Meniscal surgery is the “bread and butter” procedure performed by most orthopedic surgeons in the country. In my physical therapy practice, it is one of the most common post-surgical diagnoses that we see.
A short anatomy lesson: there are two (2) menisci that are found in each of your knee joints. They are horse-shoe shaped pieces of cartilage; they are somewhat loosely anchored down onto the top of the tibia (shin) bone, and they serve to lessen some of the forces that we place on the knee with weight bearing. Think of the menisci as our own “shock absorption” system.
Like everything else in the body, the menisci have the tendency to degenerate over time. Tears in the menisci can develop as a result of a trauma, or as a result of long term usage. Acute tears of the menisci can be quite painful: deep pain in the knee joint line is noted, and depending on the severity of the tear, the knee can also at times lock during range of motion.
Surgeons have become very adept at clearing out the torn portion of the meniscus that is pain producing. The surgeon’s goal is to maintain as much healthy meniscus as possible. In terms of directing post-surgical rehabilitation, here are some guidelines and suggestions.
1. Keep walking to a minimum
During the first month following surgery, WALK ONLY WHERE YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO! Your knee joint has been traumatized by surgical instruments: allow your knee the opportunity to heal. Some surgeons tell their patients that they are free to walk as much as they can tolerate almost immediately after surgery. I disagree with this advice: too many times I have seen post-surgical patients who have encountered extreme pain and unnecessary inflammation because of excessive walking. Losing a form of cardio exercise for one month will not kill you, and your knee will thank you for it.
2. Strengthen your VMO
Work on strengthening your “VMO”, or the vastus medialis oblique portion of the quadriceps. Please check out video #1 (quad sets) from the following link for a quick demonstration of how to find your VMO and ideas on how to train it.
The VMO tends to lose its function even if a small amount of swelling is present in the knee. Post operative knee patients need to pay particular attention to this muscle as it functions to control the motion of the knee cap with day to day activities.
3. Work on knee straightening
The knee will be stiff and difficult to move after surgery. Work with your physical therapist on maintaining full extension, or “straightening” of the knee. Knees that cannot fully straighten because of scar tissue and inflammation can lead to problems related to pelvic alignment.
Knee flexion, or bending, generally speaking, will easily improve on its own. I think that some physical therapists spend too much time forcing the post-surgical knee into flexion. This tends to only inflame the joint. Gently using a recumbent bicycle to get the knees flexing is a far less painful way of assuring better ranges of motion.
4. Strengthen your hip and foot muscles
Do not forget to perform strengthening exercises for the muscles in the hip and the muscles in the foot. The hip and the foot play vital roles in stabilizing your knee and assuring normal joint mechanics with walking. A weak gluteus maximus or weak feet muscles place undo stress on the knee. Talk to your physical therapist about strengthening these areas.
Just a follow-up question regarding the recommendation to limit walking to an absolute minimum for a month after meniscus surgery. What’s the progression after that time period? Is limping a signal that I’m overdoing? I’m doing lots of strengthening exercises but find being on my feet much is still limited. I’m four weeks post surgery and am trying half-days back at work as a teacher but really limping after an hour or so.
Thanks!
I usually tell people after the first month to slowly increase the standing and walking based on tolerance. From what you are telling me it seems that your threshold is about an hour of standing. Try to keep the standing to under that until your strength improves to the point that your threshold increases. It is always a good idea to listen to your body in terms of pain. It can take many months for the inflammation to decrease depending on age, fitness, and a ton of other factors.
I am one week out from meniscus tear surgery. They removed the torn piece. The problem I’m having is that the quad muscles are so tight. I think I’m just walking too much. I can flex the knee all the way out but the tight quad muscles keep me from bending the knee. They are so painful. Any thoughts?
I would only walk where you absolutely have to Janice. I tell post-op meniscal patients here at physical therapy in DC to abide by this principle for the first 4 weeks. Swelling can cause all sorts of problems including tight muscles.
Another pearl of rehab wisdom….. don’t chase bending the knee. It will probably get better on its own.
Thanks. I guess that gives me a legitimate excuse to lay around and be lazy for a while! It’s just not in my nature :)
I’m just beginning my 6th week of post op menicus repair. I’m doing all my PT as prescribed, but I guess I wasn’t clear on what to expect for recovery. (And that’s okay even though i’m an impatient patient) BUT, what bothers me most is how tight my quad muscle is (when will it loosen ?) and still can’t go down the stairs regular, and still swollen, and painful. Am I doing something wrong ? What else should I be doing or NOT doing ?
Going down the stairs will be the last thing to normalize Linda. It requires a lot of quad control, and yours is still a bit weak as evidenced by the stiff feeling that you have.
I would work on slowly strengthening the quads and the hip. Your PT should have given you some good ideas (table exercises may be a good idea). With the amount of swelling that you have, I would greatly limit the walking in the short term. Walk only where you have to until the inflammation calms down.
I am 5 days post op from torn meniscus surgery. I don’t have a brace or anything. Just crutches and sometimes I use a walker. I keep my leg elevated and iced as much as possible and do the exercise therapy asked me to. My leg just feels like dead weight some times tho. I can’t even lift it. Is this normal?
Hollie
I would say that is normal. Your knee has a swelling response to being cut open, and that swelling will basically shut down several of the muscles around the knee. This can result in a “heavy” feeling that can sometimes last for a month or two. Stick to the PT exercises, you will get there.
Are there any exercises I can do pre-op for a meniscus surgery that will speed recovery?
I would say that getting the quadriceps, and especially the “VMO” portion of the quadriceps strong should help. Straight leg raises, quad sets, and short arc quads are all quad exercises.
I am 5 days out from having repair to a torn meniscus in my left knee. I was told to weight bear as soon and as often as I can handle. The problem I am having is that I cannot fully straighten the leg due to the swelling around the knee. I elevate and ice often and it relieves the pain and swelling, but my calf muscle is so sore, and I am having a hard time hobbling around. I do not take pain meds, and no crutches. I also was not told to use a knee brace or compression sleeve. I was also not given any exercises to help strengthen the leg. I went back to work today, ( I am a bookkeeper) and thought I could handle it, but it was a lot harder than I thought. Not sure what to do.
Suzette, my opinion in terms of how to rehab a meniscal surgery will often differ a bit from what a lot of doctors recommend. I always tell my patients to “walk only where you absolutely have to” for the first month. I just think that it is way too easy to inflame the joint with too much walking. My guess is that your calf is killing you because you are relying on that muscle too much for walking.
I really think that you should get some guidance from a PT. I would plead with your doc to get a prescription. It might also be a good idea to get a cane in the mean time to lessen the load on the knee for a bit. As always, talk to the doc about what is happening.
I am 59 years old and had arthroscopic repair of my torn meniscus in my right knee one week ago. I also had Grades III and IV chondromalacia. Prior to injuring my knee by stumbling and twisting it while hiking, I was very active, spinning two times a week, intense pilates with a PT twice a week and weekend hiking. I’m just slightly overweight by about 10 pounds.
