Torn Meniscus

[MacLaren]

Good morning gang.
As the title says, I believe I have torn the meniscus on my left knee. Symptoms are spot on.
Not too surprising either. I've had a lot of knee injuries in the past to include total reconstructive knee surgery with a cadaver for an ACL.
I'm just wandering what the down time will be if surgery is needed?
I will try to see an orthopedic surgeon tomorrow, but all the same I'm just wandering if anyone here in Spyderland has had the same injury.
Thanx!

[The Meat man]

Hey Paul, sorry to hear that! Hope you get fixed up soon. Thoughts and prayers are with you.

[MacLaren]

Hey Paul, sorry to hear that! Hope you get fixed up soon. Thoughts and prayers are with you.

Thank you so much Connor!

[ChrisinHove]

Ouch. No idea, but I saw plenty of knee injuries playing rugby, and many curtailed playing careers ... good luck and best wishes.

[Doc Dan]

What a bummer. Can you exercise it out? There are some exercises that you can do if it is not too bad.

[RLR]

Tore my Achilles. Non surgical route took months. Still bugs me 11 months later. Whatever you do follow Physio guidance 100%. Good luck. Tears suck.
Obviously not the same thing, but do your research on invasive v non invasive. Lots of white papers on it.

[MacLaren]

Ouch. No idea, but I saw plenty of knee injuries playing rugby, and many curtailed playing careers ... good luck and best wishes.

Thanx bro.

[MacLaren]

What a bummer. Can you exercise it out? There are some exercises that you can do if it is not too bad.

Yesterday I could bend it, today not so much.
Luckily my Uncle had a set of crutches,so I use them to walk when I have too. Think I'm just gonna rest it today and ice it.

[MacLaren]

Tore my Achilles. Non surgical route took months. Still bugs me 11 months later. Whatever you do follow Physio guidance 100%. Good luck. Tears suck.
Obviously not the same thing, but do your research on invasive v non invasive. Lots of white papers on it.

Correct. A lot of good info.
Depends what grade of tear it is really.
I think he'll at least need to use a scope to see or maybe an mri would tell

[Naperville]

On a late Winter evening in 1995 while at college I was running with a 60lb pack in a total whiteout snow with some of my military friends and I stepped wrong, and tore my meniscus. It hurt for a couple of days and off I went to healthcare to see what they could do.

They diagnosed it as a small tear. The DR to see me was the same DR that worked on all of the athletes at the university. They had me lie on my back on a table and allow my leg to drape over the DRs arm, and he gently pulled straight out from the femur. The tissue that had been stuck in the meniscus break was released from the tear and the pain immediately went away.

They told me that my days of skiing, running with weighted packs, and squats with weights was over unless I had surgery to correct the tear. If I pursued the aforementioned activities, I would have huge problems.

I've been in martial arts(hapkido, escrima), but stayed away from re-tearing it.

EDIT: I worked in construction and played ice hockey for a decade before the age of 25. I managed to avoid having my knees scoped and the meniscus surgery by avoiding the athletic activities.

[p_atrick]

I had a different injury and went the non-surgical route of Platelet Rich Plasma injection. You see this treatment used a lot for MLB for pitchers trying to avoid Tommy John. Your own blood is drawn and spun to get a subset of the platelets. They are injected into the trouble area and will cause your body to regrow tissue and heal. In a couple of weeks I was on the mend. I feel better than ever. The only downside is that, for me, it wasn't covered by insurance. If this is an affordable option for you, I would recommend it.

[MacLaren]

On a late Winter evening in 1995 while at college I was running with a 60lb pack in a total whiteout snow with some of my military friends and I stepped wrong, and tore my meniscus. It hurt for a couple of days and off I went to healthcare to see what they could do.

They diagnosed it as a small tear. The DR to see me was the same DR that worked on all of the athletes at the university. They had me lie on my back on a table and allow my leg to drape over the DRs arm, and he gently pulled straight out from the femur. The tissue that had been stuck in the meniscus break was released from the tear and the pain immediately went away.

They told me that my days of skiing, running with weighted packs, and squats with weights was over unless I had surgery to correct the tear. If I pursued the aforementioned activities, I would have huge problems.

I've been in martial arts(hapkido, escrima), but stayed away from re-tearing it.

EDIT: I worked in construction and played ice hockey for a decade before the age of 25. I managed to avoid having my knees scoped and the meniscus surgery by avoiding the athletic activities.

God, I so pray mine might be fixed like that too!
I skied for 10 years among other things.....so with all those football injuries and skiing too, here at 49 years old it is time to pay the piper I reckon.
I just absolutely HATE having to sit down! Lol.....

[MacLaren]

I had a different injury and went the non-surgical route of Platelet Rich Plasma injection. You see this treatment used a lot for MLB for pitchers trying to avoid Tommy John. Your own blood is drawn and spun to get a subset of the platelets. They are injected into the trouble area and will cause your body to regrow tissue and heal. In a couple of weeks I was on the mend. I feel better than ever. The only downside is that, for me, it wasn't covered by insurance. If this is an affordable option for you, I would recommend it.

Yeah! I hear ya! I would LOVE to go that route.
Patrick, could you please pm me with what I might be looking at if I went that way?

[Naperville]

God, I so pray mine might be fixed like that too!

I skied for 10 years among other things.....so with all those football injuries and skiing too, here at 49 years old it is time to pay the piper I reckon.

I just absolutely HATE having to sit down! Lol.....

Maybe they can fix you up in under 10 minutes, and you can avoid surgery too! But you will have to give up skiing and a few other activities.

Let the DRs provide possible courses of action, and then you have a decision to make. They may have to scope you just to tell how significant the damage is.

All the best to you.

[p_atrick]

I had a different injury and went the non-surgical route of Platelet Rich Plasma injection. You see this treatment used a lot for MLB for pitchers trying to avoid Tommy John. Your own blood is drawn and spun to get a subset of the platelets. They are injected into the trouble area and will cause your body to regrow tissue and heal. In a couple of weeks I was on the mend. I feel better than ever. The only downside is that, for me, it wasn't covered by insurance. If this is an affordable option for you, I would recommend it.

Yeah! I hear ya! I would LOVE to go that route.
Patrick, could you please pm me with what I might be looking at if I went that way?

PM sent.

[benben]

Classic sign....does it hurt more to go downstairs than up?

I tore my left medial meniscus 7 or 8 years ago, internet said I’d be good as new in 11 or 12 weeks, obviously the internet is wrong! :rolleyes: :rolleyes:, it’s NEVER been close to the same since!

Good luck, hope you have better results than me, knees absolutely suck!

[SG89]

Sorry to hear that Mac, wishing you a speedy recovery!

[MacLaren]

Classic sign....does it hurt more to go downstairs than up?

I tore my left medial meniscus 7 or 8 years ago, internet said I’d be good as new in 11 or 12 weeks, obviously the internet is wrong! :rolleyes: :rolleyes:, it’s NEVER been close to the same since!

Good luck, hope you have better results than me, knees absolutely suck!

Thanx ben :)
I hope you heal up completely man.

[MacLaren]

Sorry to hear that Mac, wishing you a speedy recovery!

Thanx SG, thats the game plan :cool:
Let's just hope it works

[James Y]

MacLaren,

Wishing the best outcome for you, and that you heal up better than ever. Sending positive thoughts and energy your way...

Jim