery may have to talk with a physician about medication options to handle the pain.
