Torn meniscus cartilage, again :(

Aerosam

I've been to see the doctor (GP) this morning about knee pain after running. Turns out out ive torn my meniscus cartilage in the right knee, for the third time. It been surgically repaired twice, and the last time I got told that if I tore it again, there wasnt enough cartilage to repair and it would all have to be removed.

So basially if I have further surgery on it, I can look forward to arthiritis in 5-10 years, being only 30 years old this isnt something I want.

The GP has referred me to the orthopedic specialist who did the last 2 surgeries, so far just for a consultation to discuss other possible options. But in the meantime has prescribed ani-inflammatories and told me no running for a month, limited cycling, but on the plus side I can swim as much as I want.

Has anybody on here had ALL their knee cartialge removed and been able to continue a fit and active lifestyle? I only really got into health and fitness this year and have been enjoying it so much. TBH I'm completely crestfallen that I may have to give up the cardio element that has been the very enjoyable cornerstone of my fitness for my whole weight loss and fitness journey.

shano25

Sorry to hear this happening to you, I can't give the answer you are looking for, but I look forward to seeing what people have to say as I have torn cartilage in my knees so many times in my teens and 20's, I lost count. It stinks. I rely on walking, yoga, and swimming for fitness now.

Senneth12

Get a second surgeon's opinion before having another surgery. If at all possible, have your second opinion be with a dr in another town.

Good luck. Injuries suck. Since he told you swimming is fine, I'd spend as much time as possible swimming. The stronger you can keep your muscles, the better off you'll be.

Aerosam

Yep, planning a good swim tomorrow morning.

I'm going to talk to the consultant about possible meniscus transplant. Might not last forever but is better than a full knee replacement, which I think is going to be inevitable for me eventually...

Will update via this thread when I have some further information.

Aerosam

Ok so I saw the knee specialist this morning, and the news isn't all bad.

Having looked at the picture from inside my knee from the last time he was in there, the last tear was pretty bad, he suspects I've torn the same cartilage again and indeed, it will have to be removed completely. On the plus side, the surface of the bones in my knee joint were in very good condition, and he is keen to preserve that. I have an MRI scan next Wednesday and a follow up appointment with him on Friday to discuss the result. If the scan confirms his diagnosis then he is recommending the rather unusual procedure of a full cartilage transplant.

I'm not sure how I feel about this, it's a major surgery with an extended recovery period (starting with 6 weeks of no weight on the leg at all) and I'm not sure how I feel about having a donors cartilage in my leg. It's also a relatively new procedure so there have not yet been any long term (longer than 5 years) studies on its long term effectiveness, but those few that have had it done have had no real problems since. I also have to consider the alternative, not being able to run, long term damage to my knee joint, arthritis and eventual knee replacement.

It's a lot to take in today.

KANGOOJUMPS

that sounds painful, hope you get better,

Yeller_Sensation

/raises hand enthusiastically.

I had surgery three times on my LEFT knee more than 20 years ago. The third one removed the entire meniscus because it was completely destroyed. I was only 19.

A specialist I saw in 2006 was emphatic that I get my knee replaced, which I agreed with but I am still unwilling to do so for a variety of reasons. I have had persistent pain since 1981 and I have learned to live my life around it.

Where physical fitness is concerned, all impact sports and exercises are an absolute no-no for me. I don't jog, jump rope, or do aerobics. CrossFit, Jillian Michaels' library, Insanity and P90x are completely out of the question.

But I lift heavy--from a bench and an exercise ball. I squat and do deadlifts, too. I just do them VERY carefully and concentrate on my form instead of personal records. And I always have a compression brace around my knee during every workout.

I also ride my bike. I don't ride as much now because I am working on muscle gain so cardio is at the barest minimum (read: only when I feel like it).

I have a vague idea of what you are going through mentally and emotionally. Don't despair. Medical science has progressed way, way, WAY beyond what it used to be in the late 80s/early 90s. If you want to be able to enjoy running again, you can and you will.

All the very best to you. :flowerforyou:

TheRainIsGone

It's an investment and you'd want to get your specialist's approval first, but if you're wanting cardio with no impact you might consider an aeropilates machine, they have a trampoline on one end that allows you to "jog" on your back, with bungee cords as resistance.
I'd still prefer swimming myself, if I had access to a pool. But it's an option, anyway. If you've never seen one and are interested, check them out on youtube.

Grimmerick

if you don't get a lot of omega's in your diet you might consider taking a fish oil supplement, the surgeon I work for love's the stuff.

sheshe2774

Wow I've torn my meniscus in both knees so this is scary. I've only had to do cortisone shots. I've gotten 3 in my right & 2 in my left since 2009. I try to be very careful when working out so in high impact classes I always do the modified movements. Were your tears so bad that cortisone wasn't enough? I'm hoping this is not what I have to look forward to in years to come.

CyberEd312

I have Grade 3 osteoarthritis both knee's, no meniscus left either knee, no cartilage left either knee and I shredded my ACL in my left knee 2 years ago... I have had multiple knee clean outs on both knee's, and have been getting knee injections for the past 10+ years. I have been putting of knee replacements for the last several years but now that I have gotten the weight off my ortho dr. is ready to proceed, I just haven't joined his frame of mind yet still fighting the inevitable.... I currently wear custom fitted DonJoy OA unloader braces on both legs while exercising.... I too spend plenty of time in the pool as well as using elliptical, AMT, Seated Elliptical, and am thinking of taking up cycling but I do still like to do treadmill and hit the metro park for walks and my ill failed attempts at jogging when my knee's will allow it... I am past the cartilage replacement stage, i have to much bone damage (arthritis) so if I was you I would do my do diligence and thoroughly look into this options. But most definitely explore all options while they are still available to you.... Best of Luck to you.....

lustergirl

I had my meniscus completely removed last December. For me because of my weight and age the doctor decided to remove it entirely instead of repairing. Taking it out is less time to heal. My knee has bothering me again lately so I know what you are going through. I started the c25k program and had to stop because of my knee.

Good Luck!!

kgirlknits

I had a bucket tear in my RH lateral meniscus early this year and had to have it removed. Due to wait lists, it was approx 8 weeks between the injury and surgery. The healing from the surgery was relatively short, but rebuidling the atrophied muscles is ongoing.

I have had regular physio from the date of the injury, through the waiting period and post-op/ongoing. Initialy twice a week, backing off to once a week and now every fortnight.

I've been advised long term no running, jumping, or high-impact stress on my knee to stave off the onset of arthritis and the inevitable knee replacement for as long as possible. I still lift weights, do RPM classes, swim, use the eliiptical trainer (cautiously, as it can inflame my knee), but all under supervision of my physio and trainer, who have been amazing.

In the last 8 weeks, I started getting pain under the knee cap, which has been decided is due to the weakended quad muscles not keeping the knee cap in alignment, so I'm also doing additional work on those specific areas (and having more rest days)

good luck - it's not the end of fitness for you, it might just require some good management to make sure your can be physically active long-term!

Aerosam

Ok after meeting with the surgeon this morning, having had a second look at the MRI scan on my knee, he thinks I have a tear in the cartialge around the back of the knee joint, which previously had no damage. Theres good news and bad, the bad news is I'm not requiring a transplant at this stage as my remaining cartilage looks in fairly good shape (apart from the tear). The bad news is that I am going to have to have surgery to investigate and repair what damage there is.

He's not 100% sure as the MRI scan isnt completely clear. Hopefully its not too bad, but i'm not really going to find out the full extent of the damage and how long my recovery is going to be until after the surgery, which is scheduled for a week Friday.

