torn meniscus

raven41

Just looking for some advice from anyone else who has suffered from a torn meniscus of the knee.
Have been running for over 30 years and after dramatically increasing my mileage (I know!) got a bad pain on the inside of my left knee which my physio has diagnosed as a torn meniscus.
He is 99% certain that this is the correct diagnosis but wanted me to do a mri scan just to confirm it. Havent done this yet, but he did say to me that if the knee is operated on I run the risk of not only the condition reocurring in later years but of contracting arthritis also.
Being an ex triathlete he advised me to just stick to swimming and cycling as anything more than a mile running makes it quite sore.
Before I resign myself to throwing in the towel was just wondering if anyone out there has had this operation, was it successful and is it possible to get back to pre injury performance?

tang1

raven41 wrote: »

Just looking for some advice from anyone else who has suffered from a torn meniscus of the knee.
Have been running for over 30 years and after dramatically increasing my mileage (I know!) got a bad pain on the inside of my left knee which my physio has diagnosed as a torn meniscus.
He is 99% certain that this is the correct diagnosis but wanted me to do a mri scan just to confirm it. Havent done this yet, but he did say to me that if the knee is operated on I run the risk of not only the condition reocurring in later years but of contracting arthritis also.
Being an ex triathlete he advised me to just stick to swimming and cycling as anything more than a mile running makes it quite sore.
Before I resign myself to throwing in the towel was just wondering if anyone out there has had this operation, was it successful and is it possible to get back to pre injury performance?

I got mine done in June 2013 twice, mess made the first time. I was told i'd be a max 6-8 wks off running, i didnt run again for another 8 months. I still get pain from time to time in it. It is nowhere near what it should be even though i done the correct rehab for it and my right knee is much stronger.

If i could i would have never gotten it done, i was told strengthening the knee and area around the pain would have sorted me out and meant no surgery but i knew best etc. I would advise you to go get a second opinion before getting anything done. Just my experience & i'm sure plenty have had sucessful outcomes getting it done.

Tigerandahalf

I got it done a couple of years back. Playing football, turned sharply. Thought I had done my cruciate. Took it easy for a few months but my knee kept swelling after playing indoor soccer once a week. Got an mri done. It was cleaned out in keyhole surgery. Was tender for a while after but I am running on it fine since. No issues. Definitely get the mri in case there are other issues.

lukeeman

Had my meniscus done on 1st may 09, told not to run on it for 6 weeks,gave it 10 weeks gradually build it up with pool walking/jogging and got to dublin marathon that october. Just take your time, i also found doing squats and lunges in pool helped.

Rida

Go to knee pain explained.com.... Do the exercises. They worked for me. Found the Physio and MRI just told me what I already knew. Save your cash. Stay off knee for 4 weeks. Build up your glutes / arse muscles from that websites exercises. I done my meniscus 30th November. Tonight I ran 18k without pain

dna_leri

Tore my meniscus in March 2010. Had arthroscopy done in July. Took about 6 weeks to get back out jogging and about 6 months to fully regain fitness. Took a long time before I stopped icing it after every hard run but within a year I had set PBs at 5K to 10K and more at shorter distances since then.

I think success rates depend on many factors:
whether the injury was acute or chronic - mine was acute i.e. sudden onset
doing all the strengthening and rehab before and after surgery - no shortcuts
the extent of other injuries e.g. ACL, other ligaments, bone bruising - MRi should help identify
who does the arthroscopy
the type and area of the tear

In summary there are no guarantees but I'm glad I got it done.

secman

Had both knees done, about 7 years apart, only reason I stopped running was due to a persistent sciatic nerve problem. Still manage some cycling at weekends and swim from may to Oct in the sea. Cant train in pool anymore, shoulders flare up, all to do with the numbers on the birth certificate ! 10 years of triathlon tends to take its toll.......

Tore mine last year.

Physio wanted me to do an MRI, to rule out ACL damage. So did it.

She was very cautious about surgery, saying that risks of it never being right again were always present. She did say it may prove necessary if the knee was locking or clicking, but it wasn't.

So no surgery. Stuck with Physios advice and training schedule, was back running trails within a couple of months, back running downhill a month or two later (she was nervous about that initially) and now run trails and mountains and don't even think about it.

