Anyone had a torn meniscus?

[SledDog]

I'm scheduled for a consult to have surgery to repair a torn meniscus in the left knee. After some reading I'm concerned about lateral stability. I read that the meniscus helps keep the femur situated over the tibia so it doesn't slide off. Anyone with any insight as to how things come out and length of recovery?

 

[Dylan in AZ]

Re: Anyone had a torn meniscus?

My dad's meniscus was torn and he was in alot of pain but he walked out of the hospital on his own two legs after surgery. if i remember correctly he was back to normal in 3 weeks? He had it trimmed though, not completly removed and replaced. He currently uses the eliptical machines at the gym to prolonge his next surgery. Hes a hardcore bycicle enthusiast too and it doesn't hinder his performance at all anymore.

 

[jwilly]

Re: Anyone had a torn meniscus?

Had my left knee cut on to remove the torn cartilage about 6-7 years ago. Weather changes suck, running is out for the most part, but the eliptical and swimming all good. Doesn't bother too much while hunting, I don't feel a lateral stability problem, just like the onset of a arthritic type condition. seems to get painful if I get lazy.

 

[Kinsman]

Re: Anyone had a torn meniscus?

Several years ago,I had a torn meniscus in my left knee. Trimmed, it gave a little relief, but not much. Took the Synvisc shots, and got about a year pain free. Then it got so bad, I had to have a knee replacement. Works good now.
Same thing happened about 5 years later, another knee replacement.
I'm out of knees, so I won't be having any more replacements!!!

 

[Dylan in AZ]

Re: Anyone had a torn meniscus?

Okay i spoke to my dad about it and he said he's never going to be healed fully untill his knee actually gets replaced. Apparently it still pains him incredibly but its alot less so than before the surgery. He claimed a different type of pain though too. And he cannot run anymore at all. The eliptical machine is his best friend now, whenever he cant get on his bike and ride.

Hope this helps,
Dylan

 

[In2b8u]

Re: Anyone had a torn meniscus?

Have had both torn for a while. The doc says wait until I tear them up a bit more and have it all done at once. I can still swim, bike and run (although not like I used to). If you can hold off you might want to wait to get cut until you can have the whole enchilada done at once.

 

[He Shoot Me]

Re: Anyone had a torn meniscus?

At first I read this; and I’m like WTF???

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TerrorInTheShadows</div><div class="ubbcode-body">My dad's meniscus was torn and he was in alot of pain but he walked out of the hospital on his own two legs after surgery. if i remember correctly he was back to normal in 3 weeks? He had it trimmed though, not completly removed and replaced. He currently uses the eliptical machines at the gym to prolonge his next surgery. Hes a hardcore bycicle enthusiast too and it doesn't hinder his performance at all anymore. </div></div>

Then this.....

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TerrorInTheShadows</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Okay i spoke to my dad about it and he said he's never going to be healed fully untill his knee actually gets replaced. Apparently it still pains him incredibly but its alot less so than before the surgery. He claimed a different type of pain though too. And he cannot run anymore at all. The eliptical machine is his best friend now, whenever he cant get on his bike and ride.

Hope this helps,
Dylan </div></div>

Dylan thank you for taking the time to come back with a 2nd post after speaking to your dad, you could have easily walked away and let the first one stand.

SD, I did a really good job of shredding mine up, had surgery, and will never be the same. In my particular case there was quite a bit of damage and waaaaay to much time between the final injury (that no longer allowed me to use my right leg) and the time I had surgery for reason’s I don’t want to get into. DO NOT make the same mistake! I suffered so much atrophy (Muscular) that I had to start walking all over again in a pool. (Think form, stability, fear of damaging ligaments, etc.) Physical therapy was brutal, but very humbling at the same time. Just when you start to feel sorry for yourself, you can usually just look around the room and realize your “little knee problem” isn’t such a big deal when you see how badly off other’s can be.

Lateral stability won’t be much of a factor if you keep the muscle around the knee in good condition. Depending on how bad your injury actually is, and you still have strength in leg and knee area, the surgery and “recovery” really isn’t that big of a deal. Yes there will be some pain, but it wasn’t bad enough to need pain medication. I only took the pain pills they gave me for a couple of days after surgery and that was it. Not that it didn’t hurt, especially after a session of PT, but I just didn’t like how they made me feel.

I personally would not go under the knife until the pain got to a point where I had to favor the leg and began to lose muscle. However, once you do have it, the overall pain relief is wonderful.

Jwilly’s post is spot on with how things are after the fact:

<span style="font-style: italic">“Weather changes suck, running is out for the most part, but the eliptical and swimming all good. Doesn't bother too much while hunting, I don't feel a lateral stability problem, just like the onset of a arthritic type condition. seems to get painful if I get lazy.” </span>

-Pat

 

[banks74]

Re: Anyone had a torn meniscus?

Tore about 20% of mine in one knee along with other stuff. Got that part cut out, and knee is great since. No stability problems. Only thing that bugs my knee is sitting in a really cramped area for extended times, but that might be in part to the rest of the stuff I tore.

 

[Dylan in AZ]

Re: Anyone had a torn meniscus?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: He_Shoot _Me</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Dylan thank you for taking the time to come back with a 2nd post after speaking to your dad, you could have easily walked away and let the first one stand.</div></div>

Your welcome, i don't like to provide incorrect information. So when i spoke to my dad and realized i had been wrong in my origional post i got back on the computer to fix what i had done. Sorry for that little mis-hap.

Regards,
Dylan

 

[oldgrayone]

Re: Anyone had a torn meniscus?

Twice on the right and once on the left. I had three operations total and while the repairs did seem to help at first as I grew older the knees just went to shit. Surgery will never put you back to new, sooner or later it will catch up with you.

 

[Toddcal13]

Re: Anyone had a torn meniscus?

I have one right now. Right knee three places, surgery in february... Put it off three times already. Second time got the surgery within a week the first time.. Not invasive, outpatient procedure that is pretty straight forward.

. Been walking and running on it nice march.

Take it from me, get the surgery... 3-4 weeks you'll be good to go. I've been stalling because I've been too busy at work and as long as I wear a heavy duty brace I can still exercise Scks when it's cold though, I lose a lot of flexibility.

 

[Seekers]

Re: Anyone had a torn meniscus?

Had the invasive operation on my left knee in 1973 to carve out the bad spot. Was in the hospital for 2 days.
Had the right knee scoped and was an out patient procedure in about 2000.
My left (butchered) knee acts as a great weather predictor. I always know when the weather is getting wetter or colder.
Aches like a MoFo and gets real stiff.

Right knee is fine.

New advances in surgery etc... You'll be fine.

Seekers

 

[neeley205]

Re: Anyone had a torn meniscus?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Seekers</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
New advances in surgery etc... You'll be fine.</div></div>

^^^^^ this. we're pretty good at this one nowadays, you wont be 100% of course, but the pain is lessened incredibly.

do not put it off. they will let you, but reccomend against it. once the bushing is ruined, metal on metal wears down very quickly. If you get my drift.

 

[fx77]

Re: Anyone had a torn meniscus?

Expertise Here

If the meniscus is torn and causes pain and mechanical interference with knee function arthroscopic surgery can do oneof two things. A torn segment can be resected (cut out) or if it is in the peripheral vascular zone can be repaired. The recovery for resection is quicker than repair, but repair preserves the shock absober function. Ther is not a lateral isntability issue with meniscus surgery that U would in a clinical sence notice.

