General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Tell me your meniscus surgery story... Rss Feed  
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2009-01-05 11:11 AM

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Scottsdale, AZ
Subject: Tell me your meniscus surgery story...
Hi everyone! Waiting to get the results back from MRI, but pretty sure I have a medial meniscus tear and am more sure that I will want to get it surgically taken care of. I know there are two ways of going at it...repair (stitching back together) or taking the torn piece away. Pros and cons to both. I am just trying to prepare myself and wanted to hear others experiences of the actual procedure, recovery, rehab, and back to racing process. Were you able to drive, do normal day to day things but in a brace/crutches?? Timeline of
Also, if you had kids at home (mine are 4 and 18 mo.), how did you manage, was it do-able or did you get extra outside help in the beginning?
Thanks for sharing your story! I appreciate it and will see what my story will be :-)!



2009-01-05 11:46 AM
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2009-01-07 4:00 PM
in reply to: #1886814

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Rocklin
Subject: RE: Tell me your meniscus surgery story...
My medial meniscus was cut out three times. I ended up with 20% left and tore that, and had ruined my knee. I had a meniscus transplant last December. I'm back to full speed a year later with a knee that hasn't felt this good since my initial injury in 1995.

I'm in the process of putting together a blog detailing my surgery and recovery from my meniscus transplant. That was more like an ACL recon, but if you have a repair, you will have many of the same protocols. The problem is repairs are hard to do since the meniscus has such a poor blood supply.

Here is my blog if you are interested.

http://mymeniscustransplant.blogspot.com/

2010-07-05 3:36 AM
in reply to: #1893129

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Subject: RE: Tell me your meniscus surgery story...
aggiecatcher - 2009-01-07 4:00 PM My medial meniscus was cut out three times. I ended up with 20% left and tore that, and had ruined my knee. I had a meniscus transplant last December. I'm back to full speed a year later with a knee that hasn't felt this good since my initial injury in 1995. I'm in the process of putting together a blog detailing my surgery and recovery from my meniscus transplant. That was more like an ACL recon, but if you have a repair, you will have many of the same protocols. The problem is repairs are hard to do since the meniscus has such a poor blood supply. Here is my blog if you are interested. http://mymeniscustransplant.blogspot.com/


Hi There,

Thank You for sharing you're story with us. I really liked your blog and it gave me lot's of information about rehab, nerve problems and other things about meniscus transplantation surgery.

I'm also going to see orthopedist to the hospital and ask them about meniscal transplant.

My story: Last december I was skiing telemark in Alps and had an skiing accident where I and broke my medial meniscus really badly. After 2 weeks from accident I went under the knife. About 80% from my medial meniscus was taken away from left foot. I'm not able to do any sports because knee is hurting so much. I'm now 35-years old athlete and now I feel that I'm crippled for the rest of my life. My orthopedist says that I have maybe 5-10 years before I have early arthrosis and there's nothing they can do to help me.

Maybe meniscus transplant is going to give me a new start.
2010-07-05 7:20 PM
in reply to: #1886814

Champion
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Williamston, Michigan
Subject: RE: Tell me your meniscus surgery story...

the meniscus has a very poor blood supply (about 90% is avascular) to it so it depends on where it is torn as to weather it is repaired or trimmed.  The MRI doesn't really help us too much with this so until it is physically seen at the time of arthroscopy its hard to predict which procedure you will end up with.  it is better for the long term health of your knee to have it repaired but you should be on crutches for 6 months with a meniscal repair.  If it is trimmed out you can bear weight right away and get back to running usually in 4-6 weekes depending on how you rehab.  I let my pts swim as soon as their portals are healed,  bike when you can make a revolution on the trainer.  No one wants to be on crutches for 6 months but if it can be repaired its better.  Soemtimes meniscal injuries get better on their own and was know from our colleagues in countries with WONDERFUL nationlized health care that a certain percentage of people get better.........................because you have to wait 18 months to get surgery.  That is unacceptable to most people in the US tho.  The danger of doing nothing long term witha meniscal injury is that the tear gets bigger and tears up the cartilage on the end of the bone.  Pm me if you have more ?s

2010-07-16 7:42 AM
in reply to: #1886814

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Subject: RE: Tell me your meniscus surgery story...
During a training session (firefighter) I ended up tearing meniscus in both knees. Initially the Dr's stated that IBU, Ice, and elevation would fix me up but after a solid month with no relief I had an MRI done. A day after the results were in I was scheduled for surgery. The surgeon gave me the option of having one knee operated on this time and then wait a few months to get the other knee fixed. I suggested door # 2, get both knees done at the same timeSurprised. The surgeon scoped both knees, cleaned up the tears and took meniscus out too. I was told I would need to strengthen my leg muscles to support my injury and that's the main reason I started running. I'm post-op 3 years now and overall feel pretty good. Last year I was blessed to have finished 10 1/2 marathon runs and now would like to take on a HIM in May.

My knees were never the same after the surgery, but I've never heard anyone say different from their experience. Overall I know I was lucky the tears were not as bad as they could have been....but not an experience I wish upon anyone.

David


2010-07-16 9:58 AM
in reply to: #1886814

Expert
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In limbo
Subject: RE: Tell me your meniscus surgery story...

My dr. tried to repair my meniscus during my ACL surgery but I guess it wasn't doable so some of it was removed.  I can't really tell you anything specific about the recovery as I was recovering from ACL repair at the time, but I can say that I don't notice any issues at all from it now.  Aside from the ugly scar (for some reason the meniscus scar did not heal well at all), my knee is good as new. 

2010-08-04 9:53 AM
in reply to: #1886814

Master
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Western MA near the VT & NH border on the CT river
Subject: RE: Tell me your meniscus surgery story...
Thanks for sharing you stories.  I'm going in for my scope tomorrow.
2010-08-18 4:53 PM
in reply to: #1886814

Member
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Fairfax
Subject: RE: Tell me your meniscus surgery story...
Good info in this post. I just got confirmation today that I too have a meniscus tear, as well as a cyst where fluid has been draining out of the knee joint (because of the tear). I'm going to schedule my surgery right after my September Tri.

It really is a shame that medical technology hasn't come up with a suitable implant that would be a good meniscus substitute. (some rubbers and urethane's come to mind since I've got some background in cars) Or, alternatively, since it can't heal because of lack of blood flow, wouldn't some Stem cells be able to be injected in there, and help generate more meniscus tissue?

But i guess i'm just dreaming in the future...
2010-08-19 10:20 AM
in reply to: #3051304

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Subject: RE: Tell me your meniscus surgery story...
vtloki - 2010-08-18 4:53 PM Good info in this post. I just got confirmation today that I too have a meniscus tear, as well as a cyst where fluid has been draining out of the knee joint (because of the tear). I'm going to schedule my surgery right after my September Tri.

It really is a shame that medical technology hasn't come up with a suitable implant that would be a good meniscus substitute. (some rubbers and urethane's come to mind since I've got some background in cars) Or, alternatively, since it can't heal because of lack of blood flow, wouldn't some Stem cells be able to be injected in there, and help generate more meniscus tissue?

But i guess i'm just dreaming in the future...


As someone lacking a meniscus, I wholeheartedly agree. They are working on stem cell technology...but it's a tricky think to replicate something like that. All the forces, as well as something slippery enough.

Someday :-)
2010-08-25 7:42 AM
in reply to: #1886814

Regular
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Cherry Hill, NJ
Subject: RE: Tell me your meniscus surgery story...

I have had 2 meniscectomis (??) on my right knee. 

  The first was in 1980 (age 15). I was incredibly lucky to get connected with 2 of the pioneers in arthroscopic knee surgery in NYC. They took out about 50% of my lateral mesiscus. I went 25 years totally pain-free, during which time I ran cross-country and continued to varying degrees with distance running. 

  In 2005, I fell and hit straight on my right knee cap. I had a 2nd meniscectomy leaving me with only about 10% of the lateral and 50% of the interior meniscus. I continue to train and compete at Olympic distance. During surgery #2, I stayed awake for the whole operations and watched it on a video monitor - very interesting -- I highly recommend it. Recovery: walking w/crutches day after operation, no crutches after 5 days, in rehab after 7 days, 3 month intense rehab and back to full normal activity.

  My ortho-surg. says I am showing signs of ortho-arthritis but I  rarely have any pain and ice my knee after virtually every run.

  As to inserts, grafts, etc., here is what my ortho-surgeon told me: Apparently the knee is an extremely hostile environment to foreign materials, not just because of mechanical stress but also due to proteins that exist in the joint. He said materials like teflon, which are used in other joints, have not withstood the knee environment. He said the most promising research is in re-generating the cartilege that covers the end of the bones -- they basically make micro-perforations and that apparently stimulates cartilege growth. There was an article in the NY Times science section last year about this being done in Europe. He also said they are working on cartilege grafts.

Finally, there is something out there called syn-visc. It is a synthetic version of the protein that exists in the joint. He said it is 2 injections 7 days apart every 3 - 4 months. It is reported to be effective in relieving pain but does not function as cartilege, cushioning the bones on impact.

Best of luck!



2010-08-25 8:46 AM
in reply to: #1886887

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Doylestown, PA
Subject: RE: Tell me your meniscus surgery story...
wgraves7582 - 2009-01-05 12:46 PM

Needless to say I was back climbing ladders the next day and actually got to wrestle an alpine goat (size of a white tail buck - less horns) back into our barn the same afternoon as my surgery.  Not that I would recommend that.