I am in very bad pain following the surgery. I was told by the ortho prior to surgery that I’d need crutches only a couple of days and would most likely be fully weight bearing in a few days.
I went to the PA at the ortho today since both my ortho and my PT are on vacation. It is very difficult and painful to put weight on my right leg. The PA said my knee looked good but did have some fluid and swelling. He told me just to stay off it and gave me tramadol script. I wake up with the pain in the morning before I get out of bed and then just ice, elevate and do some basic quad exercises (like the ones on your video link) every waking hour.
My concern is: is it normal to be in such pain (like a 6-7 some times)?
If the pain isn’t better soon, should I seek another opinion?
I am guessing that your doc did something to the chondromalacia surface under the knee cap in addition to working on the meniscus? This added work can cause quite a bit of pain, usually because the quads tend to tighten up after a surgery like this and tether the kneecap downward into the femur.
I do think that for the time being it is a good idea to stick to the very simple exercises. I do think however that doing them every hour is a bit too much. I would back off and maybe do them 1-2 times daily until things calm down.
I would also have the kinks / trigger points worked out of the quadriceps if possible.
My husband just got a meniscus repair surgery so I’ve been looking for advice to give to him. I appreciate how you explain why walking a lot after surgery can cause problems like unnecessary inflammation. I hope that staying of his leg will help him recover quickly. http://noyeskneeinstitute.com/meniscus-tears/
It would probably also be helpful if his doc had an outlined protocol for the first 12 weeks, because it does partially depend on what type of work he did. Best of luck!
I tore my meniscus 4 days ago. I went to the walk in clinic because my knee was swelling and hurting. It’s a knee I have had 2 prior surgeries on, about 10 years ago. An old basketball injury. I am waiting for the ortho. Surgeon to call me after he receives my referral tomorrow. The Dr. Whom examined my xrays at the walk in clinic said that there was more than just the torn meniscus. Alot of degeneration and debris. He said the surgeon/specialist would be able to do an MRI to explain more clear. So, in the meantime, my knee really hurts and I can walk, with a crutch, as long as I don’t put alot of weight on my leg, or it buckles. I’ve been icing and elevating and staying off it as much as I can. Any advice?
See the ortho. In many cases surgery is not necessary once the inflammation goes down, but it does depend on what the MRI looks like. Some really big tears do not allow the knee to fully straighten or bend, but smaller ones generally do not get in the way of things. It is too early to tell without the MRI, and even then the MRI is maybe 50% accurate. Time will tell. Rest, ice, elevate, crutch in the mean time.
Had my meniscus removed just over 3 weeks ago. I still can’t straighten it and put flat foot. Tried putting foot up and letting it lay loose to get it to straighten and it isn’t helping. Anything else I can do to get it to straighten out to allow me to walk without crutches?
Lying on your stomach with the foot off the edge of the bed can give it a nice passive stretch. Getting some good manual therapy from a PT can also be quite useful in these circumstances. I also cue my patients to stand quietly and practice contracting the quads while gently trying to straighten the knee.
I’m about 2 months post-op and I feel some light stiffness when bending my knee. However I can do flexion exercises and light weighted excercises for my quad muscles. Is the stiffness something that will take a while to go away or might I be doing something in my recovery.
That stiffness is par for the course, I would continue forward with the strengthening etc.. It should decrease over the next several months.
Certainly glad I stumbled across this. I was trying to understand what “normal” pain & discomfort should be post op – until I have my follow up appt with my doctor & will be able to have this conversation with him. All other places that I’ve looked, everyone claims to be pain free & walking within 2-3 days. I’m 5 days post op. Meniscus repair as well as some cartilage removal, & I am getting around with 1 crutch. I’m still in quite a bit of pain when I walk on it & definitely don’t see myself walking normal in the next few days. I thought that I had tweaked it somehow trying to walk on it. I, as many others was instructed to put weight on it & walk without crutches as soon as I can, depending on pain. It’s certainly comforting to know that I’m not the only one that isn’t up walking 2-3 days after surgery.
Agreed. For the first month I stick to the credo of only walking where you absolutely have to. Take your time, you will get there.
Like several others on here, I was told to resume “normal walking two days after surgery” and quad set and leg lifts 10 times every waking hour. I am 5 days post surgery and have much stiffness and tightness and a pain in the back of my calf. I thought I wasn’t doing enough so have been walking through my house as much as possible. Why would my ortho doc give me these instructions when you say DON’T walk more than necessary? I am discouraged that my recovery will be 3-4 months instead of 3-4 weeks like I was told by the ortho office. I am 64 years old with other health issues like diabetes and fibromyalgia. I also have chronic low back pain so it is hard to do some of the exercises. My husband is not very supportive and thinks I should be back to “normal” already…
Kathi, I don’t know why there is so much disparity from clinician to clinician in regards to this. My opinion is based on dealing with post-ops for about twenty years. I obviously can’t make an assessment of your situation over the internet, but I would typically say that for a 60-year old the recovery will be longer than 3-4 weeks.
Hi, I had 3 weeks ago a meniscus repair, and I was also told by my surgeon to resume to my normal activities three weeks after. The nurse after surgery told me that I had to walk straight away which I did! I had no one saying that I had to rest for the first four weeks. I wish I did,as my knee is still so swollen and stiff. I don’t understand anymore what do we really have to do and not to do after this surgery!
Well, minimizing walking and slowly ramping up activity in my opinion has always been the way to go. I too do not understand why many docs take an aggressive line with meniscal surgeries like this.
I’m on day 9 following a trim/tidy up from a meniscus tear ,smoothing under my knee cap I am 55 and have arthritis in the knee ,I was advised full weight bearing ,minimal movement indoors for a week first two days I could walk slowly but day 3 I can’t put any weight on operated leg,too painful.I can stand on both feet with no pain,I’ve had no pain at rest,but as soon as I lift my non operated leg of the floor to walk it is too painful so have to use a crutch,is this normal ? Just seems odd as I have not experienced any pain at rest ?
This does not sound too crazy to me based on the work done. I would start with only partial weight bearing with assistance from the crutches. Try to slowly increase the demand on the surgical leg over one week. Make sure that the doc is in the loop with this as well.
Thank you for you reply I can Walk unaided very pleased however I had my follow up appointment with consultant today to be told I will eventually need a partial knee replacement inner side due to artharitis bones rubbing together, I was advised that long periods of just walking would aggravate it,a definite no to lunges and squats only exercise for me would be water aerobics and cycling with low Resistance, feeling bit down With this news as its difficult keeping weight of without exercise, is there any other forms of exercise I Can do that will not worsen my knee thankyou
Hello on 7-7-17 I had AcL Reconstruction and both medial and lateral meniscus tears and they we’re Damaged bad ,I tore Acl in 2010,and 2014 more damage came along, I think I’ve over done it in 3wks I can barely bare weight and always have sharp pains around my knee cap I have spasms when I’m trying to do flexion exercise, when I wear my brace, it cuts off my circulation and I feel spasms, omg I don’t know what to do, I really don’t have pain just soreness swelling, spasms, fever in knee sometimes, or is this normal??
