My 17-year-old son hurt his knee playing basketball. The doctor says both the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and meniscus (cartilage) are torn. The doctor is recommending surgery to repair them. Wouldn’t it be better to repair the ACL and simply take out the torn meniscus?

If these two injuries happened ten years ago, most doctors would repair the ACL and remove the damaged portion of the meniscus. Since then, studies have shown that it is usually better to fix the torn ACL and repair the meniscus whenever possible. When part or all of the protective pad of cartilage is removed (the meniscus), the knee suffers extra wear and tear. This can lead to joint damage years later. In fact, long-term studies have shown that even removing part of the meniscus can cause arthritis later.