Torn Cartilage (minicus tear) & lateral release.

what brakes

HI

I had an op to repair my torn cartilage on the 9th Sept. My knee is still really painfull and im waiting for a date for an MRi on the other knee to confirm the same op will be needed for that!

Im also in need of a lateral release!!!

So a few questions regarding both if you will.
1) How soon after op did you manage to get back cycling?
2) Do you still have trouble/pain?
3) Has it reduced the distance/frequency of your cycling?

If you had a lateral release how did you get your doctor to agree to it? As my Surgeon said in the past 5 years he hasnt refered any and wouldnt refer anyone for it!!!!

LeighB

I had an operation on my right knee to repair/clean up a torn cartilage in 1998. Have not had any problems since the operation and do not get any pain. I have done plenty of hilly training rides, completed a few sportive rides and have done a few time trials (slowly). I also run three or four days a week and have done a few fell races; I do run mostly off road so again I have not had any more than the usual aches and pains you get when pushing yourself. Once you’re fully recovered I am sure you should be ok to resume cycling to whatever level you want to go to.

cwm

Had ops in may and back on bike after 6 weeks after torn cartilage on left leg and acl reconstruction on right leg,both done same day.
ACL is tight as,but had been having swelling issues up until last week or so with cart leg after prolonged/hard exercise,
ibrufen and ice pack helped(as advised by consultant) but all seems good now.
thought the acl would be the long healer but aslong as i dont be a dick that should be ok.

give it time and it will heal

Yossie

As above: following too many years of footy, lacrosse and huuuuge motor bike crash, I've had ACL/MCL reconstruction (including pinning a la Gazza - ie drilling holes in things and threading things through to make new ligaments) together with follow up cartilage snipping in the right knee, meniscus damage and cartilage snipping on the left knee.

Maybe 5/6 arthroscopies over the years, two major operations on the right knee (6 inch scars either side of the knee cap).

Many, many miles of riding in the rain, snow, sun - no problems at all. Climbing is no issue and I'm still as shyyyyte at sprinting as ever, so no change there.

Running is fine, diving is fine, lugging big heavy things about (for example full dive kit, weights, associated tat related to what I do when diving) is fine as well. I've given up footy, lacrosse and squash due to twisting and turning on the knee concerns.

Army medical (Royal Engineers) also gave me the full a-ok following the surgery for Service - they just asked me stop jumping out of things due to slack ligaments. But getting shot at is fine ……….

Only thing I get is rheumatic dull pain when its cold and damp, so only an issue 3 months a year - generally solved by sitting in front of a fire and having a few ales and a packet or two of pork scratchings. Deep heat also does the job.

Re length of time off bike: 6 weeks on crutches in immobiliser, maybe 2 weeks getting some movement back into the leg in the pool after that (still on crutches), then back onto static bike and getting rotational full movement going (couple of sessions and you'll be fine). After that, off you so long as you are careful. Then build back up to full mileage and recover muscle wastage.

Its all case dependant really - if its just an arthroscopy (key hole) exercise, then probably a week or two then go back onto the turbo/physio's bike.

I would recommend not going cleated for the first couple of rides - allow your knee to settle down, don't push it, ice and elevate afterwards. Steal a cryo cuff from somewhere - they are excellent.

Just don't push it and go with what your body tells you - two weeks longer recovery os better than jazzing it all up putting you back 3 months ….

HTH

Y

what brakes

It sounds promising then which is good.

I had miniscus/cartilage repair and snipping along with a patella debribement. Im still getting pains under the patella when walking up stairs etc and get pain when twisting the knee. As said im waiting for the same to be done to the left knee. then a lateral release of the IT Band.

Im borrowing a mates rollers to get back into the motion without putting any real stress on the knee, Im hoping this will rebuild abit of wasted muscle and get back some base fitness as ive been of the bike for over a year! Its been 20months since a car hit me and only just had 1st op! for past year ive struggled with walking! which has caused alsorts of aches n pains.

Fingers crossed things are going to start getting back to normal, and then hopefully i can get back to my regular 100mile rides.

keef66

Both knees done when I was 35-ish. Identical tears so identical cartilage trimming. Done arthroscopically so very quickly up and about afterwards.

Right knee went again at 50-ish. More aggressive trimming of meniscal cartilage (not much left now apparently) and a bit of debridement of the articular cartilage. On holiday 10 days later, but 3-4 weeks till I was back on the bike. Took 3-4 months for complete recovery, but after that I was good as new in cycling terms. Left knee is now the one that I'm worried about; periodically feels like I've got bits of lego stuck in the joint, so I'm sure it's going to go pop sometime soon. And I get quite a bit of patellar pain now, so I suspect they could both do with a spot of dremelling.

Orthopod reckons I'll need total knee replacements by the time I'm 60 :shock: ; I've got 6 years to go!

izza

cwm wrote:

Had ops in may and back on bike after 6 weeks after torn cartilage on left leg and acl reconstruction on right leg,both done same day.
ACL is tight as,but had been having swelling issues up until last week or so with cart leg after prolonged/hard exercise,
ibrufen and ice pack helped(as advised by consultant) but all seems good now.
thought the acl would be the long healer but aslong as i dont be a dick that should be ok.

give it time and it will heal

I had similar ops on both knees. Took 3-4 weeks off then built up carefully and 8 weeks after op did AMR L2P.

My consultants' advice - the less you do at the start the more you can do once back in rehab.

Take it easy over this winter and then start building up muscles ready for riding next year.

beverick

Hmm, that's a difficult one and I think depends on the extent of surgery and the collateral damage caused (your age and initial level of fitness also impact recovery).

With my first meniscal tear I was back in the saddle after 6 weeks with 6-8 weeks steady build up to pre-injury performance. I required physio provided non-surical LR four and six years later. Each episode saw me off the bike for 6-8 weeks with steady build up after that.

In 2005 I had an op which included reshaping the same meniscus and microfracture to mitigate cartilage damage on femur (ie drilling several small holes in the end of the bone!). Looking at the diary, it was 8 weeks before I was back in the saddle and then it was gym work with the physio. I can't remember exact dates but, looking back at the appointments, I was back on the road bike about 12 weeks after the op. I had further patella issues about 8 weeks after that and six weeks further physio. I had the op in the March and the last physio session the following September. I assume it was 9 months after the injury before I was back to previous riding levels.

The knee failed again in April and bascially that's it, no possibility of further surgery, physio has no effect so the 10 mile commute (which I can only really manage 3 days per week) is about my limit. It's a bit of a come down from the 200 miles per week I was doing this time last year.

Bob