Torn knee cartilage

Formation

If a professional athlethe tears knee cartilage and has keyhole surgery can the return to their peak and continue on in their sport?

If so what is a good recovery timeframe post op?

Will the knee be as good as before the injury?

chin_grin

I'm in the same boat (eh...not really in the "athletic department") but I've to get keyhole on my knee for two tears in my cartilage.

The best place to discuss this is with the surgeon/consultant as it'd depend on the extent of the damage.

Formation

Sorry to hear that.

I dont have the injury thankfully. I am just asking in general terms.

The Guvnor

I don't know but top athletes usually have the best of medical advice and the best attention which helps.

Plus they probably work extremely hard to make a full recovery.

Look at Hermann Maier as an example an hour or two away from amputation on his leg and back to winning Olympic medals.

Then some Aussie female cyclist did a bad fall in the velodrome and chipped a disk in her neck and was back on a stationary bike within 10 days in a neck brace and competed 65 days later in Beijing and took silver.

Not knee and keyhole surgery in the above examples but I would im(non professional)o make a full recovery assuming surgery was successful, timeframe no idea to be honest.

Ant11

Formation wrote: »

If a professional athlethe tears knee cartilage and has keyhole surgery can the return to their peak and continue on in their sport?

If so what is a good recovery timeframe post op?

Will the knee be as good as before the injury?

It all depends on the injury but if their professional athlete say a pro footballer, them boys get the best of care and you always see them back to their best. There has been a number of pro footballers who have had key hole and bigger ops on their knees and gone onto have successful careers. A lot has to do with surgery and aftercare.

Recovery time frame depends on injury. It would prob be shorter for a pro as they get the best treatment. For me after keyhole was aporox 6-8 weeks. I don't think my knee was ever as good as before but I did get back to my peak for a while. My knee problems did eventually get worse though.

I could probably write a book about knee problems. I've had key hole done on both my knees to remove torn cartiledge (obviously at different times). My knee was ****ed n after waiting a long time for MRI I realised why. I finally got my op about 18months ago I had an ACL reconstruction. Basically the inside of my knee was destroyed and there was no cruitiate ligament so I was basically bone on bone (extremely painful). I had 2 tendons taken from my hamstring and drilled into my knee as my new ligament plus more cartiledge was torn so had to be removed too. Recovery time was about 6 months for this but my leg has now never felt stronger. This had a lot to do with me actually following my physios instructions and doing my exercises. I did get back to full sprinting speed and sharp turning n lifting weights etc. I personally chose not to go back playing ball. I reckon I could go back playing but I doubt it would be to the same level and I don't think it's worth the risk.

The Guvnor

Good info and good to see you got back to full fitness Ant!

Formation

they replaced the ACL with hamstring tendons but what was the repair for the torn cartilage?

Ant11

Formation wrote: »

they replaced the ACL with hamstring tendons but what was the repair for the torn cartilage?

Nothing they just remove the torn part. You can still function fine with a bit removed. I have picts of the inside of my knee from my op which shows the tears. Usually when cartliage is torn, it's only a small tear and there's plenty of cartilage left. My both tears were small but gave my a lot of problems. My knee would lock on me or I couldn't straighten it fully but after removing the cartliage it was fine.