Anyone experience a meniscus injury?

harriet · Since 10 Jun 2007 64 Posts

Thanks again for the tips everybody. I'm 2 weeks out from the injury, and for whatever reason I had some healing gains yesterday and as of today am not using a rigid brace, but one that flexes with the knee. I have to say though, I'm not nearly as concerned about the surgery as I was before this post.
I should make an appt. with an ortho, but since my insurance deductable is 5k, the office visit and MRI would be out of pocket at this moment.
My PT thought even if the MRI showed some damage, the fact that things are getting somewhat better would lead the ortho to put off surgery a month or so anyway just to see how nature works itself out, so I'm thinking wait a couple more days, if little improvement, make an appt. I can always cancel it. They probably wont have time to fit me in for 2 weeks anyway!
Thanks again, and fingers crossed!
Scott

broadbandito · Since 26 Apr 2005 342 Posts CSO headwaters WheatHead

I had a tear in my right knee, and based on my experience (10 years ago) I would not recommend surgery other than as a last option. Flexibility and strength should be top priorities. In theory you can have surgery anytime, but once you've had it you can't go back. I didn't have a bad experience, it just didn't improve the pain or stability much, and healing from the procedure was slow. On the upside, I believe most post-op plans have become more aggressive and active over the last several years, and I suspect that helps a lot more than the "rest and go easy" that I was prescribed.

Tan · Since 03 Jun 2008 23 Posts St Kilda, Australia

Scott

You have probably worked out that everyone has had a different experience with meniscal tears. I perform about 10 to 15 of these operations a week and what I can definitely tell you is that all my patients recover differently. I can do four scopes in a list with the same type of meniscal tear and have four very different results. There is no 'prescription' recovery time or result because the outcome is not determined by the nature of the tear or even by the surgeon. It is largely determined by the initial injury, underlying articular damage and motivation/situation of the patient. [and a bit of mystery thrown in!] Stability is largely unrelated to menisci.

Flydunes is an excellent example. He had an injury which I consider extremely serious and he has had an amazing recovery because he is incredibly motivated.

An MRI scan is the best noninvasive investigation but is expensive and often wont tell you anything more than a good orthopaedic surgeon can determine from history and examination. Similarly an arthroscopy is the gold standard for diagnosing and treating meniscal tears.....

Finally there is a big difference between a medial and lateral meniscal injury.

Good luck. Hope your knee gets better soon and the wind is howling when it does.

toddjb · Since 16 Oct 2007 271 Posts MD Obsessed