Torn Meniscus

[PaMtbRider]

Life sucks right about now. I just got results from an MRI and found I have a torn meniscus. My knee has been bothering me since the beginning of the riding season. I was hoping it was early season overuse so I cut way back on my riding. I guess it is good to know what is causing the discomfort, but now I have to decide on having surgery now or waiting till fall. Either way the riding season just took a big hit. Thanks for listening.

[Elefantino]

My $0.02: Get the surgery. I've had one and tried to suffer through it; not worth it.

In six weeks after surgery you should be better than new, even though rehab can be a b*tch.

Good luck!

[blschaefer1]

Sorry to hear that.

I've had torn meniscus in both knees - from running primarily. That's why I cycle now. Had both knees scoped within the last seven years, and though my running days are over I feel great.

FWIW, get it scoped and be done with it. The recovery is not all that bad, and cycling actually helps.

Best of luck.

[LegendRider]

I'm another one who had arthroscopy on torn meniscus with excellent results.

[rugbysecondrow]

get well soon. Get it done in time so we can ride still this summer.

[gasman]

Dont wait. Get the surgery waiting won't allow you to heal and may make it worse. You could be riding later in the summer if you have it done now.

[93legendti]

I was riding ~3 weeks after my surgery and I bladed even sooner after the surgery.

[Ken Robb]

the first time I tore one it didn't hurt much so I kept trying ice/rest: play tennis get sore and swollen: ice/rest: play tennis get sore, etc. etc. etc.

I finally went to the orthopod and got it fixed. He said the parts that are supposed to be glassy-smooth were a bit scratched due to continued use after the tear. Rehab was not too bad and he liked to have me bicycle in easy gears.

The first time I played tennis after rehab I tore the other side. :mad: Since I was familiar with the feeling I had it fixed 3 days later. The recovery was much easier than the first time, probably because I didn't scuff the interior bits by delaying the repair.

This was over 10 years ago and I am almost never aware that I ever had a problem. It hurts when I kneel on hard surfaces. It seems that everything that needs fixing, adjusting, or cleaning on the boat requires kneeling at some point so I bought some tile-setters' knee-pads. Heck, I'm 67 so maybe this would hurt even without my medical history. :)

Get it fixed ASAP. It won't go away or fix itself and delay may make it worse. Sermon over. AMEN

[pbbob]

you could also do what I did and get a spinal and watch the whole procedure. :eek:

[Lifelover]

Get it fixed ASAP (assuming your ortho agrees) but plan to take it very, very easy for a few weeks. The general rehab status is that you will feel good within a week. I had it done last year, went to hard (just light spinning and walking) three days after surgery and popped a vien or something in my leg. The internal bleeding caused complete shutdown of the quad and it tooks weeks to recover instead of days.

My recovery from ACL surgery this years has been a breeze compared to the miniscus last year.

Do it, but plan to do NOTHING for two weeks afterwards.

[93legendti]

you could also do what I did and get a spinal and watch the whole procedure. :eek:
I did. Not by choice, but the drugs made me kinda compliant. Normally, I am hyper squeamish and wouldn't have looked for fear of nausea.

Dr.: "Look at the screen".
Me: "What's that?"
Dr.: "I'm cutting your meniscus."
Me: "Oh".

[Bud_E]

My wife had that surgery . For some reason we got a video tape of it. It reminded me of Pac-Man gobbling up the jagged tissue.

[Dave]

It's not that big a deal. I've had the surgery 3 times. The first was the worst, where my knee was swollen for about a week and I wasn't back on the bike for nearly two weeks, bu it was winter, so it made no difference. The other two were a piece of cake. Surgery on a Friday and riding 40 miles the next Friday.

[blschaefer1]

My wife had that surgery . For some reason we got a video tape of it. It reminded me of Pac-Man gobbling up the jagged tissue.

Yes. Exactly !

[PaMtbRider]

Thanks for all the words of encouragement. I spoke with my employer today and am in the process of filling out paper work to schedule time off from work. I hope my experience is similar to the many posted here. I think I will pass on the spinal. I am not real good with that kind of stuff and would probably pass out.