Be careful about kneeling or squatting. Apparently if there is a flap, it can get caught when standing back up and can peel away and cause much more serious injury. If doing anything that requires kneeling for a while like gardening, go down on the unaffected knee in the genuflecting pose.

SharkTale

Got knee done in 2012 after no luck with physio and resting. Went for a MRI scan and showed up two bad tears. Got operation done in March 2012 back light running 8-10weeks after operation with no major effects. The surgeon said just train for one marathon a year, and I should be fine.
Knee joint is not as flexible as the non surgery knee, but not problems to date touch wood.

Peterx

Torn meniscus April 2014, been getting steadily fatter and less fit since. Cycling just isn't the same as running for keeping the weight down or fitness up. Boo hoo..
The hope that leg exercises will be enough to keep the surgery at bay, have kept the surgery at bay. In fairness the cost of the surgery too is a disincentive. Not good at doing the exercises though so the knee gets sore after a run.
Every time I see something like this thread I say I must do the exercises religiously.

Get the MRI, otherwise you are really just guessing.
After you get the MRI, get it analysed by someone competent who is also an avid runner.
It is not as simple as surgery=fixed as there are potential complications down the line in years to come from a meniscus which has a lump surgically removed, which is the reason I am reluctant to let some lad cut a lump out of my knee..

loughie

History of knee dislocations and twists from football. 2008 Got knee checked by doc when I got bad pain and could hardly walk. MRI showed up two bucket tears in my meniscus. knee was clicking and crunching whole time. Got surgery to scrape out knee etc. 6-10 weeks of rest and strengthening exercises and was ok. Surgeon told me I had arthritis in knee and to take a lift and try not to walk if you can help it. MRI on other knee same thing with Arthritis. Packed in all football which helped. Ran DCM in 2009 and 7 marathons since!! Sure it will pack in at some time but until then....

benjani825

i concur with a lot of what the guys are saying here.i wud not give up on ur running career yet as keyhole surgery on meniscus has come a long way..i like urself have been a sportsman nearly 35 yrs.i have had 3 meniscus tears sucessfully operated on.the first was ten yrs ago and after a six week rehab was back running.then the same knee 4 yrs ago.a similar rehab again sorted it out then last easter the other knee had the meniscus paired down and washed out.six weeks later i done hell and back and then oct done the dcm in 4 hrs at the age of 46.so its very doable.i had the procedures done including the mri done in the santry sports clinic which i wud highly recomend.hopefully ur health plan covers it.i have found straight line running puts no pressure on my knees it the twisting and turning that can cause the tears.so no more tag rugby or 5 a sides and you should be ok..

raven41

Thanks for that guys, some good info/advice there. Something I should have mentioned in my original post is the fact that my job involves a lot of walking, so being off my feet for extended periods is not an option.
What is the recovery time after the operation and how soon were you allowed back walking. Also, not having health insurance going public is the only option for getting this done. I can only guess at the waiting list!
Physio is of the opinion that the op is risky as a long term bet as he believes it will never be he same again.
Have to say, im finding it a bitter pill to swallow, the prospect of maybe not running ever again...

raven41

raven41 wrote: »

Thanks for that guys, some good info/advice there. Something I should have mentioned in my original post is the fact that my job involves a lot of walking, so being off my feet for extended periods is not an option.
What is the recovery time after the operation and how soon were you allowed back walking. Also, not having health insurance going public is the only option for getting this done. I can only guess at the waiting list!
Physio is of the opinion that the op is risky as a long term bet as he believes it will never be he same again.
Have to say, im finding it a bitter pill to swallow, the prospect of maybe not running ever again...

I'd really say get the MRI done first and listen carefully to the expert who is advising you of the risks before writing off your career.

As I said, I listened to my physio, avoided surgery, and I within months I was running and not even thinking about the injury. But that was my experience so would not even attempt to extrapolate some general observation beyond the do what the expert tells you.

Kyle47

Hey Raven, do you know if it's a full or partial tear? That makes a huge difference. If it's partial physio and time will help, you will be running again! Do everything you can to increase your circulation, especially avoid re-aggravations which not only increase the damage done they also create inflammation which chokes blood flow. If you're still dealing with this injury I'd suggest looking into a blood flow stimulator.

raven41

Kyle47 wrote: »

Hey Raven, do you know if it's a full or partial tear? That makes a huge difference. If it's partial physio and time will help, you will be running again! Do everything you can to increase your circulation, especially avoid re-aggravations which not only increase the damage done they also create inflammation which chokes blood flow. If you're still dealing with this injury I'd suggest looking into a blood flow stimulator.