I would talk to the doc about it. I would take it easy for the week in the mean time. I wouldn’t worry to much about forcing the knee to bend, the flexion tends to come around by itself without too much intervention.
Hi – I’m 34 years old and just about 3 weeks ago had surgery for a discoid meniscus on the medial side. I was told this was extremely rare. Even with how rare they said I should be recovering quickly (walking normally within 2-3 days). While I have been able to put weight on it I cannot put any pressure. I walk with a terrible limp and pain gets bad after standing a while. For the last few days now my knee also keeps locking in place. When it happens I can’t extend it until I do a quick twist of my ankle in which I feel a slight pop and I’m then able to extend it again. It’s only painful if I don’t get it to pop back quickly. I am able to fully extend my leg. During physical Therapy I can bend it really well and have minimal pain riding a bike. It seems that walking is the biggest issue as I can only walk very straight legged. Any thoughts here? It’s become a huge frustration for me and affecting me a lot. Seems like I’ll never be back to normal. Thank you so much for reading!
Talk to your PT about this. I would use crutches to de-weight the knee for a week or so, maybe with a “step through” pattern where you are still placing weight on the leg but using the crutches to lessen the force.
Is it ok to wear a compression sleeve 4 weeks after meniscal surgery? I find it helps with keeping down swelling when I’m standing
I don’t see why not. Make sure that the doc knows to be safe.
I had an acl reconstruction and lateral meniscus repaired and some cartilage remove. I am now one month post surgery and my knee won’t bend passed 45 degrees. It’s just stays there. It hurts when the PT push my knee past 45 degrees. My knee is also warm when I touch it. What should I do? I need advice pls.
I would make sure that the doc knows about this situation. In general, I would say that the knee flexion / bending does not need to be aggressively chased or manipulated. It may be that the swelling in the anterior portion of the knee is keeping the knee from bending. I would back off the activity for one week and let the inflammation calm down. Stick to only basic strengthening and don’t force the flexion.
Thank you and also I’m not walking with my own strength. I’m still using one crutch. Should I be off my crutch after a month or no?
That depends on how much work the doc did, but I would say that it is fairly common for some post-ops to be on crutches for up to six weeks.
I am 5 months out from my meniscus repair. I was told it was almost torn all the way through. Ive been doing pt for 5 months as well for it. I still have a ton of pain in the pes anserine area. My ortho keeps telling me its arthritis and nothing he can do. I have servere quad tightness as well. I just went back to work after being off for the past 5 months. Ive had cortisone injections and I’m already on meloxicam gabapentin sulfasalizine tramadol hydroxycholoriquine for arthritis for the past 2 years. I don’t know what else to do. I’m crying in pain still.
Work on strengthening the gluteus maximus and medius every couple of days. If the pes anserine area is sore, it may be the hamstrings pulling excessively on that area. The hamstrings do tend to “take over” when the gluteal muscles aren’t doing their jobs. I would find a new PT and get a fresh set of eyes on this problem.
Hey how are You? My name is Drew and I had meniscus surgery to take out a partial tear flap on July 10th. I am progressing really well, but I can’t do a straight leg raise yet. It hurts when trying to do so. My knee isn’t swollen but I think there is a little inflammation. My quad feels like mush compared to my right one. What should I do? Should I be concerned?
Hey Andrew. What you are describing sounds like a strength issue. I would start with quad sets, progress to short arc quads, and eventually get to straight leg raises. It has only been a month since the surgery, so it is fairly typical to have that level of weakness stemming from the inflammation and swelling.
I had a meniscus repair surgery a little over 2 weeks ago. I did not attempt to bend my knee at all per my surgeons instructions during that initial 2 week period. I am now allowed to bend my knee for excersises so long as I keep my brace locked in extension while walking. My concern is that my knee is very difficult to bend and feels the most uncomfortable around my patella (it feels tight and as if it doesn’t want to move around the arthroscope incision site). My surgeon said that tightness is normal, but because my quad may be tight. However, my quad feels extremely well and able, and has felt normal ever since the surgery, but my patella and the area around it (only while bending) is still uncomforatable after 3 days of movement.
Is this normal? How long should it take to reach normal ROM?
I am 23 years old and ready to get back to my active lifestyle, and feel I am behind in my recovery. I just want to know if this is normal or if I should see my surgeon about the issue soon.
It is still way too early. Many meniscal surgical protocols are quite strict for a month, sometimes six weeks depending on what was done. When the doc gives you the okay, start gently bringing the knee into range on a stationary bicycle. No need to make full revolutions right off the bat. You will get there. Young people recover well from these types of things, you just need to be patient.
Normal range can take months.
I had torn meniscus surgery on both the menisl and lateral six weeks ago. My range of motions seems to be fine, but I am experiencing pain on the large muscle just below my knee on the right hand side.
It is a nagging pain somewhat like a toothache but I have it everyday off and on throughout the day.
I have just finished 12 sessions of physical therapy and they told me I need more therapy. Wonder why I am having so much pain on the side of my leg.
It might be an effect of limping or changing the way that you have bore weight on that leg since the surgery. As a general rule in these cases I would walk as correctly as you can even if that means that you have to slow down your pace. When the quads are weak, the calf muscles trend to compensate for the weakness. The stronger the quads get the less of an issue this should become.
I had acl reconstruction using my hamstring as a graft and a repair to my meniscus on 7/31/17. The meniscus tear was very bad according to the surgeon. I am now 3 weeks post surgery and I am experiencing horrible tightening and cramping in my calf. I have put heat on the area and massaged it which helps temporarily but then it comes right back. I have been back to work for a week and am sitting all day. I do prop my leg in a chair every hour for 10-20 minutes. I have been trying to stretch my calf by moving my foot, but it does not seem to help. Is this normal or something I should be concerned about? Thank you.
Well, you want to make sure that it is not a clotting issue. If you grasp the calf with your hand and it hurts, go see the doc immediately (the calf might also look red and beefy). If it is more of a “muscle strain” type feeling, it may just be the calf over-working because of the quad weakness. Either way I cannot diagnose that over the internet. Please let the doc know what is going on.
I had a medial meniscus repair and lateral Mencius portion shaved with a micro fracture as well on my left knee. Surgery was done on 7-17-17 and I am currently down to one crutch. After the 4 weeks was up I was told I would be able to put weight on it. I have been going to PT a week after surgery and got electric stimulation and massage to reduce the swelling. My knee can currently bend passed 100-110 degrees. I was able to ride on a bike with no tension. When will the range of motion come back and will be able to walk without a limp? If I do not use a crutch I can bare weight but with a very heavy limp. A little pain started to appear so I went back to the crutch. Am I ahead of where I should be?
