[Closed] Knee meniscus damage recoverry.

Not me but the wife. She had keyhole surgery was in bandages for 2 days then a tubigrip for 4/5 days. Stitches out after a week then back to normal. Pretty routine and uneventful tbh.

Meniscus injuries are not confirmed without a scan. If it's not locking in place yoi should be fine. Is it painful? If it is then you can expect that pain to reduce as the joint gets more stability from the muscles around it. Re: riding, as with all these things a graded return to activity- as in don't go out for a massively ambitious ride having not touched the bike for months. Building up slowly is the key

Torn meniscus in left knee which was initially diagnosed by physio and finally confirmed by MRI almost a year later. Need to do exercises the physio gave me (to strengthen glutes etc) otherwise both knees give me pain (right knee is a sharper pain - left duller pain with swelling. Still give me bother from time to time even with exercises, but manageable.

Definitely can’t run, but that’s fine. Riding generally ok, but can be achy afterwards. A recent return to SS might not have been my best ever plan.

Singlespeed is extra load but should, in theory, actually be very good for the knees- if approached in the correct way, ie slowly building up to it and giving the structures around your knee a chance to strengthen up

4 words - Knees over toes guy.

@shermer75 Hope so - we’ll see!

Potentially the same here,I get my scan results Thursday.

Surgeon thinks I’ve damaged mine too. I was skiing and caught an inside edge, twisting the knee at slow speed. Mri this week.

He’s told me to cycle and continue to strengthen quad and hamstring but don’t do anything that aggravates it while we wait to see extent of damage. I’m also trying to reduce the inflammation with ibuprofen over the next week.

Hope to ski again in feb. But I’m 3 weeks in and little improvement this far

surgery on mine 4 years ago has wasn't getting better after months of wating.
couldn't walk, or let alone ride a bike,

had about 20% taken out (the bit which was ripped and causing the inflamation - not ideal long term but no other option as living with it wasn't going to happen,

no longer run but can ride and walk all day on it.

Does feel slightly different than the other knee though - but certainly a little arthritis in there.

Similar to comments above 2 ops cycling good skiing ok running a problem now but was OK for many years...a good physio that understands what you want to do is needed...obvious but needs saying

Depends if they fix it in place or remove it, which depends on how badly it may be damaged. I had mine fixed back in place with a couple of ‘stitches’ at the same time as having ACL reconstruction in November. Had to wear a hinged brace for 6 weeks and couldn’t load it whilst bent whatsoever, loading straight to walk was fine.

I’ve done my right knee, missed a step on a ladder, a week before Christmas.

I’ve had two appointments with a physiotherapist who suggested medial collateral ligament and medial meniscus damage. Confirmed with an MRI and now waiting to see a surgeon on Friday to discuss surgery. The MRI showed a significant tear to the horn of the meniscus and evidence of a cyst.

I’m still struggling with walking even on crutches. Weight bearing is OK for very short amounts of time, but any twisting motion sends overwhelming pain through my knee. Think hot sharp knee being waggled around inside.

No riding is messing with my head. The pain killers are messing with my head. I’m not doing well not being outside.

Sorry to unload.

OP hope yours gets better quickly.

Horizontal tear through mine, could barely walk a year ago tho with physio advise to change my gait is going better now.

Which is good. The surgery to fix mine that I’m on the list for requires cutting through my leg bone entirely to reset the knee joint at a different angle then repair the meniscus. Which is as much fun as it sounds 🙁 if my current remission post physio doesn’t stick I’m looking at being unable to walk properly for the best part of 3moz

Got gradually on the bike and onto the SS which as above helps, keeps everything strong. I’m medically advised to ride my bike often so it could be worse!

I’m still struggling with walking even on crutches. Weight bearing is OK for very short amounts of time, but any twisting motion sends overwhelming pain through my knee. Think hot sharp knee being waggled around inside.

