Complex medial meniscus tear

[Cora]

Anyone else here who’s had a complex medial meniscus tear and treated it conservatively? Would be curious to hear your stories.

I’m 34 (recreational but very passionate player) and was diagnosed with a complex medial meniscus tear a few weeks ago, which I’ve probably had for 2 years now. I’m still able to play, pain is manageable but recently Ive been having a catching sensation when running or just walking. The knee is not blocking though. Doing Physio 1/week now.

Anyone else here (in the same age range) who had a similar experience? Thx

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tennishabit]

try high pressure cooking 30min some pork/beef/lamb hocks n eat the watava chewy stuff around the bones/joints which might not very appealing to a lot of ppl but very tasty/yammy to me, 2 c how u go. i've been eating those 'butcher's throw away' since my early teen n i've never experienced any 'structure damage'...........lolololololol manohman.................

 

[tennis347]

Anyone else here who’s had a complex medial meniscus tear and treated it conservatively? Would be curious to hear your stories.

I’m 34 (recreational but very passionate player) and was diagnosed with a complex medial meniscus tear a few weeks ago, which I’ve probably had for 2 years now. I’m still able to play, pain is manageable but recently Ive been having a catching sensation when running or just walking. The knee is not blocking though. Doing Physio 1/week now.

Anyone else here (in the same age range) who had a similar experience? Thx


//uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20191003/1ea889d87463bc93aae2786025a9939e.jpg




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I had a minor tear to the medial meniscus and underwent an arthroscopic surgery about 10 years ago. The recovery was good. A complex tear is rather large and I don’t think you can treat that conservatively without surgery. You have to be careful because your knee could lock up. I would strongly consider surgery if you want to continue playing tennis. The problem you will face is arthritis down the line because a lot of the meniscus will need to be removed during surgery. I would strongly getting examined by an Orthopedist. Continuing to play will be problematic!

 

[Cora]

I would strongly getting examined by an Orthopedist. Continuing to play will be problematic!

I was of course seen by a dr, that’s how I got the mri and the physio prescription. [emoji846]
if you do a bit of research, not all meniscus tears require surgery... maybe you had a bucket-handle tear...

I was curious if anyone else managed to play long term with mechanical symptoms like catching but no locking? And whether the catching disappeared at some point?






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tennis347]

I was of course seen by a dr, that’s how I got the mri and the physio prescription. [emoji846]
if you do a bit of research, not all meniscus tears require surgery... maybe you had a bucket-handle tear...

I was curious if anyone else managed to play long term with mechanical symptoms like catching but no locking? And whether the catching disappeared at some point?


True, not all tears require surgery. But if there’s catching or locking, that’s a sign of considerable meniscus tear. Conservative treatment will strengthen the muscles around the knee but not repair a meniscus tear. If you plan to continue playing tennis, I believe that the surgery is the only way to clean up the tear. Unfortunately, once you have a meniscus tear, you are prone to developing arthritis. I am not sure if a knee replacement is in my future at 52, but it will not be a surprise after sustaining a meniscus tear. Good luck!





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[RogueFLIP]

I'd address probable trigger points and soft tissue restrictions which have developed esp in the adductors and gastroc region. Gastroc region some might be very up in the popliteal space, both areas can be very tender so be careful. Foam roller or small soft balls should be a staple as part of your fitness routine.

These soft tissue restrictions can def contribute to the "catching" sensation; as it's good you don't have any "locking" symptoms.

PT can be good for starting to strengthen the legs, but believe me you're going to have to try to keep knees, ankles, and hips as strong as you can get.

While strength is good, flexibility is probably going to be more important, IME.

Good cushioned shoes.

Develop better footwork, so that doesn't just mean get in better shape endurance wise, it means learning to be lighter on your feet and using more efficient movement patterns.

Proper dynamic warmup.

It's certainly feasible to avoid surgery, but you'll just have to put in more work if you want to go the conservative route.

Good luck.

 

[Cora]

It's certainly feasible to avoid surgery, but you'll just have to put in more work if you want to go the conservative route.

Good luck.

Thanks a lot! [emoji4]

 

[azrael201]

Curious what the symptoms of a complex tear is like? I've been having knee pain that seems more than just patellar femoral syndrome.

 

[Cora]

Has anyone tried shockwave therapy?

if strengthening and mobility exercises don’t seem to help much, is there anything else one could try before turning to cortisone? (Apart from PRP...)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[time_fly]

IMO you should get it cleaned up. I have had 2 meniscus surgeries, one in each leg, similar location to yours, and no conservative treatments worked. As long as you do your post-op inflammation management and physical therapy properly, the recovery should be relatively easy. In a partial meniscetomy there is really nothing to heal except the minor incisions so you just need to get that inflammation down and get the muscles around the knee functioning properly again. In my first surgery I didn't really understand this and recovery took longer. In the second surgery I was sure to keep an "ice machine" (cryotherapy cuff) going around the knee as much as possible for the first week after surgery (and I still used it a couple times a day for several weeks after that) and do all my stretches and exercises as often as possible, and I was back on the tennis court in around 6 weeks.

 

[Cora]

IMO you should get it cleaned up. I have had 2 meniscus surgeries, I was back on the tennis court in around 6 weeks.

I know recovery is quick, but the tear I have seems quite extensive and would require trimming a lot of the meniscus... I’m 34... don’t want knee replacement at 50...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[time_fly]

I know recovery is quick, but the tear I have seems quite extensive and would require trimming a lot of the meniscus... I’m 34... don’t want knee replacement at 50...

I understand, but if your knee is inflamed all the time then the torn meniscus isn't doing its job and is causing more problems than it is preventing. You can try some conservative therapy and then decide with your doctor.

 

[SteveI]

I understand, but if your knee is inflamed all the time then the torn meniscus isn't doing its job and is causing more problems than it is preventing. You can try some conservative therapy and then decide with your doctor.

This is great advice. In both cases (both knees) for myself. I was getting swelling and range of motion was an issue. On the other hand.. I had one knee done at 52 and the other at 58. In both cases.. I had no incident. It was just old age. I had worn the meniscus down and created holes. It needed to be trimmed. It would not have gotten better on its own in my case(s). The knee is a very complex joint and I have heard many stories of meniscus tears. Everyone seems to be different. There are many factors to consider pre-treatment, treatment and post treatment. Take your time and ever see another doctor to see if they agree.. if they don't.. see a third if possible.. talk to a sports PT also..

Good Luck... I hope you have an outstanding outcome.

 

[Cora]

Can anyone tell if the tear below is what they call a root tear “with extrusion/avulsion”?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk