Viewing 18 posts - 1 through 18 (of 18 total)
  • Arthroscopy Of The Knee – riders recovery time…thoughts & experiences pls
  • Finster
    Free Member

    after many yrs managing the pain…the time has come checking into the nuffield tomorrow.

    been advised i cant drive for 2 weeks, how long have people taken to get back on their bikes??

    simonralli2
    Free Member

    I took it very slowly after having this done in May. I was in Brazil though and without my bike, but I did go to the gym. I began doing just 5 minutes on a sitting down gym bike and slowly built up to 30 minutes over the course of a couple of months. I am no expert, but I really think you should not rush back on the bike, and you will also be given many exercises to do to build strength back up which will help.

    Max
    Free Member

    I had the same after a crash caused something in my knee to rip and afterwards it locked up intermittently. My experience was extremely positive – walking pretty much straight away, riding not long after ie c.2 weeks (but tentatively at first). Pre-op the doc said the same to me – it’ll be 2 weeks before driving – but that didn’t match with what happened afterwards.

    Running took longer. About 20 months before I could run more than 30 minutes without a dull ache appearing.

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    houndlegs
    Free Member

    I can’t help with the bike time thing,(I was’nt riding at the time) but the first time I had this done I was off work for 10 weeks, and the second time I had it done I was only off 4 weeks. No idea why there was such a difference, but I really struggled with the first one.
    As said previously, you will get exercises to do, and I’ve been told by a physio mate that you really need to do these, and don’t shirk off them.

    shadowrider
    Free Member

    I went in for one, ended up having a minor knee reconstruction, as they found it was a lot worse than was thought. 4 months in plaster and a long time getting myself back to fitness, an absolute nightmare at the time, but looking back it was well worth the struggle

    iainc
    Full Member

    I have had 3, all between 10 and 5 years ago. I have hypermobility and had catrtlidge bulges. was riding gently within about 3 weeks and normal riding after about 6. i have found that working on the muscles that protect the knee via wobbleboard etc to be very beneficial. both knees still hurt, moreso when off the bike for more than a few days. i do now spin rather than push big gears and will never singlespeed or run….

    antigee
    Full Member

    had 2 on same knee (more than a decade apart) but think more to do with running than riding, had 2nd op in march and rode up mont ventoux in the summer

    2nd one surgeon very keen on using knee asap (no crutches allowed) and putting through full range of movement and was riding on turbo after a week – about 6 weeks before riding off road though and left it 2months before trying running but it felt too soon and I stopped but feels great now
    Elevation and ice help the recovery and managing doing stuff
    The no driving is just cover for emergency stops and seems routine

    Have done extra quad stretches / strengthening/ balancing exercises and kept at it think improving stability of knee really helps

    Far, far better than the pain and lack of flexibility – but i guess lucky as seem to think joints pretty clear of arthritis

    good luck

    muppet4
    Free Member

    I was 4-6 weeks before i started riding again, took it nice and steady

    MrSynthpop
    Free Member

    Its going to depend on what they do and how well your body takes it but my other half had it done about two months ago and her experience was walking same day with some pain, walking unaided within three days and light gym (spinner bike) for 10-15 minutes 2 weeks after the procedure, she is back up to 60 minute+ sessions at speed on the spinner and elliptical but finds the real bike more of a challenge still. I had it done a good few years back and it took me about 5 months before I felt entirely normal but was riding within about 8 weeks.

    Also you may want to consider knee pads if you’re getting back on soon after a procedure in case you knock the site (the entry wounds may be small but it can be pretty sore inside there)and defo spin rather than grind up hills.

    Good luck with it.

    clarkpm4242
    Free Member

    Depends very much on what they find and do inside 🙂

    I drove home 3 hours after my first op. Was riding gently within the week. Second op on other knee also gentle riding within the week.

    YMMV!!!!!

    Good luck.

    RoterStern
    Free Member

    It not only depends on what they do inside but your own physiology. After my knee op my knee swelled with blood as I had a lot of well developed blood vessels in the knee. Straight atfer the op I could walk with crutches without a problem but the next day my knee swelled up and I couldn’t bend it anymore. It took about two weeks before I could ride again. I started on the turbo trainer with no resistance just getting the knee used to bending again but once I was able to do that it didn’t take long before I was up to speed. What is disconcerting is how much muscle mass you lose in such a short time.

    But the physio told me that some people can walk straight away after the op and go back to work the next day. Just depends on how you are made up.

    bren2709
    Full Member

    Had knee surgery in Feb 2011 was back on turbo trainer 3 weeks after and back on the trail 4-5 weeks.
    Arthroscopy, chondroplasty and microfacture.
    No problems at all.

    wallop
    Full Member

    Could someone please tell me.. what is an arthroscopy and what injuries require one?

    Ta 🙂

    Rorschach
    Free Member

    I rode the 3 peaks cx 5 weeks after debridement of the meniscus…..I would’nt recommend it though.

    BigSteve
    Free Member

    I had mine on the 20th December and I was riding before the new year. Felt so much better.

    Finster
    Free Member

    great quality feedback cheers, the more i rode up to a point the pain eased, now i need ride 3/4 a week at least… plus with commuting or i get bogged down and depressed.

    knee also locks and pops on and off the bike..is this common.

    and still bricking it… i know ill be under but i hate needles.

    Thanks again

    DavidB
    Free Member

    Back in work the next day after Cystic meniscus op. running a few weeks later

    LenHankie
    Free Member

    wallop – Member

    Could someone please tell me.. what is an arthroscopy and what injuries require one?

    Ta

    Technical term for a ‘keyhole’ procedure. With the knee, they’ll usually make three tiny incisions. Two for the surgeon’s instruments to do whatever they need to do and a third for a tiny camera so they can see what the hell they’re doing.

    It can just be investigative, or they may actually go in to fix something. I had an investigative arthroscopy about two years after tearing my acl. I was riding gently about two weeks later, but as others have said, I avoid pushing big gears and running. I think that’s more a result of the original injury than the arthroscopy, though.

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