This was me this time last year. Almost exactly. Including the description of the pain.

Take heart. Within a month I was doing 30mins a day casual on the turbo, by May I was doing as much road/gentle gravel miles as I wanted them by mid summer riding my SS mtb no bother.

I really think the turbo helped, as I was barely waking (300m to the park with my boy was too much) but the gentle turbo every day helped build strength gently.

my wife tore hers badly about 3 years ago, after 2 operations(they cocked up and didn't remove enough the first time) and another 2 day stay in hospital attached to a machine trying to get full movement back she was almost back to normal middle of last year.
then she had her big toe removed(cancerous lump on it) and due to walking funnily because of no toe it set her back on the knee as well.
she is now just about back to normal again.
NHS physio was a complete waste of time, just couldn't get to see them often enough so she ended up paying for one.

i'm guessing my wife was an extreme case and quite rare to struggle that much with it though.

Tore my left meniscus last year (may have been earlier, but it got really bad after a dog walking incident last year).

I was finding walking painful especially after riding clipped in.

In person consultation, MRI and follow up consultation (all private), diagnosed it.  Apparently I missed the bulge on the outside of my knee...

Basically I could choose a) surgery, which probably wouldn't make that much of a difference b) stop twisting.

I took option "b". So no more tennis, basketball, running etc  - lol oh well.  I also swapped MTB to flats which made a massive difference.  Unclipping and I suspect just riding relatively aggressively (i.e. not just spinning along) was aggravating it.

It's still not "right" but I'm almost pain free.

Still ride clips on the gravel bike but have been trying to unclip with right foot when needed rather than the natural left.

Waves hand to join the rubbish club.

Tear in both knees, right locks now and again.

Was offered surgery but opted to manage myself.

Have found if I keep up with exercise and physio at home i can keep it in check. Bike fit and cleat position helped. Still get issues if i'm a bit lax on the exercise front.

Rest Up and you might be reet - as above no way to know without an MRI and then being cut - If its not locking you may be able to get away with some neige but risk making it worse.

I'm on KH no3 (Last Jan) Last one I paid for as was told no tear by NHS but 7 years of griping and experience told me otherwise - Tidied up flushed and I'm running 20k min a week again now.

Can be fixed get it diagnosed properly - the NHS are under so much pressure if you have Private go that route - Will be quicker and possibly better care.

I was on zwift 4 days after slowly, stayed indoors till March then out on it no other major physio work other than stretches and stability exorcises .. but not my first rodeo so knew what was and what wasn't good for me.

Hope in some way it helps and to all suffering healing vibes -- its a pig living with knee pain at anytime but most of all when your active .. I've a second lease of life again (although oddly have ran more than bike since last opp)

Update on my woes.

I saw the surgeon on Friday. In his words, his actual words “ya knee’s ****ed, mate!”

His more thoughtful diagnosis is that I’ve got very little health medial meniscus left, a large cyst blocking the imaging, and the beginnings of arthritis. I can wait to see if the medial collateral ligament will heal on its own, then have surgery to remove the debris and cyst. Then he’ll know what’s going on.

Or surgery now, which means the medial collateral ligament then has time to heal whilst I’m off my feet recovering from surgery.

He said that if I hadn’t had the slip off the ladder I’d be seeing him in five years time for a new knee anyway. This surgery “might” give me ten years before I need a new knee.

Surgery booked for 7th February.

They say single speeding ****s your knees. I’m exhibit one, m’lud.

4 words – Knees over toes guy.

Elaborate?

So I got my scan results and I have a small meniscal tear across the mid body / radial. also MCL strain but that is structurally all in tact. Surgeon doesn't want to operate on it but has recommended a cortisone to take the inflammation away.

I'd sooner not have the cortisone as I cannot see what long term benefit it will bring (and also the last two I have had... one in ankle and one in shoulder), did nothing to help me.

Thoughts anyone?? Am managing on 800mg of ibuprofen per day at the moment, but that can't be a longer term thing!