The big rub is if there is arthritis of the joint in association with a meniscus tear. Arthroscopic surgery for degenerative disease of the knee even with meniscal tears (present in 80% of degenerative knees) does not help despite what many surgeon salesman say. (Reference New England Journal of Medicine 9/11/2008 or 2009)

The repair recovery period is often linger due to the need to protect the repair until it is healed. Simple partial menesectomy usually allows recovery to full activity in about 6 weeks. Physical therapy is of limited value. Those who do their own exercises many times a day recover best. Passive people who expect recovery in a short time by attending 3 hr PT /week delude themselves.

JMHO FWIW

 

[Rhys]

Re: Anyone had a torn meniscus?

About 3 years ago I had what was called a bucket handle tear. Connected on both ends but theresulting loop would flip in and out of the joint locking it up. About a seek after the final tear I was in for surgery. Had it scoped and walked out of the office without the crutches. I didn't take any of the vicodin that was prescribed. I just kept working on range of motion, and had full range back within 3 weeks. I just don't make a habbit of running when I don't need to.

 

[oneshot onekill]

Re: Anyone had a torn meniscus?

I've torn the meniscus on both of my knees. Apparently if there's no loss of mobility or your knee doesn't lock-up it's not a big deal. I'm 6'6" and 215 lbs. I'm 47 years old and until a couple weeks ago when I had surgery for Colon Cancer I was still playing 2-Man Beach Volleyball 2 to 3 times a week... Competitively! My right knee has a Baker-cyst most of the time but it doesn't really slow me down. I hope to be back on the courts... Bad knees and all... once this damn Cancer thing is over with!

 

[turnandshoot4]

Re: Anyone had a torn meniscus?

I'm currently in recovery from a torn meniscus and acl in my right knee. I spent 2 years with both torn due to insurance reasons. I was able to do normal things. I couldn't do any jumping due to the lack of an acl but other than that walking was fine for me.

Now that I have it repaired I hope to get to a normal function and go back to playing sports. Rehab is hell however.

 

[SledDog]

Re: Anyone had a torn meniscus?

Well excellent. I'm not super fit or highly active, but my work is physically stressing, crouching, crawling, ladders, attics, and I don't want it to slide out of joint when I'm stepping from rafter to rafter or ladder to roof.

I'm not putting it off, curious about real world results. I could stand to drop some weight, and I'm not looking to get to the olympics, but the clunking and aches need to end.

I wonder how much the cyberdyne full terminator treatment would run?

 

[Magnumdood]

Re: Anyone had a torn meniscus?

I tore my lateral and medial meniscus while re-racking the weights after I finished my set of squats. I'm 51, and things just tear easier. I've been lifting weights since I was 15. I waited 6 months to get it repaired, during which time it was painful and stayed slightly swollen. Additionally, I couldn't put much stress on it (before repair) without a lot of pain and a lot of swelling. Now, 3 months after the repair, it stays a little swollen, but the pain is gone, and swelling is receding ever so slowly. Getting old ain't for wimps.

 

[rundm]

Re: Anyone had a torn meniscus?

I had my the medial miniscus and posterior cruciate ligamint repaired in my left knee about 13yrs ago. At that time I had waited about 1.5yrs to get my repaired because of insurance reasons. Since then, it has been a great barometer of when the weather is going to change. If it gets real humid, I can tell. It does not bother me to much unless I do squats or other heavy bending exercises. I can still run if I want to but I feel it a little. I do not do deep knee bends or squats just partial light weight squats. It is still not quite as strong as my right side. I would imagine that when I get older, I will have to get more work done to it if not an all out knee replacement. I hope that it is a long time coming before that ever happens.

 

[canman]

Re: Anyone had a torn meniscus?

I've got one now. I went to my doctor to diagnose it,the Dept. Dr. would have taken me off the truck. It makes noise and sometimes slight pain after running but so far is manageable?Crawling doesen't effect it but I guess I'll have to have it done. Light duty just sucks so bad.

 

[rundm]

Re: Anyone had a torn meniscus?

Don't let it go on to long. They do get worse over time if you do not get the problem fixed. If it is a simple tear, you will be back in no time whatsoever.

