Meniscus tear prognosis

Got the same problem, I think.

I run (after warming up really well) but immediately and some times during the run, my knee locks up. It will ease up some if I pull my knee up under my chin for a second.

Afterwards it just swells up.

I've tried tough massages and "elbow grinds" in the area but nothing seems to help.

Will lifting help? I ask this because lifting very heavy objects might have been the root to this problem.

Ideas?

I had a medial meniscus tear. I had the scope done in mid Febuary of 2006. Was back running a few miles the 1st of April. Back to normal a month or so after that. Raced a 5K in August 2006, and have been running 50-70 miles a week since then. Ran a half marathon this past April of 2007.

If it does not get better with rehab etc..., I would do the scope, if you want to get back to your normal running routine.

Best of luck.

I had a small tear in my medial meniscus, thanks to a half in 2002. It was only so bad that it reminded me something was not quite right after about 20 minutes of running. I, more or less, did not really test it for the better part of 18 months. I worked on making my vastus medialis much stronger too. Over the course of two years it did get better, and now I run with no pain.

I should note, the "pain" was rarely intense, it was more dull and throbing. Everyone I consulted about it said it was likely just a very small tear.

Good luck

PDong wrote:

I had a small tear in my medial meniscus, thanks to a half in 2002. It was only so bad that it reminded me something was not quite right after about 20 minutes of running. I, more or less, did not really test it for the better part of 18 months. I worked on making my vastus medialis much stronger too. Over the course of two years it did get better, and now I run with no pain.

I should note, the "pain" was rarely intense, it was more dull and throbing. Everyone I consulted about it said it was likely just a very small tear.

Good luck

The knee has actually been improving over the last month with quad. lifting and using the elliptical but every time I try to run I injure or feel the beginnings of a calf injury. It was the right calf for two weeks and now the left for the last 3. The left started to tear only 90 seconds into my attempt yesterday.

The knee does not feel 'normal' but it feels strong enough to try to run.

What the hell is going on with the calf muscles?

If you get arthroscopic surgery, be sure you get the surgeon to agree to take out the least amount of meniscus possible. After a "hangnail" tear showed on my MRI, the surgeon (butcher) took out 1/3 of my meniscus.

Same thing happened to me. I made the misatke of going to Orthopod first rather than exhausting all PT options first.

Never been the same after the surgery.

u must go get the scope procedure to remove the tear or risk further damage and arthritis. You will be walking again within 5 days and biking within 3 weeks and running within 4-5 weeks. (carefully). I've had this done 5 times thru the years, both knees.

i'm pretty sure that you can run just as fast as you did before the tear. the issue is preserving the articular cartilage over time.

I had a pretty bad tear on my medial, it had inverted and diffused into the joint. I lost about 60% of it. However, you're in shape, so Rehab is a breeze, they'll ask you to ride a bike for 10 mins and then do some stretches basically. It's pretty easy stuff.

I took a week off after mine, you walk out of the hospital, but it's stiff and sore for about a week. After that you can walk around, you'll do it gingerly at first cause you're unsure about putting weight on it. About a month of PT and you're fine. I was back playing football a month after the surgery. Sometimes on long runs during the colder months my knee gets a little(not bad) sore, but other than that I don't really notice it. I guess that leg loses some flexibility, but it hasn't affected me.

The only part that hurt was about 2 weeks after the surgery the PT guy "broke up" the scar tissue to start to loosen the area and allow me to do other exercises. Wow, that doesn't feel good at all.

ADVICE: I'd definitely get the surgery, mine started as a minor tear, but I kept doing sports on it and it got progressively worse to the point of I knelt on it one day and thought my knee had exploded. That was probably the worst pain I'd ever felt in my legs. The surgery is a breeze you're sidelined for a bit, but back up in a month. Plus it's painful to try to live normally on a torn meniscus.

Personally, I was scoped and back to running 4 miles every other day two weeks later and 4 a day then next week and back to normal mileage after that. The main thing is getting your range of motion back. I iced like anything and did the all the suggested exercises probably more frequently than what they even suggested. Of course elevation is important at first. If you can work a little to strengthen your quads weights before you go in (extensions etc). I am fortunate however, I don't swell much and I am certain that is a factor. Six years later all is well except I can feel some added "looseness" in my knee, particularly when running fast intervals around the turns.

You are never going to be "the same" after a meniscus injury. There has been a material change in the joint and that knee will always feel a little different. Does that mean you can't run? No. Have the surgery, its the only way to clear the problem up. If you leave it alone chance are you will either experience low level problems all the time, or eventually that little tear will catch on something and become a big tear.

both my knees are permanently f***ed up. i had "small" tears (15 and 20% of cartilage removed) in each knee 2 1/2 years ago. never made it back to full training, and required micro fracture surgery on one of the knees this summer, because the cartilage has continued to degrade. i can't run a step and probably never will. i don't even know why ever look at this board. it's awful.

I had the scope and was never the same either. I almost got fit once and then started have problems with fluid in and behind my knee and pain in the other knee.

I am not sure what PT can really do, it isn't going to 'fix' the tear, but I would still do as much of it as you can before the surgery.

If you do have surgery I would agree to ask for the smallest possible amount to be removed. Also, find a doctor who has done high level athletes surgery and one that has had athletes return to a high level. It is worth a flight to see one of the top surgeons. My second/third surgery went much better from a real top notch surgeon even though it was much more serious(a microfracture procedure).

All that said, good luck.

Unless you really need one where it locks up or really gets in the way of your running on a frequent basis due to swelling, I would not go under the knife. The doctor told me at the same time as my first surgery that the other knee needed it too but to wait till it acted up and then come back. It has been many years and many miles since then. Supposedly there is increased rate of degeneration and arthritis in the years post operation and ultimately you will likely need replacement surgery some 20 years later. If that is true, I certainly hope those techniques advance cause that is major.

Thanks to everyone for the input. The differing opinions/experiences are exactly what I wanted to hear.

I tried walk/jogging this morning and came to the conclusion that I am limping somewhat even though the knee is only mildly and occasionally sore during the workout.

The limp, which I can see while observing my shadow, must be causing my calf on that side to cramp and strain. After about 6 weeks of rehab, I have quads like Godzilla and can do a one hour tempo workout on the elliptical but my calf will not permit me to truly test the knee.

I can identify with the positive experiences regarding arthroscopy. I had acl reconstruction on that same knee in the early 90's with shaving of a 10% medial meniscus tear and recovered completely and quickly. This new tear is so small that the radiologist did not see it and the sports orthopod classified it as minute. The MRI and exam revealed an otherwise stable, healthy graft and joint.

I am very, very frustrated but very appreciative of the last few responses that counsel caution with respect to jumping into surgery. I will try to settle down and give the rehab a bit more time.

After about 5 years of almost 2500 to 3000 miles per year, I really do feel like I am in detox.