Hey Rick,I've had the left knee scoped twice and the right one once.I would do the arthroscopic surgery if they recommend it,in 5 weeks I was back to work full-time. One tip...Do the therapy!

I had Pickle Ball once but a round of Antibiotics cleared it right up.

#19 tamapatom

I stopped running long ago...
Because of my KNEE...

Now , I drive slow and walk slower...
Just to PIISS OFF THE SSG...
AND MAN DOES IT WORK.

THEY absolutely hate for me
To be....behind them...
They get all jumpy scared and stuff...

That is ESSENTIAL with any post-op recovery plan. It will hurt doing the therapy. If you don't, you may never recoup full use/extension/rotation/flexion in the joint.

I have had two surgeries on the right and one on the left knee for meniscus tears. I think the big question is how big the tear is. The right knee had a small tear, doc went in and cut out the tear and tried to smooth the cut so it wouldn't tear again. Not much luck on that, had to go back in a year later and do some more work. Right knee works fine now, still enough of the meniscus left to keep running. On the left, I must have torn it awhile before I had surgery. Doc said it looked like someone took some uncooked chicken and beat the crap out of it. I had the second operation on the right knee and the operation on the left knee done at the same time. I went out of the hospital on crutches but was upright. Off the crutches in a few days.

My knees aren't perfect but for a 46 year old they seem to be doing fine. Surgery is much better today than back when kids were getting it done in high school. There are no easily apparent scars on either leg.

David

Sorry to hear of all you brothers who have had or have such problems. It seems the surgery is just to cut out the torn meniscus instead of suturing it back so it can heal? Guess I will find out next week when I see the surgeon.

If I understand the MRI report I have a large tear 9X14 MM on one side a small tear on the other and a 15 MM popliteal cyst with mild osteoarthritis. Been living with arthritis in lower back and many other parts of the body for the last 40 years but that has not stopped me from being active.

One article I read said that surgery should be the very last option and that cold pacs could promote blood flow and healing but they were selling those so I figure that advise was tainted.

Burner your box is full.

Fixed

Rick two OS's on the right and one on the left.Someone said it already but let me say it again.......do the therapy.Do it there and do it at home.

Stop running and hit the pool........your knees will love you long time for this.

The downside to all the OS's is athritis.The upside is during the winter your knees predict weather better than that dude on channel 7..........and they're way prettier.😉 😉

Avoid surgery if possible.
If all you have is tears, and no big floaters, and you're not experiencing mechanical issues (locking, etc) then it's simply swelling and pain.
No more tennis, no more running. There's many other ways to get some cardio work in. It will "heal" in due time.

I had my entire lateral meniscus removed in 1973.............that's what they did back in the stone ages when you tore it.
About 20 years ago, I was at Stanford having that knee looked at.......you can imagine the shape it's in by then, after 20+ years of various sports and follow up injuries, etc.
At the time I was still big into power lifting, judo, skiing, tennis, basketball, surfing, etc.

The doctor said quite simply...
No more running, no tennis, no basketball, no mogul skiing,........oh, and quit the power lifting and lose 40 lbs............and you MIGHT be able to avoid a knee replacement (I was 220+ at the time.)
I took his advice, and I'm glad I did! Although, I only lost 25 of the 40 pounds............still trying to get to 180.........got 15 more to go, but my knee has been really good these last 10 years or so......good being a relative term of course.

^ He obviously didn't tell you to quit playing kick ball. How many you got left under the back deck?

Had a partial meniscus tear in my left knee, laid off tennis and running for a few months while doing exercises that my orthro recommended. Basically strengthened the outside knee muscles. The rest and exercises seemed to work but I cut out the running and returned to tennis. No real problems after that but two shoulder surgeries later and arthritis now in my right shoulder so no more tennis. Getting old sucks!

I have been lucky enough not to have any major injuries DED so I couldn't say if surgery or rest is best here. Did want to say whatever you chose I am hoping it is a speedy and full recovery. My friend from high school was a star soccer player, scholarships and all that good stuff. When he was a junior in college he had a contract waiting for him from a team in europe (I believe it was the b group league, not familiar with soccer leagues) but tore his meniscus that season. He had surgery but never was the same player I guess because he didn't make it to any pro leagues after that. Now he is a physical trainer so athletics is still very much a possibility.

As someone who has run 15 marathons, twice rim to rim in the Grand Canyon and twice up and down Pike's Peak I sure as hell ain't afraid of a little physical therapy. But as others have said getting old sure sucks big time!

UPDATE:

Still running' ...... against the wind ..... against the wind .....

The surgeon says he can scope my knee whenever I decide I have had enough pain.

Ice is your friend.

Deadeydick,

I am not looking for an arguement or a battle
With you...
That said...you Will not like the following words:

I have two very close friends
WHO ARE BOTH A.D.D.I.C.T.E.D. TO RUNNING.
( We are all 60 yrs old)

YOU heard correctly...addicted...

It is just how they and you are wired in your
Noggins...one guy was TRACK and field in H.S.
The other was on the long distance RUNNING team
In H.S....( one of them has" winter light depression"
SYNDROME too) the other is a stick , practically a veegan...both fantastic people...

When they don't or can't run they get depressed and angry...
I am no expert at all but I'm sure you've heard of endorfens...in the brain...
RUNNING gives all of YOU PHYSICAL HIGHS...

One guy is totally fine and healthy, the veegan...
The other has his knew blown out and operated on
And has the light disorder...they both STILL RUN AND WILL NOT STOP EVEN WITH PAIN...

I THINK SOME sort of other activity will keep you in great shape BUT NONE OF YOU WILL GET THOSE ADDICTIVE ENDORFEN HIGHS....from anything but RUNNING.

I would love to see-read such WRITTEN research on your types....I just never googled it...
Perhaps??? there are SPORTS PSYCOLOGISTS Who have WRITTEN thesis's or doctoral studies on your exact problem...I have no idea.

My advice from the beginning was stop RUNNING
Till it heals or you get surgery....
Then get tons of PHYSICAL therapy and stretch everyday....then possibly work back into running slowly once totally healed....
Obviously RUNNING on an injury is not working.

Knee surgery is NO QIUCK FIX and the healing should not be rushed....figure on 8-12 months of ZERO running after "open surgery"...lapel surgery maybe less...

Good luck, sorry you have this problem.
I have lived with a totally torn meniscus for
27+ years, I KNOW THE REAL PAIN THAT comes from it....I WAS NEVER a constantly ingrained running person though...just two times a week was the most ever for 5 years at most...

I appreciate the advice and your concern but you seem to have a few things incorrect in my case:

Meniscus do not grow back so will not heal. As you state you have been living with the problems for many years. Both my regular doctor and the surgeon confirmed this. The surgery would just cut off the torn tissue which can impinge on surrounding structures.

Running is not making the problems worse but the twisting and other forces associated with pickel ball are what caused it in all likelihood. Stopping running will not make the problem go away and it will only lessen the pain somewhat if at all.

I am not on a 40 year endorphin high. Due to major back issues, a motorcycle accident bone surgery and other injuries over the years I have had to stop running for weeks or months at a time and never experienced symptoms of depression, etc.

Although I did a stint as a vegan for a few months once, I am 6' 200 lbs and have never been particularly thin. I have always been an athlete all my life and running is only one of the many things I have always done to stay active.

You seemed to have a problem stepping over a short wall without tearing up your leg. I think you might have a problem. Lol.

It was a loose stone ya basted! 🌫