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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
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    Sandy
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    5,151

    Meniscus class of 2012

    Bucket handle tear. Surgery 2 days ago, cartilage was trashed so they cleaned it up. what's my outlook here?

    Another question, I was running my DIN at 8 (rec is around 6-7) , I've found I walk out at lower dins. Skiing some nice powder, then it turned to
    funky windblown and I buried a tip. For the clairvoyant, would a din a click or two lower have made much of a difference? My understanding is people do their meniscus's in on the basketball court, etc. when the foot in only planted flat, so I suspect the dynamics of the crash/body position did me in vs. the din...

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    Last edited by sfotex; 04-14-2012 at 09:44 AM.
    When life gives you haters, make haterade.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Posts
    33,440
    If you are bowlegged, it can become a persistent problem of knee misalignment. If not, you should be fine.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Posts
    69
    Splat - what is bow legged as i am having issues recovering from my meniscus trim and apparently i have "A natural 5 degree varus, which seems to be mainly due to tibial bowing"

    What does that mean as my non operated knee clicks lots and seems to click a LOT more since the scope on the other?

    thanks

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Posts
    33,440
    Let me guess - you did your medial meniscus?

    It appears to mean a greater likelihood of blowing the medial due to the bowing. At least it did for me. I was recommended to an expert who outlined all this, as it threw my knee joint 3-4mm out of line. The 'cure' was to cut a wedge out of my tibial plateau and put more weight onto the lateral meniscus. The thought of doing something like that kinda repulsed me.

  5. #5
    doughboyshredder Guest
    Just got the MRI today to confirm doc's suspicions that I tore the meniscus snowmobiling 1 1/2 months ago. In the same knee I had ACL repair on last April. Not really looking forward to another surgery. This will be my 3rd knee surgery in a year. ACL on the right knee, then Arthroscopic on the left knee, and now meniscus on the right knee.

    Makes me think about taking up a different past time.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Posts
    3,173
    What were your symptoms that you couldn't ignore, dbs?
    "The skis just popped me up out of the snow and I went screaming down the hill on a high better than any heroin junkie." She Ra

  7. #7
    doughboyshredder Guest
    Mostly a numb feeling which would turn in to a tightness and sharp pain when bending the knee back. Starting at about 90 degrees. I thought I just tweaked something but it just didn't get better. Thing is I don't remember dooing anything specifically that injured it other than just a minor tweakage while tandeming a friend up to a drop in spot. Didn't even hurt real bad when it happened.

    Sent from my PantechP8000 using TGR Forums

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Posts
    69
    Quote Originally Posted by splat View Post
    Let me guess - you did your medial meniscus?

    It appears to mean a greater likelihood of blowing the medial due to the bowing. At least it did for me. I was recommended to an expert who outlined all this, as it threw my knee joint 3-4mm out of line. The 'cure' was to cut a wedge out of my tibial plateau and put more weight onto the lateral meniscus. The thought of doing something like that kinda repulsed me.
    yeah medial went - although it was 'shredded' so seemingly due to wear and tear as opposed to some specific trauma. Is there anything i can do PT wise to try and make the knee joint more lined up? If i go for meniscus transplant will this help to get the joint back into better alignment as at the moment the knee is worse since i had the scope, its just sore sitting around let alone walking!

    thanks

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Posts
    33,440
    Stem cells worked for me. A much more sure thing than a transplant.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Posts
    69
    Quote Originally Posted by splat View Post
    Stem cells worked for me. A much more sure thing than a transplant.
    perhaps not on this side of the pond i dont think

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    snow country, Japan
    Posts
    906
    I think I am in the same boat.

    I did my right medial meniscus back in the day and had it sutured up. My right knee has been fine since. However, I can feel my left knee recently. The biggest change to my workout routine is I have been running 3-4 days/week from 5k-8k. I havent done anything too out of the ordinary, but running on it seems to have made it tender.

    When I look at both my left and right knees I can see what looks to be a very, very slight bruise at the exact spot on my left knee where my scar is on my right knee. I am going to go get an MRI done on it and see what the doc says.

    Any mags had similar experience? What's the recovery? 6-8 weeks? Cheers for any advice you might have.
    パウダーバカ!!

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Alaska
    Posts
    466
    Going in Wednesday to get my right lateral meniscus checked out. GP said it's torn, but going to see the ortho now. There was no specific injury either. I think it was just worn out and couldn't take the added stress I've been imposing on it lately. I had lower back surgery at the end of January, so since then, I've been making sure to use proper lifting techniques which means a lot of deep knee bending. Had the medial meniscus cleaned up back in 2000, had my patella cleaned up in 04, and had a lateral release and microfracture done in 06. Add in all the gout attacks I've had in the knee and things are kind of messy. Not a great time for this to happen either, since I'm staying at home working and raising our twin girls right now (they were born 3 days after my back surgery).

    Been an interesting last six months.....

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Alaska
    Posts
    466
    Grade 3 lateral tear confirmed by physical and ultrasound investigation. I'm actual going in for an MRI Friday morning to see just how bad. Gotta say, the more I use it, the worse and less stable it feels. Thought I may be able to tough my way through this, but it locking like it did yesterday and with the pain and giving out today, it needs fixed.

    Cool thing - the doc I saw today was the German National Soccer Team Doc for years, along with being the doc for Bayern Munich and other German National teams. Really cool office with all kinds of signed memorabilia - even Olympic medals. Great guy and easy to talk to. Best doc I've seen in Germany yet. I also saw him for my back surgery referral back in January. Speaking of that, having my sacrum imaged after my knee since the discs below my L4/L5 are now starting to hurt (turns out I have a non-fused sacrum, so an extra mini disc. kind of a vestigial tail). Lucky me.

