Hi Pam...I have had a knee replacement and now I am looking at surgery for a torn medial meniscus...I tore through it and the posterior horn of my good knee. Knee replacements are not done for a torn meniscus. Now if you have severe damage from arthritis, or tears to PCL, ACL, etc, they could choose to do a replacement rather than repair, or remove the meniscus. You do not need a meniscus to walk and depending on the severity and type / location of tear, PT can help. I have had several back surgeries and repair to my right knee when I was a teen, decades before my replacement on that knee. You are up and walking the same day if no complications. However knee replacement has been the most painful and drawn out recovery I have ever had. Would have a dozen back fusions and abdominal surgeries before I would ever volunteer to do that again. Some people recover easier but for me I had blood clots and a minor staph infection afterwards. My sister had to have hers redone and then a third surgery due to hardware issues...all that in less than a year. You must also realize that you basically have an amputation, they just don't have to sever all the skin and major blood vessels. As a result, it can take up to a year for nerves to heal and that can be painful. Cold will bother it afterwards, arthritis can still become an issue. You must do a lot of PT and for me it took over 2 yrs before it healed enough that I can say it was worth it pain wise. My injuries were not repairable so I had to have the replacement. With all of that said, I wouldn't rush to have it replaced until your out of options. Talk to your doctor and if it's just your meniscus, try PT first. If it's other damage, than go for the replacement but don't expect to instantly be completely pain free and running marathons. Your recovery either way will take time and work. The amount of effort you put in, especially staying on the continuous motion machine as much as possible ( they will send one home with you), will be a big factor in your recovery in terms of range of motion. I hated that thing but it keeps scar tissue from building up and permanently limiting the bending of your knee even after you have recovered. Good luck