Thanks for that advice. I have an appointment with a consultant in June so will wait to see what he says. Have only run about 5 times (no more than 3 miles ) in the last 18 months. I tried cycling but that only made it worse so am sticking with swimming for the moment. Just one question though, what is a blood flow simulator. Tried googling same to no avail.

raven41

Kyle47 wrote: »

Hey Raven, do you know if it's a full or partial tear? That makes a huge difference. If it's partial physio and time will help, you will be running again! Do everything you can to increase your circulation, especially avoid re-aggravations which not only increase the damage done they also create inflammation which chokes blood flow. If you're still dealing with this injury I'd suggest looking into a blood flow stimulator.

Thanks for that advice. I have an appointment with a consultant in June so will wait to see what he says. Have only run about 5 times (no more than 3 miles ) in the last 18 months. I tried cycling but that only made it worse so am sticking with swimming for the moment. Just one question though, what is a blood flow simulator. Tried googling same to no avail.

Kyle47

raven41 wrote: »

Thanks for that advice. I have an appointment with a consultant in June so will wait to see what he says. Have only run about 5 times (no more than 3 miles ) in the last 18 months. I tried cycling but that only made it worse so am sticking with swimming for the moment. Just one question though, what is a blood flow simulator. Tried googling same to no avail.

Hi Raven, swimming is a great idea too! And with how hot it is here I'm jealous. It's a blood flow stimulator (not simulator) that I was recommending. Try looking up 'BFST'.

54and56

Had the same issue and my physio (and GP) both diagnosed torn meniscus. Spent 8 weeks getting treatment from the physio with no success. Went for an MRI and discovered that I did indeed have a degenerative tear in the medial meniscus (also left knee like you) but more seriously I also had extensive articular damage done to the bare bone affecting the medial femoral condyle which basically means I had ruptured my cartilage and it had all torn away from the bone leaving me with no cushioning on the inside of my left knee so it is bone on bone when I walk and very uncomfortable.

Like you I had been running 5k and 10ks for years for general fitness and it was just wear and tear which eventually led my knee to one day giving up and the cartilage rupturing.

Hopefully your diagnosis is correct but given your background and miles on the clock I'd personally invest in the MRI. Better to be sure what the damage is and treat that accordingly than be guessing what it is and wasting your time and cash on treatments which will never address the core problem.

I had the arthroscopy followed by 3 months non weight bearing on crutches followed by 9 months of weights and exercises to re-align how I walk. It's been a long road but I'm back walking without too much discomfort. I had a bad linp for months but as the exercises and weights are having an impact the limp is less and less noticeable.

I'll never be able to jog again and I have to take pain killers/anti inflamatory's if I'm doing an extended walk (golf!!) but I'll settle for that as I can still cycle without any pain whatsoever. It's just the impact of bone on bone when walking which is the issue.

plodder

I tore my left medial meniscus some weeks ago, and can't run, or walk very far since. Getting surgery tomorrow as it happens. While Doc says I should be able to run again, it concerns me when he says there will be increased degeneration of the joint. Am buying a bike through the bike 4 work scheme and hope to get into that as well as reduced running. It would be a major disaster if cycling ends up being affected by it as well though

By the way, raven41 you should strongly consider getting an MRI before going to the consultant in my opinion. Pay for it yourself if necessary. You'll need letter from GP to get it though.

raven41

plodder wrote: »

I tore my left medial meniscus some weeks ago, and can't run, or walk very far since. Getting surgery tomorrow as it happens. While Doc says I should be able to run again, it concerns me when he says there will be increased degeneration of the joint. Am buying a bike through the bike 4 work scheme and hope to get into that as well as reduced running. It would be a major disaster if cycling ends up being affected by it as well though

Tbh with you cycling was never painful, I just found the knee to be a lot stiffer after longer/faster rides and am erring on the side of caution sticking with swimming only at the moment. My physio also warned of the danger of arthritis in the joint following surgery, although from what I can gather strengthening/stretching exercises can help a lot here.
Good luck with the surgery and hopefully you will be back running soon...

raven41

plodder wrote: »