[dogdriver]

Do it now. 3 weeks and you'll be getting back into it, full up in two months or less. You will do yourself no favors waiting, and could possibly make it worse, depending on the nature of the damage.

I went in for a meniscus tear and turned out that most of the cartilage on the head of my femur was corrupt-- the doc did a "mosaic microfracture" procedure, said that if I'd have been worse (read-- 6 months to a year of extra abuse) that I'd have been up for a knee replacement, and that if I behave (no marathons or soccer) it will last the rest of my life. Ergo, I look at the meniscus tear saving me a knee replacement.

Orthopods are my favorite docs-- they fix stuff, you feel better and the part works again, you go on with your life until you break something else, they laugh at you and then fix it also.....

[Lionel]

I had torn both of my meniscus and went thru the arthroscopic surgery on both of them AT THE SAME TIME. My left knee recoverd pretty fast but it took over 4 months for my right one to feel normal again.

This said I would still recommend doing it, in particular if this is a small tear.

[Ken Robb]

Thanks for all the words of encouragement. I spoke with my employer today and am in the process of filling out paper work to schedule time off from work. I hope my experience is similar to the many posted here. I think I will pass on the spinal. I am not real good with that kind of stuff and would probably pass out.

My doc had me awake under locals for most of both procedures and I got to watch what he was doing on a second scree turned my way.

[PaMtbRider]

I have a pre-op appointment next Tuesday and will have the surgery the last week of the month. Hopefully this means my fitness will peak for cyclocross season this year instead of June / July like it has the past few years.

[PaMtbRider]

Just as an update, I had the surgery today and everything went well. I was told to bear weight on it as comfort allows but to stay off a bike until my follow up appointment next week. I was approved for 6 weeks off of work so hopefully in a week or two I will have some time to spend on the bike. Now I just need to find something to do other than looking at the Serotta Concours in the classifieds and thinking how badly I need it.

[93legendti]

Congrats! Any pain?

[dogdriver]

Good decision getting it done! You'll be spinning on the trainer/spinner inside of a week and full up in three weeks. Enjoy the lack of pain and clicking...

[PaMtbRider]

Congrats! Any pain?
Nothing Vicodan won't cure :)

[93legendti]

Nothing Vicodan won't cure :)
Good to hear. I can't remember my pain, but I went from a locked knee and pain to being able to walk and bend my knee, so I think I was just happy to being back to normal.

[dogdriver]

Nothing Vicodan won't cure :)

One Percocet not enough, two Percocet too much. Advice (plausable deniability insisted upon) from an ER doc buddy-- one Percocet, one beer, one nap.

Worked for me-- past performance is no guarantee of future earnings, your results may vary.

[Bob Ross]

Interesting thread... I was diagnosed with a minor tear in my left medial meniscus (as well as some arthritic bone spurs under my patella) a year and a half ago. The orthopod -- who's also an avid member of my cycle club, so she knows how important being able to ride is for me -- said I had four options:

- physical therapy
- a local injection of a lydocaine/steroid cocktail
- arthroscopic surgery
- HTFU

I underwent three months of PT, which, though uncomfortable while I was doing it, seemed to result in several months of pain-free cycling. For the last six months I've been embracing option#4, but it's getting to the point where my knee is almost as uncomfortable as it was a year and a half ago when I first sought medical help. Guess I may have to get the 'scope sooner rather than later.

Glad to hear everyones success stories.

[Hardlyrob]

I underwent three months of PT, which, though uncomfortable while I was doing it, seemed to result in several months of pain-free cycling. For the last six months I've been embracing option#4, but it's getting to the point where my knee is almost as uncomfortable as it was a year and a half ago when I first sought medical help. Guess I may have to get the 'scope sooner rather than later.

Glad to hear everyones success stories.

I'd get it done sooner vs. later. I tore my right medial meniscus skiing, and waited two years before getting anything done. Somehow, i thought it would get better. I now have severe osteoarthritis in the knee. As my orthopod says "Well, let me know when you can't do what you want to anymore, and we'll figure out how much of the knee we'll replace. But be sure of this, there is a form of knee replacement in your future."

Go soon.

Rob