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Knee arthroscopy · London

Meniscus repair in London, by a knee-specialist surgeon.

A day-case arthroscopic repair of the meniscus - done by a knee surgeon who repairs weekly, in a CQC-registered unit, with all-inside, inside-out, outside-in and transtibial root fixation available in the same operating room.

A stethoscope on a clinical desk

Indicative pricing

What a private meniscus repair costs in London.

Indicative ranges across London private units.

In short

£8,500 to £12,500, home the same day.

Procedure Indicative range
Consultant knee review and MRI re-read £250–£450
Arthroscopic meniscus repair (primary, day-case) £8,500–£12,500
Add-on when combined with ACL reconstruction +£3,500–£5,500
Partial meniscectomy (when repair not feasible) £5,500–£8,500
Meniscal root repair, transtibial anchor technique £10,500–£14,500
Meniscal allograft transplant (specialist centre) £22,000–£38,000

Prices vary by hospital, by surgeon, by implant count and by whether the repair is combined with ACL reconstruction or a MACI cartilage repair.

The problem

The right surgeon, the right decision, the right technique.

A repairable meniscus tear booked onto a generalist meniscectomy list is a knee losing tissue it will need at fifty. Asking about repair first avoids that.

  • Is this tear even repairable?

    MRI plus a clinical exam plus surgeon judgement at arthroscopy. Peripheral longitudinal, bucket-handle, ramp and root tears usually are. Central radials and degenerate flaps usually are not.

  • Repair versus meniscectomy versus leave

    ESSKA and AAOS both favour preservation. A partial meniscectomy in a 30-year-old raises OA risk by 5 to 15 percent by their fifties. A leave-alone tear is often the right answer.

  • Which fixation, and by whom?

    All-inside FasT-Fix 360 or Meniscal Cinch for most posterior and body tears, inside-out for peripheral, outside-in for anterior, transtibial anchor for root. Not every surgeon does all four.

The journey

From MRI to sport - what happens, in order.

One team from first message to return-to-sport clearance - including physiotherapy protocol and surgeon review at 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months.

  1. 03

    Before

    Consultant review and MRI re-read

    A face-to-face or virtual consultation with a knee surgeon. Clinical exam, MRI re-read on their own workstation, and a shared decision.

  2. 04

    On the day

    Arrival at the hospital

    Admission, consent and a chat with the surgeon and anaesthetist. General anaesthetic plus a femoral or adductor canal block for postoperative pain.

  3. 05

    On the day

    Arthroscopic meniscus repair

    45 to 90 minutes. Diagnostic arthroscopy, tear pattern confirmed, all-inside, inside-out or outside-in fixation chosen to match.

  4. 06

    On the day

    Home the same day, in a hinged brace

    A short recovery, crutches and a hinged knee brace set 0 to 90 degrees. Written aftercare and home within a few hours.

  5. 07

    After

    Rehab, brace-off at six weeks

    Partial weight-bearing 4 to 6 weeks, hinged brace for 6 weeks, physiotherapy from week 1, running from month 4, pivoting sport from month 6.

Typical end-to-end: 1 to 2 weeks to surgery. Brace off: 6 weeks. Running: month 4. Sport: month 6.

Tear patterns

When repair is the right call - and when it is not.

The tear patterns seen most, plus the MRI and clinical signs that mean partial meniscectomy or a leave-alone approach is the safer choice.

  • Longitudinal bucket-handle tear

    The classic repairable pattern. A vertical tear in the peripheral vascular zone that flips into the notch and can lock the knee.

  • Radial tear of the mid-body

    A tear across the fibres that disrupts hoop stress. Central radials rarely heal; peripheral radials with a rim of red zone can be repaired.

  • Meniscus root avulsion

    A tear at the tibial attachment that behaves like a total meniscectomy. Transtibial anchor repair is now standard in appropriate patients.

  • Ramp lesion at the posteromedial rim

    A small tear at the meniscocapsular junction, easily missed on MRI. Repaired at the same time as ACL reconstruction to protect the graft.

  • Horizontal cleavage in an active knee

    A split within the meniscus body. In a young or active patient, repair with saucerisation and suture is preferred over resection.

  • Complex or degenerate tear, no mechanical symptoms

    If the knee is not locking or catching and there is early arthritis, physiotherapy and injection often beat surgery.

  • Locked knee with a block to extension

    A displaced bucket-handle needs early surgery to reduce the fragment and repair, ideally within a few weeks to preserve tissue quality.

  • Red flag: hot, swollen, febrile knee

    A septic joint, gout flare or reactive arthritis needs an urgent NHS assessment, not a private booking.

Technique options

Meniscus repair is a family of techniques.

What each option involves - and which fits which tear. Meniscal allograft transplant is done at a specialist UK centre.

  • All-inside repair (FasT-Fix 360, Meniscal Cinch)

    Pre-loaded suture devices deployed through the arthroscope. The workhorse for posterior horn and body tears, quick and low-morbidity.

  • Inside-out repair

    Sutures passed from inside the joint through the capsule via a small posteromedial or posterolateral incision. The gold standard for peripheral tears.

  • Outside-in repair

    Sutures passed from outside the capsule inwards through spinal needles. Best for anterior horn tears where inside-out is awkward.

  • Transtibial root repair

    A tunnel drilled up through the tibia lets sutures be pulled down and fixed over a cortical button, restoring the meniscus root attachment.

  • Partial meniscectomy

    Trimming only the unstable fragment, preserving as much rim as possible. Reserved for tears that genuinely cannot be repaired.

  • Leave-alone tears

    Small, stable, asymptomatic peripheral tears found incidentally at arthroscopy for another problem are often left. Meniscus preservation, per ESSKA.

  • Combined with ACL reconstruction

    Ramp and posterior horn tears repaired at the same sitting as ACL reconstruction. Healing rates are higher when combined with ACLR.

  • Meniscal allograft transplant

    For young patients after total meniscectomy with pain but no advanced arthritis. Size-matched cadaveric meniscus, done in a handful of UK centres.

Recovery and outcomes

What to expect afterwards - honestly.

Meniscus repair is a well-established knee operation. The things worth planning are your brace protocol, weight-bearing progression, and a realistic return-to-sport date.

  • General anaesthetic plus regional block

    Standard general anaesthetic with a femoral or adductor canal block for 12 to 24 hours of postoperative pain relief. You go home the same day.

  • Hinged knee brace, 0 to 90 degrees, 6 weeks

    The brace protects the repair from deep flexion. Range is opened progressively at physiotherapy review; the brace is off at six weeks.

  • Partial weight-bearing, 4 to 6 weeks

    Crutches with toe-touch or partial weight for the first month, then progressive weight-bearing as the repair matures. Follow the physio protocol precisely.

  • Realistic repair success rate

    Around 75 to 90 percent of repairs are clinically healed at 5 years in appropriate patients. Root and radial repairs sit at the lower end of that range.

  • The long-term case for preservation

    Meniscectomy raises long-term osteoarthritis risk by 5 to 15 percent compared with an intact meniscus. Every millimetre of preserved tissue matters at 20 years.

  • Return to sport, at 4 to 6 months

    Straight-line running from month 4, pivoting and cutting sport from month 6 with a functional testing pass. Combined ACLR extends this to 9 to 12 months.

  • DVT prophylaxis and wound care

    Mechanical DVT prophylaxis on the day and, for higher-risk patients, a short course of low-molecular-weight heparin. Portal wounds are steri-stripped, not stitched.

  • Complications are uncommon but real

    Saphenous nerve neuropraxia (2 to 5 percent with inside-out medial repairs), stiffness, re-tear and infection. Quoted honestly before you consent.

  • Red flags after discharge

    A calf that is hot, swollen and painful, spreading portal-wound redness, fever, or a knee that suddenly locks again. Call the unit or go to A&E the same day.

Reading your operative note

Your op note in four parts. Read the last one first.

Whichever technique was used, the note the surgeon sends you keeps to the same shape.

A quiet reminder

Orthopaedic language is precise and can read coldly - it helps to have it explained plainly.

If anything in the note is unclear, ask your knee team to talk you through it before your review.

  1. 01 Header

    Tear pattern, location and zone

    Radial, longitudinal, horizontal, root or ramp. Medial or lateral. Red-red, red-white or white-white zone by rim distance.

  2. 02 Technique

    Fixation method and implants used

    All-inside (FasT-Fix 360, Meniscal Cinch), inside-out, outside-in or transtibial root anchor, and the number of sutures placed.

  3. 03 Findings

    Associated damage and combined work

    Cartilage status by ICRS grade, ACL and PCL condition, whether a ramp lesion was found, and any concurrent ACLR or MACI.

  4. 04 Impression

    Protocol and follow-up

    Read this first: brace settings, weight-bearing plan, physiotherapy start, running date, sport date and next surgeon review.

Recognised by major UK insurers

BupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealix

Cover for meniscus repair varies by insurer and by indication - usually funded when medically indicated.

Frequently asked

Common questions about meniscus repair.

Quick answers on repair versus meniscectomy, cost, recovery, success rates and meniscal transplant.

  • What is an arthroscopic meniscus repair?

    A keyhole knee operation. The surgeon inspects the meniscus through two or three small portals, confirms the tear pattern, and repairs it with sutures using an all-inside, inside-out or outside-in technique. It is done under general anaesthetic with a nerve block, takes 45 to 90 minutes, and you go home the same day in a hinged brace.

  • Repair or meniscectomy, how is the decision made?

    By tear pattern, tear zone, tissue quality, patient age and activity level. Peripheral longitudinal and bucket-handle tears in the red-red zone are the best repair candidates. Central radials in the white-white zone and complex degenerate tears often cannot be repaired. ESSKA and AAOS guidance is clear: preserve the meniscus whenever it is feasible.

  • What does a private meniscus repair cost in London?

    A primary arthroscopic meniscus repair is £8,500 to £12,500 as a day case. Combined with ACL reconstruction, add £3,500 to £5,500. Partial meniscectomy is £5,500 to £8,500. Meniscal root repair is £10,500 to £14,500. Meniscal allograft transplant is £22,000 to £38,000 in a specialist centre.

  • How long is recovery and when can I run and play sport?

    A hinged brace at 0 to 90 degrees for 6 weeks, partial weight-bearing for 4 to 6 weeks, physiotherapy from week 1. Desk work at 1 to 2 weeks, driving at 4 to 6 weeks, straight-line running at month 4, pivoting sport at month 6 subject to functional testing. Combined with ACL reconstruction, return to sport is 9 to 12 months.

  • What are the success rates and what happens if it fails?

    Around 75 to 90 percent of repairs are clinically healed at 5 years in appropriate patients. If the repair fails, options are a revision repair or a partial meniscectomy. Long-term data shows meniscectomy raises osteoarthritis risk by 5 to 15 percent versus an intact meniscus, which is why repair is preferred whenever the tissue permits.

  • When is a meniscal allograft transplant an option?

    For a young patient (usually under 50) who has had a total or near-total meniscectomy, has ongoing compartment-specific pain, and does not yet have advanced arthritis. A size-matched cadaveric meniscus is fixed with bone plugs or soft-tissue technique in a handful of UK specialist centres. It is not a repair alternative and is not for degenerate knees.

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