Sara’s active lifestyle, which included bouldering, rock climbing, and yoga, suddenly came to a halt when she realized she couldn’t take much more than a regular walk without feeling pain in her knee. She hadn’t fallen and could not pinpoint a specific moment when she had injured herself—but she knew something was wrong.

Three months after Guillem Gonzalez-Lomas, MD, performed surgery on her knee, Sara was able to get back to her daily activities.

Sara tried physical therapy first, but when she showed no signs of improvement, her physical therapist referred her to Dr. Gonzalez-Lomas at NYU Langone’s Sports Medicine Center. He confirmed that Sara’s meniscus had torn so badly, it was no longer attached—an injury that significantly increased her risk of developing osteoarthritis within five years.

Dr. Gonzalez-Lomas advised her that the best chance she had to prevent additional damage to the cartilage and bone was to have meniscus transplant surgery. Sara’s age and injury made her a good candidate for knee surgery for treating meniscus tears, which is less invasive than a knee replacement.

“It was a huge relief to have the ability to go up and down stairs and curbs again.”—Sara, Age 32

Three months after surgery, Sara was able to get back to her daily activities, including keeping up with her 1-year-old daughter: “I’m able to pick her up, and I’m able to run around with her in the playground.”