Arthroscopy / knee cartilage

[mrodders]

Am booked for one of these this week. Have torn cartilage & a cyst in my knee that needs "cleaning up" though have to confess, I still don't really understand what this is.

Anyone any experience of one of these?

How long before I am back in the saddle - for my 5m commute as much as any thoughts about winter training?

Any advice on post-op exercises?

It's my birthday soon after. Will I be fit to put my annual claim in to the wife?

[Roy Gardiner]

I had arthroscopy in 1995 for torn cartilage.

Recovery will be in weeks rather than months. You will be able to ride gently before walking is comfortable. But don't push things.

Make sure you talk to the surgeon afterwards in a follow-up appointment. Ask him what is the short and long term prognosis, are you going to get arthritis, if so when. Make sure he answers you, the baskets won't if they can get away with it.

If he says yes to arthritis in due course, then

- start taking glucosamine sulphate and cod liver oil
- avoid all impact exercise like running.
- follow Fausto Coppi's dictum; don't stand if you can sit.
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[Stotti]

Start your rehab exercises more or less straight away - you want to minimise muscle wastage. Obviously gently at first, aiming at regaining full motion as the swelling eases. After the swelling has gone down, loads of VMO work.

Good news is that cycling is great for rehab, start on an exercise bike (or turbo in trainers) doing 5 mins, then 8 then 12 etc and within a week or two you'll be out on the road.

Also you may feel the knee is dead strong after only a couple of days, but be careful as you can overdo it at this stage. Just be progressive but not too quickly.
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Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.

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[AMW]

I had one six weeks ago I was walking one day and had a lot of pain and the knee would not move properly.I saw the consultant on a Friday MRI the following Tuesday and the OP the Tuesday after. They removed three bone fragments that were jamming the joint. I did have a small infection after the op and this slowed things down with the recovery. Saying that with the help of a physiotherapist and the surgeons OK I was back on the bike in two weeks.

If you are having bits sewn back then longer my younger son had cruciate , Posterior and Anterior ligament patched back together (cricket was the cause). It has taken 18 months for him to get back to full fitness.

Andrew
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[paterson]

How's the recovery going? Did they do a repair or a partial removal?
I found it helpful to use the leg machines in the gym at very very low weights to get my strength back. Cycling was no problem, running was...mainly due to there being less cartilage to protect the bones.
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[Roy Gardiner]

[andyjohno]

I had what the consultant descibed as a substantial amount of my medial meniscus (cartlidge) removed on the 8th oct. I was back on the bike within a week on the turbo just spinning small gears with little resistance, Ive built it up steadily from there and Im now able to ride 50/60 miles at a time non stop with no pain. Just listen to your body.