You had a lot of work done on that knee. It does sound like you are getting there. I would expect this to be slow progress.
Many people have a hard time with the sudden / abrupt change in weight bearing status. I will usually just have people practice quiet standing as a transition into full weight bearing. The range of motion will come, I wouldn’t really worry about pushing it into flexion other than maybe using the bicycle and walking. I would also recommend that you walk very slowly, trying to minimize the limp. I would also only start with short distances and slowly work your way up in distance per tolerance.
I had medial meniscus root repair on June 21st 2017. I was instructed to non weigh bearing for 7 weeks. I preformed my pt exercises religiously and felt I was getting stronger. with the exception of not being able to get full extension. My brace was locked at 90 but when it was off knee could never lay flat unless worked on for a while. At 8 weeks was able to start partial weight bearing with brace locked for safety. Felt good and was using one crutch. At 9 weeks was told to take brace off and use both crutches again. It’s been one week of the brace off and knee is bent, I can not walk without it bent, and I literally sit on the floor and manipulate my leg and sit for hours to keep it flat. After sitting in a chair for an hour and trying to lay it flat again it’s the process all over again. I’m 47 and a strong athlete and am very frustrated. My thigh is strong but my calf is always very tight and hamstrings seem not to fire correctly. I see my ortho MD again in a week but would love your input.
Talk to the ortho about getting that knee straight. That is the most important thing to address at this time in my humble opinion.
There are a bunch of ways to do this, and it sounds as if you are already doing some of them. I would utilize a good physical therapist who can work on manually getting the knee flat as well. Massage work to the hamstrings and the calf should help as it sounds like they are stiff on you.
I had meniscus tear removal surgery, it’s been a 10 days of my surgery. I’m available to walk and bear weight without crutches. But I still fell pain and stiffness I still have stitches. When I wake up during the night it hurts to put weight but after a few steps the pain is a bit less.
Totally normal at this point Enrique. I would keep the walking to small amounts only during the first month. Some people will disagree with me on this, but I have found that it is easy to strain the knee if you try to walk too much too soon. As always, if you re concerned about pain levels or other things you should let the doctor know about it.
I live in MD and I’m so glad I stumbled upon this page. I’m not recovering from a meniscal injury but I did have an arthroscopy as well as a lateral patella luxation (lateral release and addition of a donor ligament medially). I’ve had a luxating patella since I was 13 and I’m 26 now- my patella would luxate pretty frequently but I had a traumatic luxation in early August. I’m two weeks out and still very dependent on my crutches with little to no flexion. I started PT yesterday and he was very disappointed that I only have about 10 degrees of flexion… My knee basically feels like a super tight rubberband and something wants to pop or snap. Is this normal? I am so limited on what exercises I can do. Trying hard not to be too down about things but I had different expectations for this point post op.
I would say that this is pretty typical for that type of surgery. The flexion is going to take a while to come back. It is also going to feel strange in the knee cap given that it is tracking a bit differently now. Hang in there and be consistent with your exercises.
My 14 year old son had a lateral meniscus repair surgery and a PRP injection a week later. He has has very little pain after surgery. He has been wearing his brace locked straight to walk and able to sit with knee bent at 90 with brace on (Dr’s orders). He is only allowed 50% weight bearing with crutches. Tonight he took his brace off to lay on his bed and his hand slipped while going to sit down. He bent his knee farther than 90 when he slipped and now has pain and says it feels like there is “stuff moving” in his knee when he bends it. Kind of like how it felt pre surgery but pain not as bad. Could he have possibly retorn the meniscus?
I would let the doc know about this. My guess is that he would really have to flex his knee quite a bit to disrupt the repair. This is probably an inflammation thing, but I would have it assessed to be safe.
Hi! I had knee surgery six weeks ago – a partial meniscectomy. I have been doing all of the recommended exercises but am still experiencing swelling and pain, especially when walking up/down stairs and bending my knee beyond 90 degrees. I did have reconstruction on the same knee approximately 20 years ago. Could this impact the recovery time? Are there any recommendations to help with the prolonged symptoms?
Multiple surgeries can certainly add to recovery times. I would say that this sounds par for the course. I would limit the walking and stairs for the time being. Quad and glut training is fine for every couple of days, but I think every day is too much.
For those having trouble achieving a good straight leg raise, here are a couple of ways you can “back door” your way there. 1) Lying down: work on keeping knee as straight as possible and sliding it outwards across the bed. This will activate all the same muscles with less demand as the weight of the leg is partially supported by the bed. Once you can do this easily, try to lift the leg upwards (remember to keep the knee straight throughout).
2) In a standing position, holding onto something for support, keep your knee as straight as possible and lift the leg forward. Again, you will be activating all the same muscles needed for a straight leg raises but with decreased force from gravity. Progress to lying down straight leg raises.
I had my lateral damaged meniscus removed in 2015. The pain was persistent and went in for a meniscus transplant ( from a Cadaver ) on Nov 3rd . Also 3 x cartilages were replaced . trochlea with interrupted stitches , internal femoral condyle of 1×2 with interrupted , in external femoral condyle of 3×3.5 . I am in my 5th week now and still have a lot of inflammation and very little Flexion ( less that 35 degrees ) . Extension is still not full yet . I have been in bed and with brace/ crutches all along . I do have physio sessions with massage to the knee to drain the fluids and also quad strengthening exercises. I feel as if there has been no progress in the last 2 weeks or so at all. It would be great to have your input on this. Is this normal ?
The meniscal transplants that I have seen have no weight bearing on the surgical leg for usually at least one month. Once you are able to start placing weight on the leg, things should start to slowly improve. In general though I would say that you are quite stiff. I would work on sitting with the foot on the floor and gently sliding the foot towards you in order to chase flexion (gently). I have found that it is easier to work on this position for longer periods of time. Get permission from the PT and / or doc of course. Working on the VMO contraction in the quad will help a lot in terms of getting the extension back.
Thanks so much for your reply. I have been working on the VMO contraction and flexion all along with my PT. It will be 5 weeks tomorrow and I do have a really stiff knee as you rightly mentioned . Is this something I would have to worry about or is this what one would go through after a surgery like this ?
This does sound like an appreciable amount of work that was done, and these surgeries do tend to cause a bit of stiffness.
I just had a partial meniscectomy on 12/14 for what the MRI said back in January was a large tear of the medial meniscus. I also have OA and had arthroscopy in 2003 for a synovial debridement and chondroplasty. I did not see my Ortho after the surgery so I’m unsure if that was all he did. I was finally allowed to unwrap my knee and leg today and shower with waterproof bandaids over the incisions. Then I put dry bandaids on and rewrapped my knee as ordered. I was told to ice it pretty regularly for 5-7 days. I’ve been doing some quad exercises and trying to flex my knee. I was given exercises to do but also to not overdue it. My Ortho said at my preop appt that 2-3 weeks I should be fine. I’m not so sure. He is thinking about pt since my gait has been so off and my knee kept giving out prior to surgery. I am in nursing school and next semester starts jan17 and he says I’ll be ready to go back. I’m 41 and was active prior to this with working out cardio running and weight training 5 days a week. I’m just worried that it’s not going to be better by then. We pretty much start clinicals right away so is 4 weeks going to be enough?
