Knee arthroscopy to repair torn meniscus/cartidge

I had an MRI on my knee and looked like I’m going to need an arthroscopy to repair the torn cartilage. I’ve given it for nearly three months and it’s not settled down and I can’t walk very far and have severe pain even when resting. I’m going to go ahead and have it done ( third time in hospital this year).

What are folks experiences from recovering from this type of surgery, how long before you could get on a bike?

I have had both knees done.Right knee twice and left knee once.
The best advice I can give you is to take your time getting back to it after the op. I rushed after the first op and didn’t let it heal properly before getting back out walking and cycling, resulting in another op several years later.
Do the physio and you should be ok.

Really depends on the patient. I had the same operation ten years ago here in Germany with a doctor who only does knee ops. He told me that some patients wake up after the operation and walk out of the clinic. In my case I was on crutches for about two weeks as the knee swelled and had to have its regularly drained. I could start light pedaling on the turbo after 2.5 weeks ( Problem was getting the knee to bend enough to get over the top of the pedal stroke) and it took about 6 months to get the leg/ Fitness back to how it was before. Haven’t had a problem with the knee since.

Right knee was good after a few days.
Left knee took much longer – months.
Depends on your age, how much damage has been done, what if anything else they do while in there, and probably to some extent how good the surgeon is.

Bearing in mind everyones damage is different, I drove home the next day (only had an overnight as my op was delayed and they needed a couple of hours of obs before I was allowed home)

I was back on the bike within 10 days, gingerly, and haven’t had any issues with it in 6 years since.

I also need this op, but to be honest I’ve been putting it off for years as I can still cycle, walk, run etc., – just not for very long or very far, and certainly can’t put out much power through my left leg.

The thing for me is that as the damage isn’t series (yet) I have a fear of making things worse/having a long recovery.

I had one on my right knee in ’93 and took my time to build it back over the course of a few weeks and its been fine ever since. I had another on my left knee in about 2002 and started doing things straight away, had a very painful blood clot and it took a while to recover properly. I just was over confident and it came back to bite me! Lesson learned….don’t rush back!

Ive been taking Glucosamine for 10 years now, which I’m sure has helped my knees, but now aged 60 I have just been diagnosed with pseudogout which is **** agony!(but thats another story!)

Had it done 22 years ago when i was 16 was walking out of hospital that afternoon had lots of physio was part of a rugby academy so had access to all that stuff and was back playing rugby in 3ish weeks was the end of season and we were in a national final physio/club doctor/surgeon all seemed to tjink it was acceptable for me to risk playingvwould only have to re do the op apparently if i damaged it.

As i said that was over 20 years ago but have had no problems knee is a bit stiff but i think that is more that i spent my 20’s climbing and mountaineering and it hammered my knees.

Sooner you get it done sooner you are back recovering

As others have said, don’t rush back to do anything too soon! (I’ve had 2 ops on the same knee because I went back to work a week after the 1st)
The other thing I would definitely recommend is find a REALLY good physiotherapist, and do everything and every exercise they tell you to do until you’re back to full ‘fitness’.

Thanks for the responses. I was seeing a physio at first who was dead set against me having it at first but I’m now seeing a mountain biker and also the ex-head physio of Liverpool who both think I should get it done ASAP. This has come at the end of a horrendous run of injuries and accidents (that’s for another post)and even if it was a marginal call id have it done as mentally I’m shot having been broken for all the past 18 months and most of the past 3 years.

I’ll take the recovery easy, I’m in no rush and I have access to some of the best physios and they won’t let me get carried away just need to be fit for a half ironman in June next year and lose 4 stone.

I’ve got one of these tomorrow to remove scar tissue following other surgery’s, Surgeon is very confident ill walk out hospital that day, I assumed ill be back to work Friday and riding* my MTB in the evening.

*My knee is properly buggered and have to use an adaptor to ride anyway

I’ve had two on my left knee, 1st was done by a ‘general orthopedic’ surgeon and tbh was a nightmare, took a couple of weeks to be able to support my weight and never felt right.
It was redone about 18 months later by a knee specialist and the difference was astounding – I walked out of the hospital the afternoon of the operation and was able to gently ride within a week.
It took a few months to get to a point that I could pedal out of the saddle up a hill but its been about 7 years now and I’ve had no pain or problems.
I’d definitely say get it done, but make sure the surgeon is a knee specialist.

Similar story here, had left done twice, both more than 10 years ago.

Few days on crutches, few weeks taking it easy, then back in business. I can tell something’s not quite the same left to right but it’s not stopped my biking and skiing.

Was advised at the time not get too into running in my later life as my knees wouldn’t thank me, but don’t think that’s unusual advice!

I’m getting it done by a knee specialist, I’m lucky I can choose who does it, I made that mistake with my pelvis using a general surgeon and wasted 6 months, once I got the right consultant and physio I was sorted. We are lucky in the northwest we have access to some top sports orthopedic surgeons. The guy that is doing my knee does Premiership footballers as well as knackered old mountain bikers so I should be in safe hands.

You need to be clear, is the cartilage beiNg trimmed ( fast recovery) or is it repaired, very slow) Mrs Anagallis had hers repaired end of July, 6 weeks no weight bearing, still walking with 1 crutch. I had mine trimmed a few years ago, week on crutches at most, back on both bike in 4.

I would definitely recommend is find a REALLY good physiotherapist, and do everything and every exercise they tell you to do until you’re back to full ‘fitness’.

This…. And make sure its a sports physio w lots of knee rehab experience – expect the LFC man probably knows knees. Don’t let him overdo it tho if you have had too long off exercise – take it steady building back up. Had a great sports physio after an ACL reconstruction and meniscus tweak, and he thought I was fitter than i was – pushed me a little too hard at the beginning (unlike his usual patients, i wasn’t playing pro soccer and op within a week of the injury)

knee specialist

and this. My knee man was happy to operate, the general orthopod thought i was too old and did hips and other stuff and didn’t really inspire confidence