due to have both my knees dodgy meniscus operated on. would very much appreciate any input on your experiences, recovery time, good bad or indifferent?!

Thanks

How old are you?

Left knee was done in 1996. Walking tentatively the next day. Took maybe 3/4 months to strengthen back up and good as new ever since.

I’m just getting back to hill running at the age of 45 so I’m happy to report that the op was a success.

Very open ended.

Missus has had 2 one walking the next day the other was more stuff removed and about 6 weeks recovery.

Had 3, between 10 and 7 yrs ago. First time on left, second both at same time a few yes later. Done in bupa hospital, walked out without crutches. Achy and sensitive for 2 to 3 weeks, then OK for gentle riding. Back to full use after about 6 weeks. I still am not convinced I needed them done as have since got a better handle on the issue by a good physio looking at root causes.

I had my right knee done after a ‘bucket handle’ tear about 8 years ago. Couldn’t walk for a day or so, couldn’t drive for a couple of weeks. riding again after a few weeks. Absolutely fantastic. No problems at all since and have to really think about which leg it was. Went in to hospital in the morning and was home by lunch and bored by tea time.

I had ACL reconstruction about 6 years ago. The first op was to clear out all the buggered bits, was walking on crutches pretty much immediately. I was back in about 4 weeks later for the reconstruction but IIRC I was getting about OK-ish by then.

Had my left knee done in the beginning of January this year. Went in for a cartlidge repair and woke up to fund out there was nothing wrong with the cartlidge but significant scar tissue on the acl which need removing. Went in at 8 and walked out at 2. The knee was initially stiff but no pain afterwards. I had found out i couldnt take the codiene phosphate painkiller as it made me feel in was on a boat all the time. A couple of paracetomol was enough to get by. Hit the physio after a few days which could be done at home. Back on the turbo (gingerly) after 4 weeks. Knee feels good now 6 weeks on, still numb down one side, but better then it was mechanically. I started a similar thread if you check my history. Good luck. Hope it all goes well.

awesome, cheers guys.

Had bucket handle tear done about 5 years ago. All great now…
Apart from the thing that old people used to say about feeling the damp in their bones and you being youthful thought it was a load of rubbish – well I get that in my knee now.

Depends on how much thrashing about they do inside. Mum has had both done, spent two weeks on crutchesanother two weeks partial weight bearing and was just about back to normal after 6.
Going to see a oorthopaedic surgeon on Friday as my so called Grade 2 tear is not getting any better, still on crutches and have a very unstable knee.

I had a tear trimmed early Dec and can echo most of above. However still not 100%, still exercise caution on the knee and still not back to pre Dec levels. Perhaps thats’ normal I’m not sure but I’m defo taking it easy still compared to before. Hard to explain, its fine day to day but not quite got confidence to up intensity yet. Still hurts deep when i fully squat down for example.

twice same knee (50 something)- 1st time private as employer paid and got excellent physio and excercise regime – 2nd NHS 15 yrs later but no post op support but guess that varies by area but would seem essential
2nd surgeon anti crutch just get using it – road on turbo after a week gentle spinning. Got a book called Treat Your Own Knees and did some balance board and muscle strengthening – did Mont Ventoux 3months after op. Off road bit cautious probably no go for 2months or so would say.
Having said all that believe results can be variable depending on how much scrape out and what damage there is.

i had one subsequent to a crash at the fifst bontrager 12/24. Hobbled out of hospital and was weihht bearing from day one. Only took a few weeks before i was back on the road bike.

Had my first arthroscopy when I was 17 on the left knee, was supposed to have both done when I was 22 but only had the left one done, had both done wen I was about 28. The second one was the worst – it was supposed to be just an arthroscopy, in and out same day, but I woke to find they’d done a bi-lateral release and I was in for 3 nights.

I had to give up Tae Kwon Do after the second one, took up mountain biking a couple of years before the third. It definitely reduced the pain – they still have their days though, and I’ll probably have to have to have them done again before I’m 30 (my consultant says I have rubbish cartilage like a 70 year old). There are some things I can’t do on a bike – I can’t do the attack position or mash up hills, for example.