4 Weeks is a bit tight. I will typically tell meniscectomy patients to walk only where absolutely necessary for the first four weeks. Use this time to allow the inflammation to calm down. In terms of table strengthening, I would maybe stick to every other day.
I am 12 weeks out from a later meniscus transplant and we are ramping up my PT. I am doing lunges, some squats with weight and other leg strengthening exercises. I can tell I’m getting stronger, but over the past couple of days I have had a shooting pain at the back of my knee. I can’t tell if it’s just healing pains or if I am over doing it. Any thoughts? Thanks.
Sorry…should be 12 weeks out from lateral meniscus transplant.
I would back it off a bit. The posterior knee is a possible site for meniscal pain when it is stressed.
Hello, I recently underwent ACL and meniscus reconstruction about a week ago. When laying down and keeping it elevated the knee feels okay (depending on the painkiller) but as soon as I get up to go to the bathroom or anywhere with my crutches, all the blood flows into my knee. My shin and foot turn purple and the knee feels like it is going to burst at the staples. I know there will always be pain involved in this type of surgery but this is unbearable, I can’t even get up to go to the bathroom. Is this normal? And if so how could I work on preventing it. Any help is appreciated, thank you!
Have you talked to the MD or the PT about getting a compression stocking? They can be super helpful in these instances, particularly early on.
I have not, I’ll definitely look into it thank you. For the time being I’ve been using ace bandaging. Should I try it a little tighter to see if that would help?
Meh. That can be a bit uneven in terms of compression, and sometimes people wrap it too tight. Check out your local drug store, they should have something.
Okay, thank you!
I had a surgery to where they told me they scraped all scarred tissue off my surfaces. My meniscus wasn’t even torn like he had told me it was on my MRI. But nonetheless surgery was December 1st. And when I went for my check up they said I had a bad range of motion. I was only icing and elevation. Now I can lip without my crutches. I’ve been doing exercises because they scared me and said I will need it again because of my range of motion. I’m only just about 3 weeks removed now and they initially told me I would be down 6 weeks. What do you think?
Well, one of the consequences of having surgery is that your body will lay down some scar tissue. If they do another surgery guess what will likely happen….probably scar tissue.
I would work on a gradual stretching of the knee. I do think that getting on a stationary bicycle is a great way to pursue the knee flexion. I also wouldn’t walk too far, I have found that excessive walking during the first four weeks following a surgery tends to inflame the tissues.
Hello, on december 15th I underwent surgery to fix a torn acl and torn medial and lateral meniscus (they said a bucket handle tear). After the surgery I had swelling in my shin for quite a while so I wasnt able to do much pt until about 1.5 to 2 weeks post op. I am now three weeks post op and getting closer to full extension but I cannot hyperextend yet. Flexation is about 80 degrees after working it awhile. Still no thought of any weight baring as I am still on crutches. I know its going to take longer than normal acl surgery because it is the meniscus as well but. Do I need to be worried about possible scar tissue buildup due to being delayed in the exercise process? Thank you!
The extension tends to be more of the problematic thing after these types of surgeries. I would make sure to work on that (with the guidance from the doc and / or PT). Usually the bending / flexion tends to improve with less effort. Pedaling on the stationary bicycle is usually sufficient to get back range. In the clinic I tend to not aggressively push the flexion with stretches.
Btw I don’t think that your goal should be to “hyper-extend” the knee. A knee that straightens is ideal, the hyper-extension past zero degrees does put some stress on the meniscus and ACL.
The only thing Im concerned about is I made progress towards 0 degrees very fast but it has slowed down substantially. I know it isnt really good to “hyperextend” but my other knee and the repaired knee before surgery both extended a good amount past 0. Is that something that naturally won’t come back? Or should I be trying for the old ROM
I would ask the doc about that. He may have strung the ACL to be tight at 0°, in which case it would not be a great idea to push it into hyper-extension.
Hi. I am 2 weeks post-op from a medial meniscus tear arthroscopic surgery (left knee) where the Dr. trimmed away the torn part. He also said I had chondromalacia. I still have a lot of tightness when trying to bend the knee and I assume that’s just from some normal inflammation that I still have from the surgery itself. My problem is that I am having severe pain in the front of my leg, right below the knee cap to the right a little bit. What is causing that? It almost feels like my bones are rubbing together or something. I am actually experiencing more pain now from this than what I was having pre-op from the tear. I can get a little relief from the pain when I elevate my leg, ice the area and take a pain pill, otherwise, I am in sheer misery. Any suggestions?? Thanks!
Well, that painful area sounds like it is very close to where he did the meniscus work. The meniscal site can at times be very painful for many weeks after the surgery. I would give it proper time to heal, and avoid full bending of the knee in addition to full, hyper-extension of the knee, as both of those positions irritate the meniscus. Some people (and regrettably PT’s) tend to push the flexion of the knee too aggressively early on. Back off is that is the case with you. I also tell patients for the first month to only walk walk where they absolutely have to.
Just wanted to say it is really good of you to answer so many questions.
I’m 5 weeks post medial meniscus surgery on my left knee and was concerned that I wasn’t progressing as well as I should. Having read the comments here I see I need to be more patient. I’m 69 and have always been active. This is the 4th time I’ve had this surgery since 1988 ( second time for the medial meniscus on this knee). Now I have about 30% left, but fortunately little signs of arthritis. My last surgery was in 2003. In the 3 prior surgeries I bounced back very quickly, with little swelling or discomfort and back to normal activities by 6 weeks. This time I’ve had to deal with swelling and stiffness and some brief sharp pains and catching around and above the patella on the lateral side when moving after standing for a period of time. Probably being older doesn’t help. I’ve been doing quad and hip exercises prescribed by my PT.
A few days ago I tried walking on a treadmill for about 24 minutes starting at 3mph with elevation of 3 then moving elevation up to 8 with 1 minute intervals to 12 then back to 8. The knee was pretty stiff afterward but got back to baseline after icing, elevating, and wrapping with an Ace bandage. I guess I overdid it. The exercise bike seems to be easier on the knee.
Any thoughts on the pain and “catching” around the patella?
Thanks,
Marty
You probably just did a bit too much. I would back it off a bit for the week. I would slowly ratchet up the routine after it is allowed to heal.
Thanks,
Would you say that some “catching” around the patella and brief pain is not uncommon after meniscus surgery? And, if so, would that be related to residual swelling that should resolve?
Marty
I would say that this is extremely common. Swelling causes the VMO portion of the quadriceps to become ineffective, and the knee cap will often start to track in a funky way.
I’m very glad to have found this website. I’m 33 years old and I had a bucket handle tear of medial meniscus that caused my knee to be locked for 2 weeks prior to surgery. All I know is he told me it was 90% torn and he did suture and repair it. I’m supposed to non weight bearing for 3 weeks and then can start weight bearing with my leg locked at zero if I can ever get it to straighten again! I already feel discouraged at the amount of pain I’ve had with this. Everything is so stiff and my quad is already starting to atrophy. I don’t know how to use it without straightening my leg and my hip flxor? Is becoming extremely painful also. Just standing on crutches I get severe throbbing in my knee and calf. I started PT and do some exercises at home but feel like the 2 weeks locked prior to surgery really didn’t help my situation. Do things really get better? Anything to get my quad working …or decrease hip flexor pain? Thank you!
forgot to mention im one week post op. Just feels like my leg will never be straight again. Everything is so stiff:(
Meniscal repairs are certainly a bit more tricky to rehab than menisectomies. The conundrum that you are experiencing now is that weight bearing really does help to straighten the knee out and strengthen the quadriceps. You really have no choice but to wait it out until you can start phasing in the weight bearing. In the mean time I would work on the table exercises that were (hopefully) given to you. This will start to get better in a few weeks.
One final note, I would ask the PT if you can “phase in” your weight bearing. Going from no weight bearing to full weight bearing is a bit too much for a lot of people to handle.
I really appreciate taking time to reply. I get discouraged when so many people tell you they “didnt need any crutches and walked right away” or had “little pain”. But starting to realize these people are describing menisectomies. I will ask my physical therapist about phasing weight bearing in. Thank you again.
So glad for this site, thank you for offering help to so many!
I’m 7 days post lateral and medial menisectomy and chondroplasty (grade 3 and 4 arthritis). Knee is improving gradually and I’m pretty happy with the relief of “locking” that existed pre -op.
My issue now is a severely sore/tight calf muscle, especially when i stand and take the first few steps. I see lots of people posting about this – any idea of the cause and how to get relief? I’ve been weight bearing since day of surgery, although not walking far!
Thanks!!
The calf muscle tends to get over-worked when the quad is weak. I would walk slowly with short steps. I wouldn’t power off the calf much. Once the immobilizer comes off it should get better. I would work on the quad strength with your PT in the interim.
On Nov 21st 2017, I had left knee mensicus repair surgery. Too date (about 8 weeks), I am unable to bend my knee properly. I am unable to walk normal. I am currently using 1 crutches because my left knee tends to give way and buckles which causes me to fall. Thus, I rely on the crutches for security.
My left knee is still swelling, feels tight and very stiff. This has been happening since the surgery but also worsens after walking on it for a while. It becomes very painful too (after walking for a while). I have problems bending it. Usually from morning till lunch time i feel comfortable walking around on my crutches. After that it swells and becomes stiff, tight and painful. Ice, rest and elevation doesn’t reduce the pain or stuffiness. Usually I have to wait till the morning (next day) to feel better.
I have no problems straightening my knee / leg. Straightening my leg is the most comfortable feeling.
I hope to hear from you soon. I feel I am in a depressing state and dream to walk normal so i can return to work and support my 4 kids and help my husband.
It is still a bit early in this process, especially if you had a repair (they tend to take a bit longer to heal up). I would err on the conservative side in terms of walking. The knee flexion in most of these cases tends to improve by itself over time without much intervention. Once you are cleared by the doc and the PT, pedaling on the stationary bicycle is a good idea to work on the range. It is great that you have full extension, that usually tends to be the biggest problem with these cases. You will get there!
So often people post a great informative page and (understandably) don’t take the time to reply to questions and comments so it’s great to have stumbled across your page!
I’m 33 and had surgery 9 weeks ago for medial meniscus repair (sutures), lateral meniscus repair (some cut away, sutures put in and he said he put a plastic anchor in too?) and some microfractures for chondromalacia all in the left knee.
I had my knee in the ‘donjoy’ brace for 6 weeks with first 2 weeks locked straight and then 10 degrees unlocking per week from 30 to 90 and only weight bearing when locked straight. After a slow initial few weeks, it really started to improve – initially the surgeon said 8 weeks in the brace but I was already able to bend the knee fine at 6 and need to get back to work (I work offshore so no knee function, no work!).
I’m able with my PT to have full range of motion on the exercise bike (no resistance setting) and am able to walk 5k. I am however getting pain sometimes on the lateral side of the knee about level with the lower line of the patella. My surgeon stressed how easy it is for the sutures to rip open so I’ve been paranoid I’ve damaged it, but it’s not a constant pain. Do you think that pain could be normal healing?
The knee gets stiff when I overdo things which I guess is a good sign of a natural preventive mechanism?! I am finding that whilst my knee has good bending capability when relaxed, if I try a quad stretch, I can’t bend it so much back – could it be my tight quad muscles rather than the knee? I’m amazed how much my muscles have wasted away and I’m hoping 5k walks can help build them up with other stretches and not stress the knee – I’m scared of damaging it though. My PT suggested squats but the ortho said no squats for 6 months?!!! I had the surgery done in Dubai and then 4 weeks later moved house to South Africa so I can’t exactly pop in for a follow-up unfortunately. I’m actually finding 9 weeks later that the knee is more sore than before the op still, and I’m finding it locks/gives way a lot more than it did before. Please tell me that it could be because it is still healing and not necessarily because the repair has failed and I could be in a worse predicament!
The quad / VMO is probably still weak from the swelling associated with the surgery. The knee cap as a result can track in a less than ideal manner, which can cause pain. This can also contribute to the unstable feeling that you describe. I do think that you might be walking a bit too far for 9 weeks post op. I would pare that back a bit to a level that does not cause the knee to hurt as much. In terms of bending the knee, I always tell patients that most of the time the knee does not really need to be aggressively stretched into that direction. Riding a stationary bicycle is usually sufficient to get that range back. Full knee flexion does put a bit of stress on the menisci. In terms of exercise, I would be working (with the PT’s blessing) on straight leg raises, bridging etc..
I’m 14 years old and I had Meniscus repair surgery about 4 months ago for a 50% Meniscus Tear. I am supposed to get fully cleared by my orthopedic in about 5 to 6 weeks, but my physical therapist says that my last day is on Thursday of Physical therapy. I have been in consistent pain lately when I bend or twist my knee and it locks up Recently it has been starting to go on for days at a time. I still don’t have full range of motion (I can not touch my feet and my thigh together like I can on the other leg and when I try I am in much pain). I don’t know if this is normal and I feel like I will never be able to run or bend or do anything without pain….
I wouldn’t bend the knee all of the way into the forced flexion / bending position because that tends to place stress on the meniscus. That range usually comes with time, no dire need to force it, you may be actually be making it worse. The locking concerns me a bit, bring it up to the doc.
I had partial knee menisectomy 26 days ago I was not very consistent with my exercises. just about 3 days ago I started doing stationary bike and leg press with no weight. I’m not experiencing any pain exept when I try to fully extend my leg which won’t happen I can hyper extend my good leg but not the other one, which causes me to walk funny. Is my knee never going to have full extension because I was not very consisten with exercises the first weeks?
