A meniscectomy, also known as a meniscal debridement, is the removal of the torn meniscus. Often this is only a partial meniscectomy where only the torn pieces are removed. This surgery is often performed through minimally invasive incisions using an arthroscope and arthroscopic instruments.
This is the procedure where they only remove the damaged part of the meniscus. The longer recovery time was associated with the procedure where they had to stitch the meniscus back together. I guess this means that the tear was mild enough that they could cut is out and still have structural integrity. I have no idea how much risk there is of reoccurrence.
From my very limited knowledge, I think that removing meniscus can lead to wearing out the knee more quickly. There's only a finite amount of meniscus (cartilage), and as that amount decreases, potential degeneration in the knee increases. Lose enough, and you get the dreaded "bone on bone".
I mentioned in a previous thread about the surgery I had in my late 40's to repair a torn meniscus. It was a partial tear and recovery was quick and routine. I was off crutches in a few days and have never had any problems since. Bear in mind, while I did play basketball in college, by this time I was a long way from playing shape or any strenuous athletic activity, only routine moderate exercise. What I learned about the meniscus injury after the surgery was interesting and could be helpful for understanding Brown's situation.
So, for what it's worth ...........
The meniscus is like a thin block of cheese that is located between the upper and lower knee bone tissue. The doctor showed me the scoped photos, before & after if you will. My tear which, like Brown's, was diagnosed as "partial", showed one of the four previously smooth edges had become tattered with tiny fragments looking sort of shredded. All the surgery did was to shave off the fragments and smooth that side back out.
I had to wait 6 months after the initial injury for insurance to approve the surgery. During that time, I would go through a couple of weeks with very little pain, followed suddenly by a week or so of extreme pain. The doctor explained to me that the torn fragments I described would move around slightly day-to-day until they would be in position to irritate an area of nerves and then would eventually reposition to a less painful orientation. The pain at its worst would have prevented me from playing at all if I had been an active athlete at that time, point being, it could not have been too bad for Brown to continue playing like he did. Given my experience, in whatever way it may relate, indicates to me that he should be fully recovered and 100% for the start of training camp.
