Although arthroscopic surgery of the meniscus is minimally invasive, you may still experience knee pain after surgery. For some people, other problems can occur after surgery, such as arthritis, re-injury, incomplete rehabilitation, and more.
Bone marrow edema (BME) is when normal fatty bone marrow—the spongy tissue in the center of bones—is replaced with a watery mix of fluid and blood. Also known as a bone marrow lesion, BME occurs when arthritis, an injury, or a fracture damages the normal bone structure.
Water on the knee is when fluid collects around and inside the knee joint, causing pain and swelling. Also known as knee effusion or fluid on the knee, it can occur whenever there's damage to the joint due to injury or underlying disease, such as arthritis.
Healing does take time, but within a few months most people can get back to play at their pre-surgery level without the pain that they experienced before, a pair of new studies show.