Meniscus Tear Recovery Time Without Surgery

Can A Torn Meniscus Heal On Its Own?

Yes, since the meniscus is a living tissue, there are parts that have good blood circulation, and tears in those areas heal best.

Physical therapy can be effective in healing some tears, but frequently, the body needs a helping hand to facilitate and speed up the process. That’s where Regenexx’s regenerative orthopedic procedures come in.

Meniscus tear recovery without surgery

How Does Regenexx Work For Meniscus Tears?

At Regenexx, we invented a new approach to orthopedic care we call Interventional Orthopedics. This minimally invasive alternative to meniscus surgery uses ultrasound-guided technology to precisely inject your own bone marrow concentrate — which contains stem cells — directly where it’s needed in the joint.

The cells in your bone marrow concentrate work at the site of your injury to promote your body’s natural healing abilities to treat the tear and avoid surgery1.

In most cases, knee surgeries require months of recovery and, frequently, additional months of painful rehabilitation to regain strength and function. The exact length of this recovery varies with the type and severity of the tear, the procedure performed, and the patient’s health status, but it can be as long as six months.

Regenexx procedures are intended to help avoid the side effects of surgery and support the healthy, cushioning environment the meniscus provides for the knee. Generally, the recovery time is much shorter than with surgery, and patients can return to normal daily activity levels within a matter of weeks and to more active sports within a few months.

Regenexx-SD Surgery
Return to Daily Routine 2 to 5 days 6+ weeks
Return to Sports 3 to 6 months 1 year
Recovery Brace, up to 6 weeks PT Crutches, brace, extensive, no driving, 3 to 6 months PT
Pain Management Mostly over-the-counter pain medication (days) Prescription pain medication for weeks (weeks)
General Anesthesia No Yes
Keep Your Meniscus Yes No
Am I a candidate?

Note: Like all medical procedures, Regenexx procedures have a success and failure rate. Not all patients will experience the same results.

During appointments, Regenexx physicians examine your body in motion and often use Ultrasound to observe the inner workings of the joint in real time. This gives them a much more accurate picture of what’s contributing to your pain, how function is affected, and ultimately, the root cause of the problem. 

Once you’ve been evaluated, your physician will customize a treatment plan based on your specific needs. Our treatments include:

Regenexx-SD: A patented protocol using bone marrow concentrate that contains stem cells

Regenexx SCP: A proprietary formulation of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) that’s more concentrated than what a basic bedside centrifuge machine can produce

Regenexx-PL: Platelet lysate, which is a highly specialized derivative of platelet-rich plasma (PRP)

Watch a meniscus tear patient’s Regenexx procedure in this 4-minute video.

Am I a candidate?

Take a look at the outcomes of a patient who chose to have a Regenexx procedure instead of surgery.

Scroll to the right to see the MRI of the meniscus before treatment and to the left to see the outcome. The BEFORE shows a torn meniscus. Once treated, the area as seen on the AFTER image will look like a dark, diagonal band.

Patient MRI – View 1

Am I a candidate?

Patient MRI – View 2


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