You are a GD champion 
2010-09-03 3:14 PM
in reply to: #1886814

Extreme Veteran
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metro DC
Subject: RE: Tell me your meniscus surgery story...
I can't say much about ladders or goats, but am mid-40's, was juggling work & carpools, hadn't been training much for that long...had couple mensicus tears right knee, degenerative crap in both knees - had surgery right knee late november (2009), left knee 10 days later. they just snipped/cleaned the right - said repair wasn't worth it. walked out on crutches, was driving w/in few days. i was pretty religious about PT, and probably didn't rest as much as i should - use kinesiology tape for running www.rocktape.com that's fabulous for minimizing residual pain. ortho said give it a full year for full recovery, but did my 1st 5k in may, 1st sprint tri in june, and haven't let up. it's all fine. recovery was really pretty minimal - i'm just pretty impatient.
2010-09-05 7:44 PM
in reply to: #1886814

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Subject: RE: Tell me your meniscus surgery story...
Figured I'd pose this in here instead of starting a new thread...

Tore my medial meniscus in my right knee about 3 months ago and I have surgery schedule for 11 days after IMMoo. Doc said to forget about long-distance running after this, since he'll be removing 1/2-2/3 of the bad boy unless I want some OA. Ugh.

So two things:

1) I've been considering skipping surgery and just living with this, mainly so that I can continue running. Thoughts? Am I being stubborn for no reason?

2) My knee popped earlier today like WHOA. I have some new pain that has arisen from this, but it's tolerable. Was this just my meniscus getting caught somewhere it shouldn't be or did that bad boy just tear even more?

Thanks!
2010-09-06 7:52 AM
in reply to: #1886814

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Cherry Hill, NJ
Subject: RE: Tell me your meniscus surgery story...
Hey UMadTri,
First, as a UW-Mad grad, I envy you living/training in Madison - one of the 3 sacred cities in the US!

Anyway, as to post-surgery running: My ortho-surgeon told me the same thing after my 2nd meniscus trim (see above). I told him that not running was not compatible with my life-style so the real issue was what to do to minimize/mitigate/avoid more damage and osteo-arthritis. He said "don't run." Thanks! I have continued running with less meniscus than it sounds like you will have and I make sure to have very stable running shoes, I concentrate on good form (I find that running much more forward so I strike mid- to front foot is better for knee stability) and ICE after every run is helpful (I freeze dixie cups of water and then apply ice directly to skin (circles)). Mostly, I am pain-free, I have periodic swelling. I am hoping "they" come up with a good implant or transplant by the time I really need it.
2010-09-06 7:13 PM
in reply to: #1886814

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Subject: RE: Tell me your meniscus surgery story...
I agree, it is amazing living and training out here. A kid next door just knocked on my door because his chain fell off and he knew that I'm always working on bikes so he asked for some help. Love the community!

Thanks for the advice. I'm torn (pun absolutely intended) about my lifestyle after/if I have surgery. What sort of weekly mileage are you putting in? My doc said 3-5 miles 3 times a week should be doable. Also, your point about midfoot striking...I switched to VFF's and while I did develop a stress fracture for jumping into 40-ish mpw's, they completely took away the pain from my knee. I highly recommend them.

Thanks again for the info!


2010-09-15 11:14 AM
in reply to: #3083257

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Subject: RE: Tell me your meniscus surgery story...
1. Many times they get in there and end up doing more or less than they thought--you could go in and end up keeping a lot more than you think.

2. How is the rest of your joint space? If your articular cartilage and alignment are good, you can get away with a lot less meniscus. Which part and whether it's lateral or medial also can play a role.

3. Deal with the tear--leaving a tear in there and running on it can grind stuff up. It's not helping you anyway, so if it can't be repaired (or won't heal on its own), get it cut out. You can get locking, catching, and making stuff worse.

4. Get a couple of opinions, if you want. Are you using the UW surgeons? Find one who works with runners primarily in your opinions. You can get a great surgeon, but if his area of expertise is with, say football players or basketball...well, that doesn't translate, necessarily. I've had some great surgeons (like ones who worked on NFL, NBA, and olympic athletes), but sport specificity always helps.
2010-09-15 11:41 AM
in reply to: #1886814

Master
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Oceanside, California
Subject: RE: Tell me your meniscus surgery story...
I don't think that I can find it.
But me and another guy did a week-by-week recovery thread at www.mma.tv in 2002.
2010-09-18 10:52 AM
in reply to: #3099987

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Subject: RE: Tell me your meniscus surgery story...
mmrocker13 - 2010-09-15 11:14 AM

1. Many times they get in there and end up doing more or less than they thought--you could go in and end up keeping a lot more than you think.

