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.
Why patients choose us
- 01
A knee-specialist surgeon, high meniscus volume
Not a general orthopaedic list. A named knee surgeon who repairs meniscus tears weekly and follows ESSKA and AAOS preservation guidance.
- 02
Repair first, resect last
We do not book you for a meniscectomy without an honest look at repair. Preserving meniscus tissue matters for the next thirty years of your knee.
- 03
Independent, and free
We are paid by no clinic, so the recommendation is impartial and costs you nothing.
Indicative pricing
What a private meniscus repair costs in London.
Indicative ranges across our London partner units. Send the MRI report and we quote firm figures across two or three options.
In short
A primary meniscus repair in our London network: £8,500 to £12,500, home the same day.
| Procedure | Indicative range | Typical duration | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consultant knee review and MRI re-read | £250–£450 | 30–45 min | Same visit |
| Arthroscopic meniscus repair (primary, day-case) | £8,500–£12,500 | 45–90 min | Same day home |
| Add-on when combined with ACL reconstruction | +£3,500–£5,500 | +30–45 min | Same day home |
| Partial meniscectomy (when repair not feasible) | £5,500–£8,500 | 30–45 min | Same day home |
| Meniscal root repair, transtibial anchor technique | £10,500–£14,500 | 60–90 min | Same day home |
| Meniscal allograft transplant (specialist centre) | £22,000–£38,000 | 90–150 min | 1 night stay |
Prices vary by hospital, by surgeon, by implant count and by whether the repair is combined with ACL reconstruction or a MACI cartilage repair. We come back with a firm quote within one working day.
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. We stop that happening.
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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.
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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.
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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.
- 01
Before
You send us the MRI and history
A short, confidential form. Mechanism of injury, MRI report if you have it, and any locking, catching or giving way symptoms.
- 02
Before
We come back with a recommendation
Within one working day: whether the tear is repairable, whether meniscectomy or leave-alone is the right call, and indicative pricing.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 we see most, plus the MRI and clinical signs that mean partial meniscectomy or a leave-alone approach is the safer choice.
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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.
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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.
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Meniscus root avulsion
A tear at the tibial attachment that behaves like a total meniscectomy. Transtibial anchor repair is now standard in appropriate patients.
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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.
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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.
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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. We will tell you.
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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.
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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. For meniscal allograft transplant we refer to a specialist UK centre.
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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.
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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.
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Outside-in repair
Sutures passed from outside the capsule inwards through spinal needles. Best for anterior horn tears where inside-out is awkward.
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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.
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Partial meniscectomy
Trimming only the unstable fragment, preserving as much rim as possible. Reserved for tears that genuinely cannot be repaired.
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Leave-alone tears
Small, stable, asymptomatic peripheral tears found incidentally at arthroscopy for another problem are often left. Meniscus preservation, per ESSKA.
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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.
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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.
Our London network
A small panel of London knee units, we picked them.
Consultant knee surgeons with high meniscus repair volumes, in CQC-registered London units. Introductions are made privately, once we understand your case.
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Fortius Clinic Knee Unit
Marylebone and Wimbledon
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London Sports Orthopaedics
City of London and Wimbledon
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HCA The Wellington Sports & Orthopaedic
St John’s Wood
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Chelsea and Westminster Private Care
Chelsea
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One Welbeck Orthopaedic
Marylebone
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Cromwell Hospital (Bupa)
South Kensington
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Knee-specialist consultants with high meniscus repair volumes, not general orthopaedic lists
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JAG-equivalent CQC-registered day units with dedicated arthroscopy sets and posterior portal expertise
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All-inside, inside-out and outside-in fixation available in the same operating room
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MDT pathways to root repair, ACL reconstruction, MACI cartilage repair and meniscal transplant if needed
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 - we translate it for you.
If you would like us to talk you through the note before your review, just ask.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
Cover for meniscus repair varies by insurer and by indication - usually funded when medically indicated. We confirm cover before booking.
Frequently asked
Everything we get asked about meniscus repair.
Quick answers on repair versus meniscectomy, cost, recovery, success rates and meniscal transplant.
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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.
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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.
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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. We confirm a firm figure within one working day.
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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.
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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 we push repair whenever the tissue permits.
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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.
Ready to protect your knee?
Send us your MRI. We come back with a plan within one working day.
A knee-specialist review, an honest repair-versus-resect recommendation, and a firm quote across two or three London units. Free, and impartial.
Related
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