My knee was never quite the same again after a meniscus repair – it’s only about 8 years later, after a couple of years of limited riding, and then lots of road riding (which has REALLY sorted out my pedalling) that it feels completely okay again. touch wood.

Walked out fine after a fairly big carving. Was uncomfortable for a day or two then mostly fine. However never a good as before the op. The knee can be agony and long walks are awful. I need to fit knee braces before walking off the hills.

My dad had one about 3 months back. From his point of view its been nothing short of miraculous. Better than he could ever have expected. He didn’t need the crutches for more than a day or two. With the physio he was back on the golf course in a few weeks. To his immense joy!

Had an arthroscopy and meniscotomy (sp?) in 1993. Basically removed one of the meniscuses in my left knee cos it was torn and the wrong shape anyway.

In overnight, strapped up for about a week, physio for a few months. Ever since it has been ‘iffy’; cycling’s fine but I have to be careful with saddle height, football and skiing make it swell to the size of a, well, football.

To be honest, it’s getting worse and I keep meaning to go back and see if anything can be done…

I messed by knee up in 1991 aged 19, and in those days you were stuck in a cast for 3 months and they decided not to reconstruct. Treatment has really moved on since, and had further ops and things have been fine for 5 years now although can’t run, ski etc, it always feels `weak’ and the arthritus is painful when the temperature drops. As above, its possible you will be up and about very quickly as long as there are no complications and depending on what they actually find. I actually beleive in listening to your body post op and not necessarily forcing the rehab in the first few days.

I got my meniscus trapped in my left knee in August 2012. Because I couldn’t walk the NHS got me to the operating table in about three weeks, which was a week faster than I could get a first consultation with a private doctor. I think they maybe had to do a bit more on mine than usual so it was about a week before I was walking without a stick. I went back after a week and the doctor told me to get back on a bike as soon as I could. I tried on ordinary bikes but it didn’t feel good so I used the Brompton to begin with and kept on the level. It was about six weeks before I could climb a serious hill on the mountain bike and then it had to be seated and I was constantly aware of the knee. It has taken until late Jan for me to ride without consciously thinking about the knee all the time.

It’ll be ok…good luck

I had mine done arround 2007. They found soemthing swollen and cut if out but it wasnt cartilage.

2 tiny incisions just below the kneecap (camera in one side, tools in the other apparently).

Walked out of hospital, then once the morphine had worn off spent the next 3 weeks in agony (and out of my tree with painkillers) on the sofa.

I could swim pretty much as soon as the painkillers had worn off, was just told to get some liquid skin/paster stuff to make sure the incisions didn’t get infected. Walking took about 6 weeks to be able to limp, but after that things picked up rapidly (I think swimming helped a lot just letting it flop arround in the pool doing front crawl), I remember my physio looking shocked (about 14 weeks) that I’d jogged a mile into the hospital rather than get the bus!

The physio mainly consisted of walking up and down stairs foreward/backeard/sideways very slowly to build up the muscles evenly and get the knee tracking in a straight line, and lots of stretching.

I did mention to the consultant as the cartilage had been fine then was the opperation nececary with hindsight and was it possibly just the enforced rest that had helped it. He agreed that it was possible but equaly it was good to know eeverything was fine and he didn’t think I was the type to rest it voulenteraly anyway.

I got diagnosed with Posterior Horn medical menisucs tear yesterday!

Had tried 2 physios and my GP both just said that I had tight hamstrings from cycling and gave me exercises.

It kept getting worse and went to a sports injuries specialist yesterday who said straight away that meniscus was torn.

My trouble is that I have entered a lot of long distance rides this year which i really want to take part in, so if there is to be surgery i want it done now, but there does not seem to be any rush even privately, it is here is a few exercises, come back in 3 weeks, trouble is each time i do the exercises I then can’t ride for 3 days after due to the pain!

Thanks for all the great responses, operation on both knees friday went well, back up and walking without too much pain at the moment, thank god there is some cycling on the tellybox tho, i wont be out for a wee while!

peace