Torn cartilage

[Guss109]

As above really any advice? Went for my mri results today and have been I've torn the cartilage in my knee only problem is I can't afford a month off to have keyhole as the wife is on maternity. So any help or advice

 

 

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[kcstevens]

Knees are a ba$¥ard. If you push through the pain/take pain killers/strap it up whatever, short term yeah brilliant you're financial better off by not taking the time off work... I promise you it'll bite you in the ass long term. Borrow a sub from family or friends to cover work loss and have the keyhole mate

 

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[kcstevens]

I know the timing is terrible with your family but it's better than causing long term pain that ends your career (potentially). If you really really can't have the time off just keep dosed up on pain killers and anti inflammatories, and where a knee support to keep the area warm...

 

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Edited May 15, 2017 by kcstevens

[Dave177]

Had this last year, I went for about 9months without getting the surgery. It went from being painful to limping, not being able to climb to struggling with druving right before the operation.

Be warned, when they say 4weeks it really isnt. 4 weeks and you will be walking without a stick, but it will still be tender. I didnt climb for about 6months after the operation and only started feeling 100% after about 9 months. Still gets a bit sore and stiff from time to time. How long have they given you till your operation date

[muttley9050]

Cant be the same for everyone . I had the operation a few years ago and walked out of the hospital later in the day. Never needed crutches or a stick, i was back a work less than 2 weeks later on light duties and in reality feeling better than before the op.

My advice would be to get it done as soon as you can. My knee locked up at work in an awkward position before the op and it could of been very dangerous in a different situation. As it was i was in a loft and just about managed not to fall through the ceiling. Wouldn't of wanted to be in a tree with a chainsaw when that happened.

Edited May 15, 2017 by muttley9050

[Guss109]

Had this last year, I went for about 9months without getting the surgery. It went from being painful to limping, not being able to climb to struggling with druving right before the operation.

Be warned, when they say 4weeks it really isnt. 4 weeks and you will be walking without a stick, but it will still be tender. I didnt climb for about 6months after the operation and only started feeling 100% after about 9 months. Still gets a bit sore and stiff from time to time. How long have they given you till your operation date

 

 

I'm at the limping stage already and the pain has spread to my hip most of the time. No date as yet as I am using private health insurance so it could be reasonably quick.

 

 

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[GardenKit]

I had this done about 15 years ago. I saw a consultant within a week of the 'lock up' during which time I was on crutches. The consultant said 'you need an operation, come in tomorrow' so I did.

 

The pre op nurse found I had super high blood pressure (another story) so could not give me a general, so the op was done under local so I was able to watch it on the monitor!

 

Op was done at about 1pm and I walked out at just gone 5pm with no stick. They sent me back with a box of pain relief which I never needed, and I was back in the office the next day. Back to full use within a couple of weeks.

 

I guess some just go better than others and I was lucky.

[Loler UK]

Hi, i've been on quite a journey with my knee and am lucky to live with and know many medical professionals so before i answer i just wanted to ask a few things:

 

What surgery did the previous posters have? to walk out the same day as having some of your hamstrings removed and grafted onto your knee sounds like nothing short of a miracle!? equally miracle like if you had a new groove ground into your femur

 

Guss what treatment options did the surgeon suggest/ discuss with you? different procedures have their pros/ cons but as far as further damage goes most of the latest research concludes their is no benefit in early intervention for most types of knee surgery but every case is different.

 

My first bad dislocation showed i had no femoral groove, torn meniscus, cartilage and ligament damage, i was booked in for a follow up consultation after 6-9 months of Physio to see if I could strengthen what remained and to allow my body to dissolve the loose cartilage by it's self. I hit the physio hard every day and within 3-4 months i was what would usually be considered fully recovered (if i were an office worker) but the pain was always there up&down and certain activities/ moovements were still off the cards

 

9 months later with 1-2 hours EVERY DAY doing physio bar the odd rest day when i'd pushed it too far it was decided we'd continue without an operation seeing as i was skiing at a pretty high level without excessive pain and with an exceptional ROM, but did had to limit any sessions on the jumps, airbag etc 18 months later i was fully recovered with only occasional pain after extreme exertion/ impact.

 

24 months later i had a 70mph skiing accident and did some more damage, i'm 3 months on from that now and my recent MRI showed a very large chunk of cartilage missing, allot of fluid, including a cyst in the back of my knee, one ligament in 2 pieces and 2 more with +50% tears. the nature of this 2nd injury has been very different, last time i couldn't operate a clutch and had to buy an automatic van, this time i can operate a clutch but there are many MANY more things that i could do 3 months in last time but cant do now, the pain this time is allot worse and still wakes me every night.

 

I was very hopeful my recovery would be like last time, let the body so it's thing and heal naturally which went very well but this time the consultants think i will need some extensive surgery, grafting my hamstring on, relocating the patella lower down and cleaning out the muck. They did say they have seen cases of pro footballers being back to full playing strength after 6-9 months of post op rehab. I have the option to carry on limping around to see what the body does by its-self over these next 9 months then re-MRI and decide which procedures would still be beneficial or to be rushed through sooner.

 

So long as i don't severely re-dislocate it the chances of causing further damage is slim but once i have the op i will not be operating a clutch for 4-8 weeks and wont be climbing for 4+ months so timing will be key.

 

My advice would be to divulge all your thinking and situation to your consultant and see what they advise, if it's just a arthroscopy to clean up, get a better view and not graft anything then your recovery will likely be days/ weeks.

 

Good luck with it all and hope you have a speedy recovery

[DANWILL]

Physio therapy

Build muscle around knee to offer support .

Painkillers mask pain which in turn further injures the problem, get op ASAP ...

 

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[gensetsteve]

I had a medial meniscus tear and had keyhole surgery. The person collecting me forgot to bring a wheel chair up so l walked the half mile on crutches. I was driving the next day but it was the right knee so no clutch work. Climbing trees and in out of machines no chance for a week or two but did everything else. Recovering from the op will probably give you less grief that what you are coping with now. Watch the doc does not sign you off work otherwise your insurance is invalid.