    So, anyone want a free place to stay in picturesque Bavaria in exchange for some babysitting? I may need the help if my wife can't get the time off from work!

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    risin up to paradise...
    Posts
    352
    I just tweaked my knee yesterday on the first swell of the season...Popped up on a wave, planted my front foot and pivoted to get on the face and felt a clear pop. Not that painful, but this morning it hurts bad to rotate my lower leg. Im hoping it's just a tweak, but???

    Question is I leave for Mexico in three weeks for 3 months to surf. Can I just be mellow, and do home pt to minimize pain/discomfort in the knee?? It seems like a lot of people are functional with this injury?? Just looking for more info as this is still so acute right now. Maybe I'll just give it a few days and hope for the best...

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    puzzle factory
    Posts
    60
    I guess I'm a graduate now too. Had a bucket handle tear removed last week. Doctor thinks I'll be fine and it already feels pretty good.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Tahoe-ish
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    3,141
    I'm a member of this and the ACL class. Instead of removing it, my OS repaired my medial bucket handle tear. The upside is that I have a smaller chance of arthritis later on, and better prognosis for full function. The downside is that I'm off my feet for 3 (more) weeks, and can't bend my knee past 90 degrees for 6 weeks. It's a slow recovery, but worth it I hope.... Check out the Youtube videos: the way they stitch them back together is pretty badass.
    ride bikes, climb, ski, travel, cook, work to fund former, repeat.

  17. #17
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Posts
    33,440
    I had bucket handle tear stitched and the re-tore it five months later. There is a simple test for medial meniscus tears one of the docs or pt's showed me. If you run your finger along and under the inside of the patella, there's a mini-ligament or something that will hurt if your meniscus is messed up. The spot, on me, is just about the center of my kneecap as draw my index finger up along the bottom side of the kneecap. You'll feel your finger roll over it. If you find it, you can roll over it and back a couple times and see how it feels.

    Maybe one of the orthodocs can tell me if I'm correct on this...

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Helsinki, Finland
    Posts
    49
    Hi Guys,

    Take it easy if you had major meniscectomy. Without the menisci, the forces on the knee joint are concentrated onto a small area, leading to damage and degeneration of the articular cartilage, a osteoarthritis.

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    London
    Posts
    345
    +1. 1 graduate of the 2012 class. Had surgery yesterday. The prognosis is that I will be able to walk again without crutches in a couple of days and resume impact sports in about 6-8 weeks, which (fingers crossed) should be ok to avoid miss a bigger part of the season...
    The beatings will continue until morale will improve.

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Tetons
    Posts
    629
    More than likely flipping my tassel with you all... MRI results pending in the AM.

    Nevermind - back to the ACL class...
    Last edited by gointhedistance; 10-24-2012 at 08:45 AM.
    -deej
    I'm against picketing... but I don't know how to show it...

  21. #21
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    west tetons
    Posts
    2,090
    Weighing in here myself: MRI yesterday, surgery tomorrow for lateral meniscus.

    Off to hospital right now for labs etc. Since I am over 50, I need to have an EKG as well. Never mind that I climb the grand teton 7 times a summer, ski guide etc. It's the rules.

    Good news is that the hospital is 4 blocks away, small and competent. Love me a small mountain town that sees a lot of sports injuries.

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    London
    Posts
    345
    10 days after surgery now. Started walking without crutches after 3 days or so. For the last two days however I got back the exact same sharp pain and stiffness that I had before surgery... Same spot on the front side of the knee, dubled by pain at the back of the knee. Has anyone else experienced anything similar? I expected pain, but not really the exact same one as before surgery...
    The beatings will continue until morale will improve.

  23. #23
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
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    Tahoe-ish
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    Quote Originally Posted by irbis View Post
    10 days after surgery now. Started walking without crutches after 3 days or so. For the last two days however I got back the exact same sharp pain and stiffness that I had before surgery... Same spot on the front side of the knee, dubled by pain at the back of the knee. Has anyone else experienced anything similar? I expected pain, but not really the exact same one as before surgery...
    I had the same concerns. In my case it hurt right on the meniscus when I bent my leg off to the side in bed. It was worrisome, but after about 4 weeks it pretty much went away. I'm 5 weeks out now and it only very occasionally hurts a little. Meniscus takes a long time to heal, and until then you have the same tear along with some stiches (assuming you had a repair, not a removal).
    ride bikes, climb, ski, travel, cook, work to fund former, repeat.

  24. #24
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    London
    Posts
    345
    Quote Originally Posted by climberevan View Post
    I had the same concerns. In my case it hurt right on the meniscus when I bent my leg off to the side in bed. It was worrisome, but after about 4 weeks it pretty much went away. I'm 5 weeks out now and it only very occasionally hurts a little. Meniscus takes a long time to heal, and until then you have the same tear along with some stiches (assuming you had a repair, not a removal).
    Climberevan - I had a removal, not a repair. An update: almost three weeks after surgery I am not really feeling I am making much progress. The knee is still swollen and the first attempt to work out with weights was not a success. Leg press was ok, but leg extensions with small weights were causing a very sharp pain in my knee cap area. The initial forecast was that I would be back 100% in about 6 weeks, but almost 3 weeks into it I haven't yet started any significant physical exercise - on advice from the physiotherapy guys who think we should first get rid of the swelling...

    Has anyone has the same problems? Similar experience?
    The beatings will continue until morale will improve.

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