I tore my left medial meniscus some weeks ago, and can't run, or walk very far since. Getting surgery tomorrow as it happens. While Doc says I should be able to run again, it concerns me when he says there will be increased degeneration of the joint. Am buying a bike through the bike 4 work scheme and hope to get into that as well as reduced running. It would be a major disaster if cycling ends up being affected by it as well though

Tbh with you cycling was never painful, I just found the knee to be a lot stiffer after longer/faster rides and am erring on the side of caution sticking with swimming only at the moment. My physio also warned of the danger of arthritis in the joint following surgery, although from what I can gather strengthening/stretching exercises can help a lot here.
Good luck with the surgery and hopefully you will be back running soon...

plodder

raven41 wrote: »

Tbh with you cycling was never painful, I just found the knee to be a lot stiffer after longer/faster rides and am erring on the side of caution sticking with swimming only at the moment. My physio also warned of the danger of arthritis in the joint following surgery, although from what I can gather strengthening/stretching exercises can help a lot here.
Good luck with the surgery and hopefully you will be back running soon...

Thanks. It seems age is a major factor in this game. When you're 50, it's not such a big deal that you'll "only" get 20 years out of it. It's a much trickier call, say you are in your twenties.

54and56

plodder wrote: »

I tore my left medial meniscus some weeks ago, and can't run, or walk very far since. Getting surgery tomorrow as it happens. While Doc says I should be able to run again, it concerns me when he says there will be increased degeneration of the joint. Am buying a bike through the bike 4 work scheme and hope to get into that as well as reduced running. It would be a major disaster if cycling ends up being affected by it as well though

By the way, raven41 you should strongly consider getting an MRI before going to the consultant in my opinion. Pay for it yourself if necessary. You'll need letter from GP to get it though.

I am 183cm, 46 years old and 90kg. I ran 5 or 6 5k/10ks per annum just to stay fit. I only started running in my mid 30's in order to keep weight off and stay fit. I never had much of a sporting career growing up so I didn't have 15 or 20 years intense team sport or injuries on the clock before I started running.

At best I used to do three 45 minute early morning sessions (typically an easy 6km) on a treadmill a week and maybe one 45 minute run around my area at the weekend. I always had good quality trainers which were properly fitted and suited to my stride - I always got measured in Amphibian King in Bray.

Despite having only moderate mileage and no previous injuries the cartilage in my left knee degenerated very aggressively to the point where it just shattered and I now have the bone on bone scenario outlined in the following video. The meniscus tore at the same time but that was minor and easily fixed. Once the cartilage is gone it stays gone. Very good info on Arthritis of the Knee here http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00212 and in particular on this video

As Baz Luhrmann says in his song Everybody's Free To Wear Sunscreen - "Be kind to your knees - you'll miss them when they're gone"!! - See from 2:18 of this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTJ7AzBIJoI

MrWalsh

Ive had knee problems since my teens so my experience may be different than most but after a huge stabilisation surgery at 15 a further dislocation at 19 left me with a bucket handle tear of the meniscus. I managed with it (although I had a lot of instability) until my 30s but eventually it made the joint unusable, it was like a fork in a hinge, every time I extended my leg it got in the way and caused pain, instability, and finally the joint began to "lock" and would jam in position painfully and would stick that way until I pushed hard on it - at which point a loud painful crack would unlock it!

It reached a point where I couldnt use my leg at all. Eventually I found a surgeon who agreed to operate (no one else was interested because of the previous surgery) and he scoped it and removed the torn piece of meniscus. Thus followed the best period of time I ever had with it. I was able to do a couch to 5k and lived a totally normal life with it, no pain, no instability - it was great. Torn meniscus doesnt repair itself but if its not getting in the way of the join movement Id leave it alone.

Unfortunately I think I may have another tear as I have symptoms starting again in the past few weeks and a cortisone injection hasnt resolved it. So I may be looking at another surgery myself!

daithi1970

I tore my medial meniscus in my right knee last oct,luckily,I had a good physio who was able to refer me directly to a knee surgeon and was also able to get me an mri referral. I had the arthroscopy in april, ..I did the stationary bike for 3-4 weeks to strenghten up the knee I have started back running in the last few weeks.I am gradually building up my distances, so heres hoping all stays ok.
pm me if you want my surgeon's details,=.

hth

Daithi