 

[PaulStafford]

Re: Anyone had a torn meniscus?

I had a torn meniscus 3 years ago. It got so bad I was hobbling, couldnt even walk.
Had it scoped. Went in for the "surgery" at 3pm, came out at 5pm, walking normally. had two 1/4" scars, one for the scope, one for the tool.
The next morning at 7:30am I was in the PT, doing ham curls and other things. within a week you would never have known I had a problem.

now, 3 years later, still running on it, no problems.

 

[mavrick10_2000]

Re: Anyone had a torn meniscus?

Yes, both knees. Right knee injury and surgery miraculously lasted me about 20 years with a clean up. I had to have surgery on both two years ago so I no longer have a "good knee".

Don't push it post surgery. Lay up with it elevated if you can keep ice on it 48 hours minimum 72hours preferred, only walk as little as possible and stiff legged or with crutches. After 72 hours then start doing some physical therapy to get your flexibility slowly back. Key word slowly, and you will be back at it much sooner.

There are cuffs that wrap around your knee and plug into a small coleman type lunch cooler that has a pump in it. Basically you put water and ice in it and it circulates ice water around your knee until it starts getting too warm. Change out the water and ice and keep it running. I had a much faster recovery post surgery using this rather than just some ice and trying to get my flexibility back earlier and with less ice.

 

[BOFF]

Re: Anyone had a torn meniscus?

Yep, right knee. Went back to work to soon, or the surgery had some contamination, as I ended up with a Staph infection. Fortunately got it controlled quickly, and had minor difficulty.

Still doing well, 5 years later and 15 pounds heavier.


God Bless,
David B.

 

[dagwood]

Re: Anyone had a torn meniscus?

Me too. RH knee back in 2005. Wasn't bad for the first couple of years. Now I get cortizone injections every 3 to 6 months to keep me moving without too much pain. If fact I just had the shot in the knee about 4 hours ago. The biggest problem now is my knee is almost bone to bone, so a replacement is in my future.
I can forecast weather better than any TV weather guy around.
Be careful using the ice circulating pump. I have seen photos of people with frostbite using that.

 

[UKDslayer]

Re: Anyone had a torn meniscus?

I had my pre-op for surgery today, arthroscopy is Thursday - I'll let you know how it goes. I know they just planning on doing the "cutting", not "repairing". And I just paid $200 for that ice-pump. I've had the tear since September, but put back surgery as a higher priority.

BTW, my dentist bled out the night of his (little torn artery can bleed a lot) and was taken back to the OR in bad shape! Really didn't want to hear his story...

 

[chain]

Re: Anyone had a torn meniscus?

I had mine done last Jan. I am just getting back to somewhat normal. I had a pitch fork shaped tear in it and when he went in he ground alot of arthritis out along with taking most of the miniscus. I listened to the therapy BS and did what the Dr. said and it was pure BS. Get in the gym 6 days a week, and push yourself. That is all that worked for me. It still hurts now and then but it is managable. Good Luck. Drink a shitload of water also.

 

[UKDslayer]

Re: Anyone had a torn meniscus?

OK, well I just had mine done yesterday. I had waited on it over 4 months because back surgery was a priority, but I can honestly say this was a cakewalk! (Especially compared to the back - no comparison). I had one pain pill in the recovery unit yesterday and that's it - this cooling device (the tubes that wrap around you knee and are hooked up to an ice-water cooler) and elevated on two pillows is the ticket! My throat hurts more from the ET tube than the knee, chloraseptic spray takes care of that. I even did some light weight bearing with crutches aiding - no pain or problems. Doing light stretching exercises (like pressing gas pedal), and leg lifts/weak presses.
One thing I have to mention - in the past month started getting some pain lower on that knee, surgeon said he had "some rough spots" he had to scrape off called chondromalacia from putting it off - so sooner IS better. Also, now I realize I do need the left knee done too.