meniscal release or stem cells therapy for ACL problems?

About 7 months after my dog had a TPLO surgery to her left back leg, she started limping on the right one too...
We were told that she needed TPLO surgery on that leg also.
However, I have been searching online and found out that TPLO is perhaps not the only solution (even for a 80 lbs. dog...) and I believe I now found a good vet that has given us more options beside TPLO but I would need a further opinion...
By touching the dogs leg the vet found that the ligament was not having a drawer movement since in the vet opinion a mass formed on its own around the torn ligament (the words were: "nature reacted on that and took care of it") and the dog would so not need an ACL surgery after all...
He however suggested to operate a meniscal release (menisectomy) because of a clicking noise in my dog's leg, and some electroaccupunture.
He also suggested to give to the dog some stem cells injections.
My questions:
1) Is it possible to tell just by touch if a meniscus is damaged and need a release? If so, is it best doing it by arthroscopy or by arthrotomy? (I understand arthroscopy is more technological but perhaps opening the leg would give us the advatange of actually seeing what is wrong with whole knee...  Is this right or wrong?)
2) I have never heard of an ACL drawer movement naturally stopped on its own by a mass built up (I am not sure I understood what mass? ...Perhaps tissues?)... Is this really possible?
3) I read very good reviews about stem cells injections, contrary to some bad ones about meniscal surgery... So I was wondering.... instead of having the menisectomy should we just have the stem injection alone? Do you think would that help the meniscus presumed problems?
Both the menisectomy and the stem cells injections come out very expensive if we do not do both, would each procedure come out in the end as uncompleted or useless?
Some opinion is really appreciated....
Thanks!

[Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A]

1.  If there is an obvious clicking noise in the knee, or your dog occasionally collapses on the affected hind leg, than is it highly probable that there is a meniscus tear.   Your vet probably palpated (palpation = diagnostic touch) the knee and was able to feel crepitus (crackling) and clicking.

2.  Maybe it was only a partial tear and not a complete tear.  These can on occasion get better.  Osteophyte formation can also stabilize the knee a bit.

3.  I have my certification in Stem Cell Therapy and some experience.  Do stem cell therapy first.  It is extremely effective.  However, no one can tell how long it can last in your dog.  It may last anywhere from month to years, but, it can be repeated.  Stem cell therapy may be able to heal the torn meniscus and torn ACL, than,  obviously,  surgery would not be required.  

There are two types of stem cell injections.  The one that would be necessary for your dog would be an injection into the joint capsule of the affected knee.  It requires two procedures: a surgery to extract fat that contains the stem cells, and than the injection two to three days later.  This would require two anesthesia's.  I would not inject into the knee of any dog without anesthesia (it can be done without anesthesia in horses and humans {outside USA}).

[tross]

Thank you very much for your reply and for your additional info; I did not know about osteophyte before and I didn't know that stem cell procedure needed anesthesia for the injections also.... :-(
...I'd have a few more questions just to put my heart and mind at peace and to take the best decision....
Isn't osteophyte painful? Doesn't osteophyte give chronic pain and cause the loss of joint motion? Shouldn't this be arrested by surgery and the bone spurs removed instead?
(I remeber that the vet that previously operated my dog to the other ACL said that, the clicking noise in the leg that is now limping, was in his opinion because of the arthrite formation..).
I am just a little confused.... I went to the vet thinking of an ACL surgery and now we are instead here talking about meniscal surgery and finding myself to believe that osteophyte can actually be a good thing....
Then, since my dog is 7, I am worry for the anesthesia required if she'd need more than one surgery (not only for the possible further stem cells injections needed even in a few months, but for the ligament possible future worsening too - since stem cells are still not vastly experimented yet)...
What should I think?
...Thanks again so much!

[Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A]

It might be an excellent idea if you get another opinion from another vet stem veterinarian.  

It might be possible to extract the stem cells (via the acquizition of fat cells) using local anesthesia and sedation.  The second stem cell vet should be able to assess everything.