Possible Meniscus Tear in Knee

MRI is the only way to properly diagnose a tear. I would have done it just be sure you know what you are dealing with. You can decide for or against surgery but having worked for and orthopedic surgery practice I can say that the only way to really repair a meniscus tear is arthroscopic (this is the proper term- there is no such thing as orthoscopic). Some people's symptoms improve to their satisfaction without surgery but the tear is not repaired. The vast majority of patients I saw were very happy with the results. Athletes who were dedicated to their sport took there recovery slowly, seriously and trained properly and went back to doing what they loved. I particularly remember a man who went back to semi-competitive skiing. Whether you have surgery or not, you will always be more prone to further injury and arthritis in this knee. With two kids who are very young, it will be a little harder to restrain yourself during your recovery. I have a three yr old who still requires lifting, kneeling at bathtime, physical restraint during tantrums or whom I have to chase after occasionally etc. This type of activity would make recovery harder to do properly and you would need extra help. You would also need time for physical therapy most likely. Please be sure to find an orthopedic specialist who performs arthroscopic meniscus repair surgery routinely, not occasionally should you opt for surgery. Good luck to you!

Hi S.~

I have a Master's in sports medicine, so hopefully I can shed some light on this for you. Healing without surgery really depends on how bad the tear is, and that can't be truly determined without the MRI. A meniscus is tough because it is avascular, meaning that it doesn't have a direct blood supply. Cartilage takes a very long time to heal, if it heals at all, because of that lack of blood supply. You can help stabilize the knee by doing physical therapy. That will work on strengthening the muscles surrounding the joint in order to maintain or improve function. If you are really against the idea of having surgery, you can give PT a try for a while and see how it goes. It will take time, we're talking months probably, of very diligent work. You can always opt for surgery if you feel that you haven't progressed enough with the PT. If you want to chat more about it, feel free to contact me. :) Good luck!

J.

S.,
Get the surgery asap. I had it. It's is the best decision I could have made. I felt 100% better, immediately. I have to tell you that you will need to definitely do your PT and maybe mke some adjustments to your lifestyle. I tend to be a bit overweight and that is a no-no.
Good luck. The orthoscopic repair was well worth it. Trust me it will get worse if you don't tend to it. Get your MRI immediately and go for it.
E

Greetings S., Being a runner this must be hard on you. I want you to know that becasue of my waiting to long(nearly a year), I caused even more damage and ended up in the hospital for an extended amount of time.
I am grateful that I did the surgery and that I don't have the pain that I was going through-- but honestly I have found that I have to limit my distance walking on some days and it works out just fine. Good Luck, Glenda

I just recovered from a meniscus tear in my right knee. I didn't get the MRI b/c we're trying to get pregnant so surgery wasn't an option. My tear was fairly minor on the outside edge of my knee and it healed on it's own in about 4 months (I used a cane and a brace to keep weight off of it and prevent overextending the joint). My mom also had a meniscus tear a couple of years ago and her's took about 9 months to heal. Her's was a more serious tear but she didn't have surgery b/c she was still recovering (finacially) from another procedure. We're both fine now. If the tear isn't causing the joint to lock up, and you're not a competative runner I would wait to see how it heals on it's own.

Hi S. -

I have had the experience, and I did have surgery. However, I was 28 years old. But, the one thing I have done since then, and I know others who have healed major knee injuries this way too, is through the practice of Bikram Yoga. There is too much information for me to put here, but google Bikram yoga or Bikram yoga elk grove and you'll get an understanding. As an avid runner, you will be able to gain a new level of fitness while restoring your body and healing. Good luck to you!

I damaged both knees didnot do surgery but I am limited in what I can do. I haven't tried to ride a bike, can't climb too many stairs (never did run too much) and can't wear heels over 2 inches. C

Hi S.,

I was in a very bad accident in 2004 where (amoung other things) my left leg was "crushed" including badly tearing the miniscus in my knee and damaging much of the cartilage. I had no option but to have surgery - and for my situation, the physical therapy and recovery process were grueling. At one point, it was said to me that I may never walk right again. But here's the high point: June 2007 I ran the Rock and Roll marathon in 4:23. =) It sounds as though your tear will be healed much more quickly and easily with the surgery - I would have that rather than wait and see if it does possibly get worse. Your running days are definitely not over! Let me know if I can answer any additional questions.

Have the surgery. I had reconstructive done on my knee for torn ligaments from playing soccer. And horray, once the surgery was done, I could turn over at night, run up stairs again, dash after my kids, etc, all without pain or my knee going out from under me. Also, the miniscus in your knee is sort of like a padding for the entire joint. If you want to keep running on pavement, fixing it now will be worth it in the long run.
-S.

Hi...

I had a torn meniscus about 20years ago .....and no surgery.... It still bothers me on occassion, especailly now that the rainy season is approaching.

Nowadays, surgeries are so quick and easy! If you love to run, then I would have the surgery done without a thought. It won't take you long to recover. Sure they say 6-8 weeks, but that is probably what they HAVE to say for the 1 person that it WOULD actually take that long to recover.

Honestly, as another busy mom, having the surgery SOON this time of year, would be best.....my kids are out-of-school more than they are in school, so it would be easier on me recovering.