I'm going to train like a madman till then. Afterwards I'll only be able to work my upper body for a while, and might end up a funny shape.

klegalleyfitness

I’m curious what happened? As this was awhile back now. I’m 39 I have RA tore my MCL PCL LCL And ACL playing softball when I was 25 right leg
Had major reconstructive surgery and a cadaver graft acl. Huge runner 6-9 Miles a day plus many races -1/2 marathons. Then boom tore it in October 2019 just running on my treadmill. Surgery for a repair dec 2019 /FAILED repair and a waste of 6 months and PT. (I was on crutches 12 weeks instead of 4) it sucked being a nurse and home with three kids & a police officer husband on 12° nights. Second surgery in June 2020 to remove the meniscus and save as much as he could. Good clean articular cartilage thank god after all that!
Ran out of PT and now I’m 5 mo post second surgery it’s catching painful I can barely walk 3 miles (all symptoms of when I had a tear) I’m at a loss for what to do. I’m depressed. I’ve gained 20lb from depression and lack of the normal activity I’m use to. Any tips? Should I have it all removed? I can’t live like this. It’s been a year and I have zero improvement and two surgeries & three mris (I’ll probably need a 4th to see what’s going on AGAIN) help 😞☺️

Chieflrg

One of my lifters had his cartilage removed 30 years ago when that was more the norm.

He is still able to barbell squat and play competitive level tennis in his 50s.

Yes he experiences arthritis in his 30s which isn't uncommon and was tolerable as years came and went. Strength training is very beneficial to help in these cases as long as you use so form of regulation and proper load management.

sijomial

@klegalleyfitness

Not sure if my experience helps as knee injuries can have such different outcomes but here goes anyway.....

When I was 31 I was knocked off my motorbike and had a complete and irreparable tear of my PCL and a "bucket-handle" tear of the lateral meniscus. The majority of the cartilage was detached and blocked the knee joint.
Had surgery (eventually!) to remove nearly all the meniscus, just a tiny rim left.
Surgeon was very pessimistic - "you're disabled, get used to it, your capabilities will be restricted and expect a total knee replacement by age 50".

Rebuilt a huge amount of muscle that was lost waiting for surgery (strong quads are very important for stabilising injured knees). Spent quite a bit of money on a specialist articulated knee brace which stopped the knee slopping fore and aft during sport due to the missing PCL. Took up squash to recover my lost speed and agility and played for ten years at a decent standard.
Things I couldn't do were impact/contact sports, running on hard surfaces wasn't sensible. Uneven surfaces were difficult to run on but I did run further than I ever had before (for a challenge as I've never liked distance running). Balance was never as good compared to before the injuries.

Gave up running in my mid-fifties as even short distances caused too much soreness but by then was cycling seriously. Now I'm 60 and been missing that cartilage and ligament almost half my life. I cycle on average 100 miles a week and apart from not running (unless to catch a train or get away from zombies) and not being able to go very heavy on leg press or squat (my knee goes bone on bone and squeaks in protest!) it's really no great impact to my life. I exercise a lot and am very active without much soreness at all.

Tips would be keeping trying and experimenting with different exercises to see which give you a good return on investment without excessive soreness, keep your legs and quads in particular strong and lastly do not allow yourself to gain weight as that's only making your situation worse. Losing 30lbs made a big difference to my functional ability and also pain levels.

MikePfirrman

I shredded mine off the bone at 42, literally. When the surgeon said, you don't have a meniscus left, I was like, what do you mean? He's said it's "not repairable". I hadn't even heard of that. Now, at that time, until the separation (I didn't have an ACL and the knee came apart), I had an otherwise healthy knee. But I had so much damage that the surgeon told me he did 300 surgeries a year (the guy was a serious workhorse in Cincinnati) and mine was easily in the top 5 worst cases he saw that year, but I was too young to do a complete reconstruction back in 2006 (they only lasted 20 years back then). The good news was he said I had no arthritis in that knee, something unusual as I blew the ACL in 1988.

They drilled little holes all over it and replaced the ACL (long overdue). I suppose some of it grew back. I'm extremely active 14 years later. I row on an indoor rower 6 hours a week and do an Assault Bike all the time. The only thing I can't do is heavy barbell lifting. Knee feels like it will come apart.

I even got to the point rowing that I was regionally competitive in indoor rowing competitions (2nd place in the Midwest for my age group and was closing in on 7:00 2K times at 53).

But, I take supplements and have no pain. Other than being really hard to come down stairs in the AM when I wake up, it's perfectly functional. I also can only lift about half the amount with that leg.