Possible meniscus tear?

[TheAhmazingShortie]

Well, about a year ago I had torn my meniscus and had surgery on it and had some of it removed. A month after that surgery, I started marching band and only iced during music rehearsals. Later in the year, my knee had started to hurt again while doing things. I also did a lot on the wii fit one day and that made my knee hurt a bunch as well. This summer though, I have been swimming a lot and there would be nights I would get home and my knee would ache for more than 30 minutes. I have now started marching band again, and it now hurts very much like it did before. One day it ached almost the whole time that it was so bad I cried. It hurts on the inside of my left knee kinda close to the patella but not quit. So, I am wondering, could this be another meniscus tear? 

[TheAhmazingShortie]

Heh, well, I never actually did PT. So I wonder if that could be a reason too. I thought patella femoral was usually anterior though? I could understand that it could be that though. I just know that Motrin doesn't help to get rid of the pain and some days it hurts really badly that if I put weight on it, it's a very painful ache. Do you know what could help get rid of the pain? Other than pain meds?

[Michael L Gross, MD]

Two possibilities are a retained, or even new meniscus tear, or incomplete rehab following surgery causing ongoing patella femoral symptoms. Teh quadriceps muscle controls the patella, and it is usually the last to recover fully after knee surgery,  See your treating doctor, he may elect to restart you PT, or repeat your MRI. Be aware, that post-surgical MRI's are not always reliable, so that would not be my first choice.