2. How is the rest of your joint space? If your articular cartilage and alignment are good, you can get away with a lot less meniscus. Which part and whether it's lateral or medial also can play a role.

3. Deal with the tear--leaving a tear in there and running on it can grind stuff up. It's not helping you anyway, so if it can't be repaired (or won't heal on its own), get it cut out. You can get locking, catching, and making stuff worse.

4. Get a couple of opinions, if you want. Are you using the UW surgeons? Find one who works with runners primarily in your opinions. You can get a great surgeon, but if his area of expertise is with, say football players or basketball...well, that doesn't translate, necessarily. I've had some great surgeons (like ones who worked on NFL, NBA, and olympic athletes), but sport specificity always helps.


2. Apparently, the MRI showed everything else around the space being just fine and dandy. I have a cyst of some variety that they said is associate with the tear (medial, btw).

3. I JUST canceled my surgery yesterday. I spoke to my PCP about the pros and cons and she seemed to think that I would be fine leaving it in. Called the surgeon and he was fine with the indefinite delay of surgery.

4. This seems like a great option that I hadn't considered. My surgeon was going to be Dr. Lemon...apparently he's pretty darn good at what he does. He also had no interest in listening to what I was saying about my long-term goals for distance running. Essentially, he handed down a "death" sentence for me and running and said that I was done. I'll definitely look at other surgeons to get their opinions on the matter.

Thank you for your response!
2010-11-09 12:38 AM
in reply to: #1886814

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Subject: RE: Tell me your meniscus surgery story...
I just want to give some follow up to my posts from before...

My knee has been feeling absolutely amazing this past month. Before this week, I had only run maybe 30 miles the whole month, but I figured I should let my body heal a bit. Had no pain, no clicks, no anything...

I've ran Sunday and Monday this week trying to get back into the swing of things and I am pleased to say that I couldn't even tell you that I had a torn meniscus right now. It feels 100% normal. Am I advocating everyone not to get surgery? No, but don't rush into it. I'm glad I took a step back and I'll baby it for the rest of the year and get an MRI in the spring to see if it's better (which I know it won't be).
2010-11-09 6:38 PM
in reply to: #1886814

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Rocklin
Subject: RE: Tell me your meniscus surgery story...
I start running tonight. It's been 3 years since my meniscus transplant, and a long time since I've been on this board. I've decided to do a 70.3 next summer. I played basketball the last two years with little trouble. Gonna be careful, but I'm ready and have the "uh, what, are you crazy, well, okay you can do that" from my OS.

Good luck to all, I'm in the Bad Knee club for sure, but I just need one more year of running...then I'll go back to other stuff (he he..not).

AC


2010-11-09 11:25 PM
in reply to: #1886814

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Subject: RE: Tell me your meniscus surgery story...
From what I understand, basketball is much worse for a meniscus injury than is running. I'm interested to know about the transplant...has it been effective?
2010-11-10 12:04 PM
in reply to: #3203977

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Subject: RE: Tell me your meniscus surgery story...
UWMadTri - 2010-11-09 9:25 PM

From what I understand, basketball is much worse for a meniscus injury than is running. I'm interested to know about the transplant...has it been effective?


The cutting of basketball is worse, but the pounding of running is bad too. My OS does this surgery to get you back to sports in young people. He's not encouraging distance running, but he's not prohibiting it either.

The MT was very effective in limiting my pain. Things I just could not do without pain are pain free. I had some other problems in my knee (knee cap issues etc). I had a weird problem that my PT thinks is a symptom of an ACL deficiency, but I'm done with hoops to avoid the knife again.


I'm happy with my transplant, but it was a rough surgery and recovery.

I ran 22 minutes last night...no pain. I'm going to be very scientific about my training this time...and knee protection will be of the highest order.
2010-11-10 12:40 PM
in reply to: #1886814

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2021-06-18 7:56 PM
in reply to: runspingirl


1

Subject: RE: Tell me your meniscus surgery story...
I had surgery on 05/27/21 and it was a medial meniscus, posterior horn avulsion, and a horizontal tear. I am non-weight bearing until July 08, 2021. I came across this site looking for information on anyone that is going thru what I am. Physical therapy started on June 1st and I go twice a week. I am 52 years old and I was a candidate for the repair. If I was older and weighed more than it would've been a different story. I see my surgeon again for my 2nd post-op on 06/21/21. I was told that this would buy me at least 10 years before I would need a total knee replacement. I sure hope so, because - I DO NOT WANT TO GO THROUGH THIS AGAIN ANY TIME SOON!!!
I would appreciate any advice or helpful suggestions. I want to get back to power-walking, kayaking, and bicycling.

Thank you.
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