I tore the medial meniscus in my left knee two years ago doing a squat during a Tai Chi introductory lesson of all things !!!!

Tear confirmed by an MRI which also highlighted that the ACL repair I'd had done 15+ yrs ago wasn't there anymore (Obviously the screws still were).

Was very painful initially, didn't have surgery as it wasn't deemed bad enough to warrant it, doesn't give me any issues cycling, can be a tad sore after a long walk on a hard surface.

I tore mine in July, had to put surgery off due to going on hols for three weeks. I managed to MTB but only blues and easy reds.

Scan was difficult to interpret as I had a needle in the top of my tiba left from a previous surgery.

I had a the surgery at the end of October and after some very intensive physio. My physio wouldn't let me run until I could single leg press 200kg x 10 with the bad knee. I've returned to running in the past two weeks 4 mins on 2 off x 3. I saw my consultant last week and both he and the physio have said I'm good to learn to ski, so I'm spending all day Friday at the Chill Factor.

My tear would never have settled by itself as the torn cartilage had managed to fold over itself and every time I used it it ballooned up.

Mine isn't that bad thankfully.

200kg on one leg??!?! Yeah... I guess that is a good indication as to whether you're good to run!

Hurt my knee last may. Made it worse in August. Rear medial radial meniscus tear diagnosed in November. Can cycle ok, have just started to run again, 30s at a time. But sometimes even walking is painful. Really p!SSI g me off now.
Any twisting motion is very painful.
Any tips for improving that?

Disclaimer - i am no medical type.

But I did see one on Friday and your symptoms are similar sounding to mine. Also have a radial tear as well as mid body. If you're avoiding surgical intervention then the key message was reduce the inflammation which is more than likely the source of the pain and then seriously work on knee rehab. "Your quads are your new meniscus" was the surgeon's parting words.

I was offered a cortisone, which I am avoiding for now in favour of ibuprofen....but will consider the former if within a couple of months the rehab hasn't shown results.

I'm now working religiously on quads, hamstrings, hips (with resistance bands and the gym machines) as well as cycling. (but no racing, which is annoying).

I'm only 5 weeks into the process but has been disheartening seeing no real improvement.

Similar to Bigfoot, I had 2 ops to shave a bit off nearly 10 years ago now. I had a NHS physio after the 1st op who unfortunately wasn't very good (or particularly interested) so as others have said get a proper decent Physio, and tell them want you want to achieve once "healed" and do everything they say!
Knee aches a bit now, but at the time the Dr said I might bring arthritis on slightly quicker than usual.

Circling back on this....

I got my scan results and the surgeon has said that it isn't operable (or worth operating) so is something I will have to live with. Small mid body tear and small radial tear of the meniscus.

I've been offered the cortisone option to reduce inflammation. Had one in my shoulder once and it caused flare, so I am a little apprehensive. Have been managing with ibuprofen and rehab exercises, cycling - but the pain is not subsiding. we're 7 weeks post injury now.

Be more patient? or embrace medicine and go for the injection in the hope that it kills the inflammation and the whole area settles down before the effects of the injection wear off a few months down the line?

WWSTWD?

To be honest I’d go with medicine. If there’s no improvement after seven weeks it’s not going to get better on its own.

I had my knee arthroscopy on Monday. Big tear on the meniscus horn that was big enough to fold over on itself. That’s been removed and a cyst that was growing in the joint. It was OK yesterday, one day post op, but it’s hurting like a bastard today.

take the rehab very easy at first. I over did it after my arthroscopy thinking it was OK for the first week. It really flared up though and took perhaps 3 months for the swelling to go away.

I've got some naproxen now - Amazing difference in pain, but am worried that I am just masking the issue. And killing my liver.

That said, I am hoping to slowly build up movement and strength over the next few weeks, and then hope the inflammation doesn't return once I stop taking them.