torn meniscus

[K409G]

I guess I tore my meniscus in the knee and need to get surgery done. I was curious if anyone knows the recovery time and how long untill I can be physically active again. Ive tried researching but some sights say a few days and others say a few weeks on crutches. Anyone with experience?

[Shibby]

It depends if there going to try and stitch it or if they have to remove it. If they remove it then just the amount of time it takes from them putting holes in you. If it gets stitched then it will take a few weeks on crutches so you don't put presure on it. Putting weight on it can tear the stitches out. Also to repair it, the meniscus has to have a sufficiant blood supply at the tear.

[Timma]

Just like Shibby said. I had surgery about a year ago and they had to fix it. So I was on crutches for like 3 weeks. If they can take the piece out, you'll be on your feet that day. A guy at work had that and said he waked out of the hospital.

[bonebreaker]

20 years ago, it was common practice just to remove the enitre Meniscus if torn. Which meant by the time you were in your 40's, you either had to have a replacement knee put in, or live with instability and pain. My oldest son had a torn ACL which they planned to replaced with a cadaver tendon, plus when they got in with the scope, they found his Meniscus was torn also. They made a video of the entire procedure, which was very neat. They just clipped the ragged pieces of the Meniscus away, then sutured it back together. He had to wear an immobilization softcast for 6 weeks, then was able to begin re-hab. He should be back to 100% in 5-6 months or so. BB

[Shibby]

How old is your son? Did the doctor do hamstring graphs or just pattella tendon? From what I understand using a donor graph is rarely done anymore. Usually only in kids that are still growing and they don't want to mess up the patella tendon. Now the hamstring tedon graph is most popular but there are still some doctors that don't do it. The donor graph is expensive and you have the risk of rejection by the body.

[bad14u]

Re: torn meniscus

Originally posted by K409G
I guess I tore my meniscus in the knee and need to get surgery done. I was curious if anyone knows the recovery time and how long untill I can be physically active again. Ive tried researching but some sights say a few days and others say a few weeks on crutches. Anyone with experience?

Was it a partial tear or a complete tear? I have had a partial tear which the doc said I could walk out that day but since I was having my ACL replaced at the same time there was no way I was walking out!

[bonebreaker]

Originally posted by Shibby
How old is your son? Did the doctor do hamstring graphs or just pattella tendon? From what I understand using a donor graph is rarely done anymore. Usually only in kids that are still growing and they don't want to mess up the patella tendon. Now the hamstring tedon graph is most popular but there are still some doctors that don't do it. The donor graph is expensive and you have the risk of rejection by the body.

He's 31. The Dr. used a cadaver donor Achilles tendon. He had the option of using part of his own, but then he would have had to re-hab two items. There used to be some tissue rejection using donor tendons, but that rarely happens now with all the new meds and tissue typing. More and more, people are using donor stuff like this. This was done by a very good Ortho guy From Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, NC, (Wake Forest University).

[psychojr36]

i tore both menisci and completly tore my acl and tore my mcl. it isnt really a stich its tacs that they put on it to hold it to the bone. my recovery was about 2-3 months but thats also because i had the acl done. but in therapy i couldnt prgress alot with my acl because of the menisci. so srry i couldnt help u all i remebr was it hurt alot :D :agree: