Pediatric Meniscus Tear?

DON’T LET SOMEONE
REMOVE YOUR CHILD’S MENISCUS

NOR POORLY REPAIR IT

Save your child’s meniscus and prevent future arthritis with the inventor of the most advanced Meniscal Repair system

Pediatric Meniscus Tears and Treatment Options

Causes: Pediatric meniscus tears can occur due to various reasons, including:

  • Sports injuries, such as twisting or hyperextension of the knee.
  • Trauma or accidents that put excessive force on the knee joint.
  • Congenital or developmental conditions that make the meniscus more prone to injury.

 

Symptoms: Common symptoms of a meniscus tear in children and adolescents include:

  • Knee pain, especially when bending or twisting the knee.
  • Swelling of the knee joint.
  • Difficulty in fully extending or flexing the knee.
  • A feeling of locking, popping, or clicking in the knee.

Treatments: Depending on the tear’s location and severity, treatment options for pediatric meniscal injuries range from conservative management (rest, ice, physical therapy) to surgical intervention.

Repair(sew tear together)

REPAIR 

(sew tear together)

 

PROS

 

  • Heals the meniscus by sewing the torn edges together
  • Resolves pain generated from the meniscus tear
  • Maintains the health of the knee by restoring its natural functionality
  • Scientifically proven to work

 

CONS

 

  • Requires minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery
  • Requires 6 weeks of healing followed by a few months of physical therapy
  • Cutting sports must be avoided for 5-9 months

 

References

 

Even before the advent of modern Circumferential Stitch repair techniques, the medical literature supported good results with meniscus repair

 

Reference 1, Reference 2, Reference 3, Reference 4, Reference 5, Reference 6, Reference 7, Reference 8,Reference 9, Reference 10, Reference 11, Reference 12 

 

Circumferential Stitches provide enhanced biomechanical repair

 

Reference 1, Reference 2, Reference 3, Reference 4, Reference 5, Reference 6

Remove(“trim” or “clean up”)

REMOVE

(“trim” or “clean up”)

 

PROS

 

  • Relatively quicker recovery after surgery

 

CONS

 

  • Significantly reduced effectiveness of your meniscus
  • Has not been shown to improve symptoms better than non-operative care when measured at 6 months and 2 years post-operatively
  • Contact pressures and areas of the surrounding cartilage become increasingly compromised
  • Increased risk for knee arthritis
  • Increased likelihood of needing knee replacement surgery in the future

 

References

 

The knee is at increased risk for arthritis and the eventual need for total knee replacement

 

Reference 1, Reference 2, Reference 3, Reference 4, Reference 5, Reference 6, Reference 7, Reference 8, Reference 9

 

Has not been shown to improve symptoms better than non-operative care when measured at 6 months and 2 years post-operatively

 

Reference 1, Reference 2, Reference 3

Do nothing

DO NOTHING

 

PROS

 

  • There is no treatment and no economic related cost

 

CONS

 

  • Pain and dysfunction are very likely to persist
  • Compromised contact pressures and areas of the surrounding cartilage
  • Increased risk for knee arthritis
  • Increased risk of needing eventual knee replacement surgery

 

References

 

Reference 1, Reference 2, Reference 3, Reference 4, Reference 5, Reference 6

Physical Therapy

PHYSICAL THERAPY

 

PROS

 

  • Non-invasive

 

CONS

 

  • Will not heal the tear but might help propagate the tear into a less painful state
  • Compromised contact pressures and areas of the surrounding cartilage
  • Increased risk for knee arthritis
    Increased risk of needing eventual knee replacement surgery

Injections

INJECTIONS

 

PROS

 

  • Your knee can feel better for 3-6 months at a time

 

CONS

 

  • All types of injections give temporary relief via similar anti-inflammatory mechanisms
  • Have not been shown to heal meniscus tears but might help propagate the tear into a less painful state
  • Compromised contact pressures and areas of the surrounding cartilage
  • Increased risk for knee arthritis
  • Increased risk of needing eventual knee replacement surgery
Repair
(sew tear together)
Learn more
Remove
(“trim” or “clean up”)
Learn more
Do nothing
(sew tear together)
Learn more
Physical Therapy
(sew tear together)
Learn more
Injections
(sew tear together)
Learn more
 

