Your choices for treating a torn meniscus are:

• Treatment without surgery. This includes resting, using ice, wrapping the knee in an elastic bandage, propping it up on pillows, and doing physical therapy. This treatment choice may include wearing a temporary knee brace.
• Surgery to sew the tear together.
• Surgery to remove the torn section of the meniscus.
• Surgery to remove the entire meniscus.

There are many things to think about when deciding how to treat a torn meniscus. These things include where the tear is and how serious it is your pain level, your age and activity level, your doctor's preference, and when the injury happened. The decision about whether to have surgery depends on the kinds of symptoms you have and how bad they are, not just on how big the tear is. You may have a large tear but still decide not to have it repaired.

Meniscus repair is more successful if:

• You are younger. Experts think people younger than about age 40 do best.
• Your knee has good stability from the ligaments.
• The tear is in the outer edge of the meniscus.
• The repair is done within the first few weeks after the injury.