It will probably take a bit of time to get that back, but I would get some gentle stretching exercises for extension. I would have it looked at by a PT rather than trying to force the knee into hyper extension.
Ok! It usually will be fine with a little pain and then if I twist weird it locks and then hurts a lot than if I twit weird again it locks again than goes back to normal. Thank you so much though!!!!
Hi,
I am 3 months post op, 50% meniscectomy. I am still swollen, in some pain/stiffness, my foot falls asleep a lot, I cannot full bend my knee and definitely cannot walk for more than an hour. My my leg looks like I completely lost my quad. I work on my feet in a busy ER and do not feel comfortable going back. How long does it take for the swelling to go down and when would you recommend going back to work? I’m afraid if I go back, I will prolong the swelling and the pain in my knee. I feel like I’ll never get back to running again. I really want to get back to my regular routine. Hope to hear back from you soon as my next appt is feb 7th. Thanks!!
The foot falling asleep concerns me. I would ask the doc about that specifically when you see him / her. It does not sound to me like you can handle full ER duties at this point. Strengthen the quad and the leg every few days if the PT and the doc re okay with it. It may take another few months to get this in order. I would also ask the MD about maybe a neoprene sleeve for the knee for when you hav to stand for longer periods of time.
Actually my mom had a meniscal torn surgery two weeks…Now she s not feeling the pain whr it was operated but at the sides and back of knee she s feeling like that muscles are cramped.what would be the reason fr tis?My mom s 45 yes old.kindly reply.
She is probably using the muscles to walk that haven’t been used this way in a while. This usually takes a month or two to lessen. The PT should encourage her to try to walk as normally as possible, even if this means slowing down substantially.
I had my second arthroscopy less than a year after the first. I had a torn meniscus and had to wait two years for the first surgery. I am post operative 4 weeks. I can walk but not able to fully extend my leg , i do not know if it is because my muscles have become tight or if it is something that I will just have to live with. I am getting pain in my tibia about 6 inches below my knee on the distal aspect. I am trying to weight my leg down by resting my leg on a chair and placing a weight on my thigh……I can then feel muscle stretching then I have to slowly move my knee to a resting position using my hands.My leg is more comfortable when I curl it up and lie on my side but I feel that this is keeping it from straightening. i am just lost with the whole thing and find it very disheartening. can you offer any advice or suggestions ? Do some people get a permanent unable to fully straighten their leg ? I am really upset my it .
Knee lag or lack of extension after surgery usually is at least partially a function of quad weakness. I love having patients do what we call “terminal knee extension” standing with a theraband behind the knee / leg. I think that we have that one in our exercise videos on the website. I also think that placing a towel under your knee while you are long sitting and performing quad contractions as you try to gently flatten the knee into the towel is a good start. 4 weeks is quite early by the way, part of the issue is probably just letting things heal. I would not work it too hard or walk too much, it can get inflamed even more if you overdo.
Hello,
There is a lot of truth to what you say, in terms of it being better to wait and not try to force range of motion, it just happened to work out that way for me, I didn’t plan it. I had medial and lateral meniscectomy, RT knee. I had surgery on February 16 2018, but I didn’t start PT until March 23 2018, to date, after surgery, it took about a month to get a follow up visit to the doctor, so I didn’t do much with my knee other than ice it and gingerly limp on it. When, I finally got to see my doctor, March 12, 2018, he mentioned the word, “lock up” and scheduling PT before that happens. Well as a Christian, I came home and asked Jesus for help with ideas to get me going so my knee wouldn’t lock up on me and the ideas just flowed. I have only had 2 sessions. I am very pleased with my PT thus far. I am doing all of the exercises. In the morning because I don’t have much time, I do about 15 minutes, at noon about 1 hour and 6pm about 20 minutes. This has my doctor perplexed and me as well. I have what I call a traveling vein in my leg and it causes me a lot of pain in my tibia (shin). It was so bad that, I had to stop driving. It travels from the inner right side of my leg from my knee to my arch and moves to my shin. It snaps and moves. This is unbelievable pain. However, I have noticed that the more I do my PT the less it moves and snaps but it’s still painful the days it does. I’m really believing that it will fully leave over time as the knee and leg strengthens. The other problem I have is the stiffness of the knee, it seems that this is getting better but at a turtle’s paste. I am bending the knee more and more each day and I am seeing improvements. I do have pain. What can you tell me about this stiffness and have you ever heard of a case of that vein issue I mentioned? Thank you in advance for your response.
In my experience, I do not think that the knee flexion / bending needs to be pushed too much. Usually getting on a stationary bicycle does plenty. The pain in the lower leg probably has to do with using specific muscles to walk with a limp. The calf muscles for example tend to be over-relied on when the knee is stiff. I tell patients to try to walk as normally as possible, even if these means walking very slowly.
Thank you for you reply,
Can you tell me if it’s a good idea to get a shot of cortisone in my knee, to get it to bend? What is it and what will getting a shot of cortisone do to make my knee better? Is it painful?
Thanks in advance for your help…
I don’t think that a cortisone shot will particularly help with allowing the knee to bend more. It is more likely to help with pain however.
I am a wimp when it comes to injections, but from what I have heard it is not bad.
Thank you for answering.
I have one more question, I know everyone’s healing process is different. But is there an estimated time when the limping will stop and the stiffness will cease, based upon your experience of what you have come across, in terms of months? This is so debilitating and painful.
I am 6 weeks post op got hard cysts removed from acl he said I have most of acl. that all doc did. I’m having issues with stiffness and vastus lateralis still very tight little swollen and having issues with extension. is it due to my tight quad near knee cap? and my quad isn’t contracting when I walk?
The swelling will definitely keep the quads from firing the correct way, which will in turn make it harder for you to extend the knee fully. I would work on getting the VMO portion of the quad to fire. I love the terminal knee extensions with an elastic behind the leg for gentle resistance.
forgot to say .feel anxiety about scar tissue setting in as it’s about 6 .5 weeks . Im about 5 degrees off sitting up legs out but when Im lying down the quad tend to stay up more there for I have even less extension. not sure y that is
Hi! I had a medial meniscus repair done 7 days ago and my Dr wants me on crutches with no walking for 4 weeks. The procedure initially to be a triming but after seeing beginning stages of arthritis he decided to do a repair. I was prescribed 81 Mg of Aspirin before hand and that’s still what I am prescribed. Should that have been increased after going from a trim to a repair? As I will be less mobile and weigh 275 pounds?
I am not the pharmaceutical expert Ronnie, you would have to ask the doctor that question. My gut tells me no, but ask the doc. The meniscal repair does require that you do not place weight on the leg for some time, which is annoying, but necessary.
I am scheduling surgery for a bucket handle tear. How long do you think I will be non weight bearing and can I return to a desk job relatively quickly?
