Torn Meniscus

[crw]

Anybody here done this . The Physio told me today she was pretty sure that's what I have done . I've got to have an MRI to check then possibly surgery .
I was wondering if anybody else has had it done, and how soon they were back training etc .

[Atlasmma]

http://cagewarriors.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63057

:)

What are your symptoms? Maybe I can help clarify if they're similar to mine.

[crw]

My knee has been swollen for 4 weeks now, I also have a soft lump at the back of my knee where the extra fluid around the injury has popped out. Any thing other than walking and sitting hurts like fuck . It gave way on the stairs at the weekend , bad times . Looking at your post you were not sure what the meniscus was , it's your catilledge .
Have you been back to the Docs ?

[ferret]

Did this about three years ago, I had the mri to confirm at the time but because it never prevented me from doing anything I never had the op. The pain still niggles away a bit now but I personally wouldn't have the op. The worse you could end up with if you leave it is some excess tissue which infrequently nips away a tiny bit.

[Atlasmma]

I thought it was cartilage but I read somewhere that meniscus is something different altogether. I haven't seen the consultant yet but I've got an appointment booked. The NHS seems to take quite a while to sort stuff out.
I bypassed all the physio stuff and went straight for the MRI. If I were you I'd ask to get that sorted as soon as possible. They do the MRI, then you see your doctor and he tells you what's up, then you see a consultant about your options. Depending on your injury there are a few options.

If the tear is relatively minor and towards the edge of the meniscus, they could try and sew it back together and let it heal. If it's bad or towards the middle, they have to do a partial meniscectomy, where they cut out the injured part and then sew it back together.

This is done keyhole by making two small holes either side below the knee cap.

Having the meniscus removed can lead to early arthritis though, so consider your options carefully.

Before they do that though, they'll have a look inside your knee to decide on the best option for you, as the MRI isn't completely conclusive.

I've read that you can be walking unaided a couple of days after the operation, and that you should start getting back to regular training (obviously working your way back to full fitness, not just going straight back into it) by 4-6 weeks.

However, I have a friend who had this operation after tearing his meniscus playing football, and he was in a leg brace and sofa bound for about 6 weeks and walking with a cane for a good month after that.

I guess it depends on the severity of the injury/how well they fix it.

Is it lateral or medial? Lateral is not as bad as Medial.
Hope that's of some help.

[ferret]

Just read your second post. I also snapped my acl on my knee the other side this made my knee randomly give way which sounds simalar to what is happening with you. This was much more serious and did require an operation. No mri is required to diagnose a ruptured acl a good physio can tell by basically pulling the bottom half of your leg away from the top.