Slow recovery from medial plica surgery?

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Are you going to PT post surgery? You should definitely have full range of motion and be walking normally by now.

I'm going to school outside of my insurance's range or whatever, so no. I have been following a post-op protocol as best as I've been able to, but even the most basic exercises are still quite painful. For example, straight leg raises are usually too painful to do more than five at a time, because I can't fully contract my quad due to the lump right by my kneecap.

My strength/coordination has improved since the surgery, but I've reached a bit of a plateau and haven't progressed over the past three weeks.

I'd try to see if you can find the finances to pay for a couple of visits so that someone can look at it and give you some direction (you may also be able to find someone at a prorated rate). Something isn't right though and the longer you don't have full range of motion, particularly extension, and quad strength, the less likely you are to recover fully, especially for running. Sorry.

Thanks. The semester ends very soon, so it will have to wait until I get back home.

Hello nop200,

Can you please advise how you're doing now almost 8 months post op? are you still having the same symptoms as when you last posted or are you hopefully feeling better? any pain?

I also had arthroscopy in both my knees to remove plica few weeks ago and I would love if you can share how long recovery took you.

Thank you,

I had surgery by Dr. Nelson Oct 27, 2017 to remove Plica from my right knee. At first, he said I have tendonitis in both my knees and his recommendation was to ride a stationary bike 20 minutes a day. After a few months of doing this, it didn’t help at all with my knees. So, then he said it seems like Plica( I'm not sure if the MRI scan revealed this). He said it's a small procedure and I would be back to work in 1 or 2 weeks. I'm 42 year old Millwright(industrial mechanic). So I got the surgery done. I had lots of swelling post surgery for about 4 months. It’s been 5 months now since the surgery and my knee is worse than it’s was before the surgery. I did Occupational Rehab in Richmond BC for 2.5 months. Although the swelling went down, I did not gain my strength back. For example, at the gym I cannot do leg extensions or leg press with the operated leg even with zero extra weight on the machine. I cannot fully extend my leg. Squatting, even a slight bend, is very painful and it feels like my leg is going to give out. Going up and down stairs is painful and difficult as well as kneeling. My right leg gives out on me or buckles at random. He is supposed to do Plica surgery on my left knee as well once my right knee is better but I don’t think I'm going to proceed with that. I can't walk for more than a couple hundred meters without pain and swelling in my knee. Running or jogging or even a brisk walk is out of the question. And as expected with limited use, the operated leg is smaller in size than the other leg.

After all this I was sent to see a Physiatrist. He told me that I may have been misdiagnosed with the Plica and the surgery was done unnecessarily and he is going to help find evidence of this. But that is not what the Physiatrist wrote in his report and when I saw him on a follow up appointment, he said he didn’t say that.

Next I was sent to a see a Rheumatologist to see if I have arthritis. And he said I don’t. So it’s been 5 months and I don’t feel any better, in fact it’s worse. In hind sight, I regret getting the surgery. Perhaps maybe it just needs more time to heal...

Anybody out there that has got Plica surgery, I would like to hear from you as to how well the surgery went.

Hello I am relieved to hear I am not the only one in the entire world that had this problem. Below is a time frame of my injury

Jan 2014 it began to hurt after a large increase in miles, could hardly run, bike, or walk-> went to AT in college every day -> went to good doc who gave me cortisone shot, id pt for 2 months, mri, xrays all that stuff between Feb-May of 2014 to try to find out what was wrong -> still not better after all of this -> New really great PT for 7 months (June-Nov 2014) -> still don't know what is wrong so he recommended going to Boston children's hospital to find a better doctor who specializes in knee injuries in runners -> found great new doctor who talked to me about options (Jan 2015)-> got another different type of cortisone shot which only helped for about 24 hours (March 2015)-> was advised that I needed to drop thousands of dollars and drive 2 hours to Boston 2x. week to have my running form fixed cause the doc still didn't know what was wrong (April 2015) we said no and talked about scoping it as the​ last option -> he found plica and inflammation and cleared it up (June 2015) -> post op pt for 6 months cause not any better besides clicking going away (July 2015-Dec 2015) -> Insurance didn't cover PT anymore so I worked out really hard strengthening my quads glutes and hammies (Jan 2016-Aug 2016) -> started running very gradually and pushing through knee pain (June 2016-Aug 2016) -> was able to compete xcindoor and outdoor of senior year of college (Aug 2016-May 2017) -> currently have tendonitis in left foot because of running with a not properly healed left knee. My left knee also has a hard time with cold weather and starting out too fast on runs. If I started out too fast it often would show plica pain all over again.

I would love to know if this is normal for post surgery to still be hurting and how to permanently fix it. It has been over 3 years since my surgery and it feels like it has not got any better besides the clicking. I had to go to therapy for this has been very taxing on me physically and mentally.

You mentioned a lump beneath the incision. That is what happened to me several weeks after arthroscopy, I was making great progress but really plateaued. Turned out the lump beneath the incision was scar tissue forming, so the PT I was seeing really did some deep friction massage on it (it was very painful I might add), and after 1 session it was markedly better, then even better after two, and by the third my knee was doing so much better. Made continued progress from there. So yeah, look into getting some of that post-op scar tissue broken up, works wonders.

Hi Bees knees, can you tell me what exactly did the PT massage and how many weeks post surgery were you when this happened? I noticed something like a knot on the right and upper side of my medial portal. The one on top was preventing my knee from extending and I started massaging it a bit and my knee felt great but only for a few hours or so. After that I have the same tightness and I don't really know what to do. I live in Bulgaria and I've been to 2 physics who don't seem to bother when I raise the question about scar tissue but it's 100% that and I'm a bit desperate at the moment to be honest. Should I massage directly over the scar or just the tissues around it? Any answer would be greatly appreciated.

Hi, my husband had the same surgery April 2019, at this day he is experiencing the same symptoms that you are discribing, he has seen several doctor, had tried everything that anyone had recommended and he hasn't been able to get back to normal, not even a light run. I was wondering if you found anything that helped you. Thank you!

Did you ever found a solution? Did you get better?

Hi Aleaz,

When you haven't done a proper rehabilitation after the surgery the plica heals with fibrous scar tissue. This tissue prevents the knee from extending fully and bending. It seems like there is no cure for that and the only potential option is another surgery to remove the scar tissue which is not guaranteed to work. Immediately after surgery you have to do a proper rehab otherwise you're into big trouble like I am at the moment...

Hello what is the most adapt rehab after Plica removal? Im vero painful now after 2 weeks post op.. I was thinking about the scar tissue and found your post.. can you help me ? The dr said i Could walk normally just after the op and that was no true.. I think the y do not know very much about plica because I ma very painful yet.. so van you immagine.. thank you

Hey! Im also from Bulgaria

How are you now? I had plyca removal 6.5 months ago and my knee is worse than before. I feel mutilated. And I was supposed to get my other knee fixed as well but now Im hesitating. I also have chondromalacia so I dont now whats causing my pain anymore. I paid for some prp injections as well but still not good. I can extend my knee all the way but cant bend it all the way like before. And I have some swelling above the knee close to the tigh. When I lie in my bed the pain goes away but when im active it comes back. God I feel so depressed.