I would have the surgery :o)

~N. :O)

My cousin had this done and it only took two days and she was back to work. Of course she was not an avid runner. My husband was told his would repair itself, Hah, that was a joke, it has been 5 years and still no healing. I want him to go back in, but he has yet to make an appt. My cousins was an easy out patient surgery. I can say from my shoulder surgery that if I had done it right when I found out about it I would not have had to have so much repair work done, but having waited caused more damage, and a second mri along with five metal staples and a borrowed muscle from the other side of my chest. I would definetly do it now!!!
W. M.

S.,

The MRI will be the only way to tell if you have a meniscus tear. After the results then you can decide if you are going to do surgery. If there is a tear then typically the option is surgery (meniscus does not heal on its own). If all the orthopedist does is debridement of the meniscus then your down time is minimal. However if the clean up is extensive or there is more going on in your knee other than a meniscus tear then the recovery will be longer.

In my experience you won't be running before 6 weeks post-op and typically it is closer to 12 weeks (the orthopedist won't tell you this; he will make it sound like it is much quicker). The time to return to running is dependent on getting your motion and strength back.

No matter what the orthopedist says, demand physical therapy (if you need a recommendation let me know) after surgery. Since you are a runner this will get you back to where you want to be. Good luck!

C. B Palmer
www.linabean.myarbonne.com

S.-

My husband (41) injured his knee in July. He did not go to the doctor because he just thought it would get better. By late August I practically threw him to the doctor as he had a hard time walking, driving, sleeping, breathing! It was crazy. So he had the MRI which revealed a tear. We are not in favor of rushing into surgery, but knew something had to be done. In September he had the repair done and had less pain right after the surgery than before. Took less pain meds and felt so much better. He can't run a marathon yet and it still aches occasionally, but I can tell you that he was soooo much better after having the surgery. He only has occasional pain now and usually after doing too much on it several days in a row. So take care & good luck with whatever you decide.

D.

Hi S., I actually tore both my knees over a matter of years while working at Safeway. I have had surgery done on both of them to repair tears. After a few years, the pain is back. I actually was pulled out of work due to the fact that I could no longer stand for a long period of time. I have since developed arthritis. Anyway, I have been doing laser therapy on my knees and it has been helping. I am not sure where you are located, but you can ask for a free consultation and he will give you things to read up on. I have seen the outcome for some of his patients and I am amazed. It has taken a little longer for me though, because my injuries are so old. His name is Dr. Musich he is located in Campbell ###-###-####. If you are not in the area maybe he knows someone in your area. Good luck

Dear S.,
You definitely need to get an MRI to confirm the tear. Once the MRI is assessed, you can discuss your options at that point.
When I was married, my husband had surgical repair. He was a big baby about it and made a huge fuss prior. He had two little stitches in his knee and was amazed at how little it hurt after it was done. His repair was minor and didn't do physical therapy or anything even though it was offered.
My friend's husband had both knees done, at separate times. The first one went so well and was so easy that he didn't listen to his doctor and follow instructions with the second one. He was doing things he never should have been doing that soon after surgery and they ended up having to go back in and re-repair.
I'm sure you will hear lots of differing experiences, but the surgery itself isn't so bad. You just have to really be careful afterwards and do p/t and/or strengthening exercises and give yourself a chance to properly heal before resuming your running.

I wish you the very best and I hope you'll let us know how you're doing.

Hi S.,

I met a gentleman that was able to repair his knee without surgery. The doctor told him his knee would not heal without surgery.

If you would like to see what he did email me and I will share with you.

Have a great day.

N. Marie
____@____.com

Hi S.,
A few years ago I injured my knee while running, then fell while skiing. I did 2 rounds of physical therapy,and while my legs got really strong, the pain didn't improve. Everything looked fine on the MRI, too. I decided to do the surgery because after 2 round of PT, it wasn't improving, and I wanted to continue to be able to run and ski. I worried that if I didn't do it, it would only get worse. I ended up having surgery, and the doctor found and repaired a small tear. I also have some damaged cartlige that I was told would probably not heal on its own (it's not on a weight bearing area, so it doesn't really bother me at this time). The surgery was quick, and I really wasn't in any pain afterwards. My only regret is that I didn't start bending my knee for a week or so after surgery, which made it more difficult to do so, and probably lengthened my recovery. My doctor told me I could probably run and ski in about 4 weeks. It probably took me closer to six weeks, but my knee feels so much better now. Prior to surgery, I couldn't squat or bend my legs completely in a sitting position, which I can do now.

S., can they see it in a sonogram? That would be safer- MRI's give out a lot of radiation....

One thing I recommend is doing the physical therapy! I have torn the ligaments in both knees. The first time I did physical therapy, the second I blew off. I have to tell you the second knee ALWAYS hurts! Can't make a recommendation on the surgery but definitely do whatever follow up you need to do, you will glad you did in the long "run". =)

Definitely get the MRI. There is, by the way, no radiation in a MRI - it is a different technology than X-rays (or CT), using magnets and radiowaves to basically excite and locate protons. Whereas a X-ray or CT can show you only bone, a MRI works very well on the soft tissue as well (since that has water in it, which is excitable)...
Anyway, in addition to the generally agreed-upon safety of a MRI, it would be great to know if it is your meniscus, and, like others have said, if so act promptly. Depending on the tear, it could progress rapidly. Or, you could condsider my case where they thought that I had maybe torn my meniscus, but it was fine - it seems that I had torn my popliteal tendon. The MRI will give you information that you need to make a decision on what to do.
-M.