It depends on what the surgeon will be doing. If he / she will be “repairing” the meniscus, or suturing the torn pieces back together without removing anything, you may not be able to put any weight on the leg for 4-6 weeks. If the surgeon will remove the torn portion of the meniscus rather than repair it, you should be able to walk much sooner, probably within one week with a slow ramp up of weight.
Hey
I am 4 weeks going on 5, and I still have swelling and stiffness. I go pt 3x a week exercise and been using topical. I still cant walk correctly, it’s like I forgot and when I try to lift and bend my knee it feels like gravity pulling it back down. I feel so disabled I’m wondering where or when will I see the silver lining. How much l longer of this torture will I have to endure. Also if I force bend it or try harder to flex could I re injury myself?
I am of the philosophy “less is more” during the first four to six weeks post-op. I would ditch the PT for a week to ten days and just let things heal a bit. Only walk where you absolutely have to. A light stationary bicycle pedaling will usually suffice in regard to increasing the flexion range of motion, it typically does not need to be aggressively pushed into flexion. You certainly can inflame the soft tissue if you are aggressively forcing the knee into flexion.
Hello. I am 33 years old and had a meniscus repair of a very large bucket handle tear on 1/5/2018. I was in continued excruciating pain post op, and had major flexion issues after continued PT. After almost 3 months, a new MRI showed that the other vertical tear in my meniscus was getting larger and there was just evidence of a lot of inflammation in my knee. Dr. Said there was no scar tissue forming over reapir site.The repair had failed. Dr.went in a did a meniscectomy on 3/9 and removed a thick band of adhesions as well. I am still having a great deal of issues with flexion. I just recently got to 90 degrees finally and my extension is only at around 5 degrees while the other leg hyperextends. The lack of extension causes me to limp and I believe causes pain in my hip as well. If I try to bear any weight on my leg with even the slightest bend i get a sharp pain under knee cap. My quad muscle is extremely weak and tight. I do PT 2 times a week and also use the therapy pool on my own time to do the exercises I have been taught. I am trying so hard and feel like I am getting no where. If i am on my feet for any length of time I get stiff and swollen and start tripping over my own foot by the end of the evening. I am nurse and have been off work already for 4 months but wonder how I am going to be able to go back to work in this condition. Any advice? How can I get this quad strengthened up any better? Thank you :)
Also wanted to mention that when I do quad sets I get a pulling, slightly sharp pain sensation in back of knee (verticle tear was in posterior horn) .
This sounds very highly involved. I would work on the strengthening every other day. You really need to let the muscles recover in between sessions. I do also think that walking in the pool is a great idea. I would have the PT focus his or her work on the knee extension, that is probably the most important thing to get back in the short term.
Thank you. I think at this point every one is afraid of focusing on the extension as that is what we focused on after the first surgery and I ended up with the thick band of adhesions. I’m just becoming so frustrated and discouraged…but then try to stay positive and know I have at least gotten further than I was originally after my first surgery. Thanks again. I guess all I can so is continue with plan of action and hope for the best.
My husband is two weeks and two days out from a meniscus repair and cyst removal. His recovery has been very smooth but now this weekend his leg is falling asleep and tingling anytime he sits. It is very uncomfortable. We cannot figure out why it would just now be occurring. He has little swelling.
The knee flexion might be clamping down on a nerve, maybe in the posterior portion of the knee? I would talk to the doc about it. If he keeps the knee straighter, it might keep the neurological symptoms at bay.
I had a partial meniscectomy 3 months ago and my knee is still swollen. I had it drained twice and also a cortisone shot that helped for about 3 weeks, but the swelling keeps coming back. Is this normal?? What else can I do to stop the swelling?
I would keep the walking to a small amount (only where you need to go), focus on strengthening the quads, hamstrings, and gluteals (every other day, maybe every third day), and perhaps use a full compression sock that goes over up and over the knee?
My daughter who is 13 had major meniscus repair. She is 5 weeks post op. They have given her the ok to walk with the brace in the straight locked position. She is now having minor to moderate pain on the front lower portion of her knee. Until she started walking she has been pain free. Is this because she has not used these muscles or has something gone wrong? I am concerned because the surgery was so intensive. She had 8 anchors. Thank you in advance for your reply.
Walking in that position can place stress on the patella, but obviously the surgeon thinks that this type of transition is necessary. I don’t think that this is a sign of meniscal damage. I would ask the treating PT if maybe she could start to bear weight in a different way? For example, using crutches without a brace and performing a “step through pattern”????
Thank you for your quick response. The pain on the front has subsided however now she is having pain on the side. She says its moderate. They have ok’d walking with the brace in the unlatched position so that her knee can bend. She is hesitant to do so because she says it hurts. She started hurting after physical therapy. Do you think the pain on the side of her knee would be caused from the movements of getting back to walking or could something be wrong that I should consult the doctor? Because her surgery was so large on the meniscus I am very concerned every time she hurts. Should I have her continue walking so that the muscles and other items get used to moving again? They say at PT that her hurting some is normal however since its in the same spot and not just the whole knee that is concerning to me.
My money is on this just being an adjustment to weight bearing, but if you are concerned it cannot hurt to bring this up to the doctor. It is always best to get an “in person” assessment. If the walking is consistently causing her a lot of pain in the lateral knee, I would keep the walking very light until she sees either the PT or the doc.
Thank you for your quick response. The pain on the front has subsided however now she is having pain on the side. She says its moderate. They have ok’d walking with the brace in the unlatched position so that her knee can bend. She is hesitant to do so because she says it hurts. She started hurting after physical therapy. Do you think the pain on the side of her knee would be caused from the movements of getting back to walking or could something be wrong that I should consult the doctor? Because her surgery was so large on the meniscus I am very concerned every time she hurts. Should I have her continue walking so that the muscles and other items get used to moving again? They say at PT that her hurting some is normal however since its in the same spot and not just the whole knee that is concerning to me.
Dan I had miniscus medial small amount removed 3 years ago. I have done another injury from squating to long in the garden. Back in the same area. It’s 3 weeks post injury I’m waiting 6 weeks untill I see an orthopaedic as I want to avoid surgery and would wait at least 3 months before surgery.
I’m not locking but limping and it can burn towards the end of the day. I’m off my feet as much as possible doing rehab 2x a day building VMO and quads. I started pool work every 2nd day.
My question is do you think PMP therapy (where they take the plasma of your blood and inject it back in injury) would help? Also from your expirence what type of medial miniscus can become improved with our surgery. I still have swelling I’m hoping that 12 weeks would help it.
Do you get more severe medial meniscus patients who skip surgery and get back to some what normal after 3 months of PT and limit of use?
I would give it several months to recover. Based on what you are saying I would guess that you may not need surgery. When I tweaked my meniscus it took a good 3-4 months to normalize. I would even back off the exercises so that you have every other day off.
PRP injections have anecdotally been helpful for knees, but I don’t think that there is much evidenced based research that says this is the way to go.