miniscus tear

[kamranz1973]

i underwent left knee orthroscopy for miniscus tear (removal of broken minisci pieces) 5 years back and recently the same with right knee. i was wondering how will it effect knees in longer run. will it effect walking, running, exercising etc?will i be able to perform sports?during routine walking/running,my left knee gives clicking sounds(but theseare painless, the same which got miniscus removed 5 years back ) is it harming knee?

[kamranz1973]

hi, i recently underwent knee orthroscopy, for miniscus tear, and later doctor told me to rest atleast 4 weeks, unfortunately, i  rested 2 weeks and started physical activities, running and all,...now im in pain. once i run, the knee gets warmed up n its ok, but later it starts paining, especially on inner side of knee and back. once i fold the knee, and then open leg, i have to press back of knee to  straighten it up, wonder what has gone wrong?once i rest 2 days or so, it improves but recurs after every running session. what should i do?take up swimming or cycling, less susceptible to injuries?any suggestions,less going to doctor again please???

[Dr Sharma]

Hi there. Your postoperative period after arthroscopic meniscal repair needs to be taken care of by physical therapy. The main focus is to decrease the swelling, regain full range of motion and build muscle strength. The typical rehabilitation plan includes six weeks in the brace, performing non-weight bearing range of motion exercises. After six weeks, patients begin weight bearing and other exercises for another six weeks. Low impact exercises are started at 12 weeks with full exercise at 16 weeks. Return to sports Guidelines is rigorous and you must seek your orthopaedician’s clearance to be able to perform sports specific drills at top speed.  You must take certain precautions before returning to sports as if you must be pain free, no swelling, full range of motion, full or close to full strength and you can perform full weight bearing on injured hips, knees, and ankles without limping.  Hope this helps. Take care.