REPAIR
(sew tear together)

PROS

  • Heals the meniscus by sewing the torn edges together
  • Resolves pain generated from the meniscus tear
  • Maintains the health of the knee by restoring its natural functionality
  • Scientifically proven to work

CONS

  • Requires minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery
  • Requires 6 weeks of healing followed by a few months of physical therapy
  • Cutting sports must be avoided for 5-9 months

References

Even before the advent of modern Circumferential Stitch repair techniques, the medical literature supported good results with meniscus repair Circumferential Stitches provide enhanced biomechanical repair
 
 

REMOVE
(“trim” or “clean up”)

PROS

  • Relatively quicker recovery after surgery

CONS

  • Significantly reduced effectiveness of your meniscus
  • Has not been shown to improve symptoms better than non-operative care when measured at 6 months and 2 years post-operatively
  • Contact pressures and areas of the surrounding cartilage become increasingly compromised
  • Increased risk for knee arthritis
  • Increased likelihood of needing knee replacement surgery in the future

References

The knee is at increased risk for arthritis and the eventual need for total knee replacement Has not been shown to improve symptoms better than non-operative care when measured at 6 months and 2 years post-operatively
 
 

DO NOTHING

PROS

  • There is no treatment and no economic related cost

CONS

  • Pain and dysfunction are very likely to persist
  • Compromised contact pressures and areas of the surrounding cartilage
  • Increased risk for knee arthritis
  • Increased risk of needing eventual knee replacement surgery
 
 

PHYSICAL THERAPY

PROS

    • Non-invasive

CONS

  • Will not heal the tear but might help propagate the tear into a less painful state
  • Compromised contact pressures and areas of the surrounding cartilage
  • Increased risk for knee arthritis
  • Increased risk of needing eventual knee replacement surgery
 
 

INJECTIONS

PROS

    • Your knee can feel better for 3-6 months at a time

CONS

  • All types of injections give temporary relief via similar anti-inflammatory mechanisms
  • Have not been shown to heal meniscus tears but might help propagate the tear into a less painful state
  • Compromised contact pressures and areas of the surrounding cartilage
  • Increased risk of needing eventual knee replacement surgery
  • Increased risk for knee arthritis
  • Increased risk of needing eventual knee replacement surgery
 

Why meniscus tears in kids
should be repaired

Address symptoms while they are young,
and prevent a lifetime of problems down the line.

Number 1 in a circle icon

Menisci are integral to your child's active lifestyle.

The meniscus consists of two distinct cartilaginous structures in each knee joint: the medial meniscus (on the inner side of the knee) and the lateral meniscus (on the outer side of the knee).

 

Made of fibrocartilage and wedged between the tibia and the femur (thighbone) both menisci play a crucial role in absorbing shock, distributing weight, providing lubrication, and enhancing stability in the knee joint.

Number 2 in a circle icon

Menisci change as you age.

In pediatric anatomy, the menisci are typically more crescent-shaped or semilunar, with less pronounced curves compared to those in adults.

 

As children grow, the meniscus undergoes transformative changes such as evolving from a semilunar to a C-shaped structure, increasing thickness, and undergoing alterations in the vascular supply. These developmental changes are typically complete by late adolescence, and are vital for knee joint health and stability in adulthood.

Number 3 in a circle icon

Pediatric meniscus tears heal when repaired (sewn)

In pediatric anatomy, the outer portion of the meniscus (red zone) typically has a better blood supply than the inner portion (white zone).

However, studies have shown that there are more stem cells in the inner white zone than the outer red zone, and that all zones have the capacity to heal. Hence, all meniscus tears in children should be surgically sewn back together (repaired).

GIF animation demonstrating the repair of a horizontal meniscus tear

Meet the awarded surgeon and inventor of the most advanced Meniscal Repair Treatment

Dr. Justin Saliman, a seasoned knee orthopedic surgeon and entrepreneur, invented the Edison Award winning “Novo Stitch Pro Meniscal Repair System.”

This unique treatment allows him to arthroscopically sew back all meniscus tear types (including those previously considered difficult or impossible to sew) using a “Circumferential Stitching Technique.”

 

Minimally-invasive, Dr. Saliman’s system has proven superior to traditional meniscus repair treatments as patients heal pain and dysfunction while preventing arthritis and knee surgical replacement in the long-term.

 

No one has more experience repairing meniscus tears of all type!

The NovoStitch, an FDA approved medical device invented by Dr. Saliman, allows surgeons to arthroscopically place Circumferential Stitches around meniscus tears to provide uniform, anatomic compression of the tear edges.


This technique is the least invasive and the
most effective treatment for all tear types.

Why Circumferential Stitching Repair is the best treatment for meniscus tears

It takes 6 weeks for musculoskeletal tissues to heal. During this time, the meniscus
tear edges must be firmly held together as there are too many knee forces acting on the tear and constantly pulling it apart. Tears do not heal on their own nor with any type of injection or therapy. They must be securely sewn.

Circumferential Technique
is biomechanically stronger

Dr. Saliman’s NovoStitch medical device allows surgeons to place circumferential sutures around meniscus tears – providing uniform, anatomic compression of the tear edges.

Old Techniques
are riskier and incomplete

Traditional techniques only effectively sew together the top part of the tear, leading to partial healing and increased risk of meniscus re-tears.

The Medical Literature Supports Repair, Not Removal

Even before modern Circumferential Stitch repair techniques, the medical literature supported good results with meniscus repair

Circumferential Stitches provide enhanced

biomechanical repair:

Consequences of doing nothing

Consequences of removing or trimming meniscus

Removing or trimming meniscus has not been shown to improve symptoms better than non-operative care

We not just care about saving meniscus. We care about you and your child.

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Have a consultation with Dr. Saliman

Find out if the Circumferential Meniscus Repair System applies to your child.

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Get the best treatment

Don’t settle for “quick fixes” that hurt your child’s knee. Improve symptoms now and prevent damages later.

Number 3 in a circle icon

Your child lives a healthy, active life

With a painless, functional knee, your child can live limitless again.

Contact Us

Send a message to Justin D. Saliman, MD

If you have any questions, concerns, or comments regarding Dr. Justin Saliman or your knee

condition, please fill out the short contact form below

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      Edison Award

      About Dr. Justin Saliman

      Justin D. Saliman, MD, located in Beverly Hills, is a Stanford sports medicine trained orthopaedic surgeon operating out of Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.

       

      He is the founder of Ceterix® Orthopaedics and the inventor of the NovoStitch® Pro Meniscal Repair System, which was acquired by a large medical device company called Smith & Nephew in 2019.

      The device was granted FDA approval in 2012 and Dr. Saliman has been using it to preserve knee joints ever since.

       

      Nobody has more experience sewing meniscus tears
      back together than Dr. Saliman.

       

      He is specialized in joint preserving minimally invasive techniques to repair injuries to the knee to prevent arthritis and the need for joint replacement later in life.

      Dr. Saliman completed a sports medicine fellowship at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, where he cared for the San Francisco 49ers and the athletic teams at Santa Clara and Stanford Universities.

      Prior to his fellowship, he completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at the prestigious St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center of Columbia University in New York City. He earned his medical degree at the University of Colorado School of Medicine outside his hometown of Denver.

      +1 (310) 860-3059

      Get the best treatment for your knee.

      Book Consultation

      8436 W 3rd Street
      Los Angeles, CA 9004812

      Patients fly in from all over the world to have their meniscus repaired by Dr. Saliman

      Book Consultation

        Get the best treatment for your knee.

        Book Consultation

        8436 W 3rd Street
        Los Angeles, CA 9004812

        Get the best treatment for your knee.

        Book Consultation