Knee surgery

Shaun Bowler · Apr 16, 2005

Has anyone out there had any knee work done?
What were the results?
I had "Minscus tear".They removed the tear. Not the Minincus. I have a great opportunity to work at a new place.
I want to be honest with the employer, they want me, but I am concerned.
Have any of you gone through this?

pantheraba · Apr 17, 2005

Shaun Bowler said:
Has anyone out there had any knee work done?
What were the results?
I had "Minscus tear".They removed the tear. Not the Minincus. I have a great opportunity to work at a new place.
I want to be honest with the employer, they want me, but I am concerned.
Have any of you gone through this?

I had my left medial meniscus (tear) removed in 1975..I was 23 then. I had a "bucket handle tear". In those days they made 2 big incisions vertically on the inside aspect of the knee and effected the repair. These days they usually do this procedure arthroscopically, much less invasive.

Mine has done very well. I have avoided any long distance running over the years...especially on pavement...before that, I was a cross country runner.
When I run, it is usually trail running (a more forgiving surface...the pounding of pavement could be a problem...the meniscus is a cartilage that provides cushioning between the femur and tibia).

I have been able to do any activities I want to...rockclimb, treework, snorkel, hike, martial arts, etc.

Proper rehab is very important...I have always worked to keep the muscles strong that protect the knees...quads and hamstrings. Be sure to do that, maintain good flexibility and use proper body mechanics to not put improper stresses on the knee joint (e.g., the femur should always point towards the ball of the foot. If the femur is pointing to the inside of the foot, for example, when you are squatting, you are unduly stressing the knee joint).

Treat it right and I bet you will do fine.

ray benson · Apr 17, 2005

Had medial meniscus tear from running. Had surgery in 1997 at age 45. Arthroscopic surgery 3 small holes, no stitches. Back to work in 2 days as an industrial electrician. It took about a year before it felt 100%. No more running - just bicycling and hiking.

Dadatwins · Apr 17, 2005

Had broken patella and torn ligament in right knee back in the 80's, slipped on a running board of a truck and knocked the patella (kneecap) up into my thigh :cry:

and tore the ligament on the way down. Had arthroscopic surgery at Hospital joint disease in NYC. Few months of rehab and back climbing. Knees are actually easier to recover from after surgery as opposed to ankle or shoulders I was told since they only have move in uni-directional range. Ankle and shoulders move multi-directional. Get the right professional therapy, wear a brace and knee pad to protect the area and you will be fine. Only lasting effect from injury is built in weather forecaster, I know when its going to rain when my knee gets stiff. Good Luck.

Newfie · Apr 17, 2005

A meniscus tear repair should heal up fine. Do the PT that the doctor sets up for you. As already said, learn to strengthen the muscles around the knee as this will aid in supporting the joint.

I was scoped on '96 for removal of loose and abraided cartilage. Helped some but not much. My wife said the other day that a lot of the cartilage "shaving" ops haven't been very successful over the long haul, but that is a different animal from your procedure. Ya'll are making my knees hurt.

texasnative · Apr 18, 2005

i have had two knee surgeries, scoped on one and opened wide on the other. i basically have a bionic knee. yup. i know when the weather is going to change too. not really PAIN, just a minor ache. tore the acl, ripped the meniscus, and mangled the cartilege. the mangled cartilege is what they had to cut me open for. they took some tissue samples of my cartelige when they scoped my knee for the acl and meniscus and were able to grow brand new tissue in a lab for placement in my knee. lots of PT, but my right knee (that's the bionic one) is stronger now than my left knee. go figure. haven't had a problem with it since, and i do climb.

ozy365 · Apr 18, 2005

My day job is rehab. Be honest with your doc and follow advice in rehab. In hundreds of knee repairs, I have had few (can't think of any) people complain about results after rehab is done. A lot of people complain During the rehab. When you talk to the employers you only need to mention limitations the Doc gave you. If you are honest with the doc and get full clearance, federal HIPPA law will cover the rest. This is all offered as non medical/ non legal advice which is best covered by your doc and lawyer :angel: