Cycling after a knee arthroscopy?

pmorgan1

Hey all,

Looking to do the op, which only takes 10 min, and many sources quote a longish conservative recovery time.

I'm thinking quite a few people on this forum must have had the same op.

In practice, how much downtime should I budget in my cycling/running?

Thanks!

greg66_tri_v2.0

pmorgan1 wrote:

Hey all,

Looking to do the op, which only takes 10 min, and many sources quote a longish conservative recovery time.

I'm thinking quite a few people on this forum must have had the same op.

In practice, how much downtime should I budget in my cycling/running?

Thanks!

It depends a bit on how much they hace to dig around once they are in, the amount of swelling, the amount of strapping/compression you need, and your pain threshold. I had my second on done in my late 20s. I was riding on it within a few days and skiing moguls within 10 days.

The first one was a lot longer rehab though.

Blacktemplar

Knee arthroscopy covers a multitude of conditions - recovery time depends very much on what's being repaired, and how much damage there is. I'm presuming it's not an ACL or MCL tear, or even a Meniscal tear/rupture, otherwise you wouldn't be 'considering' it you'd be howling for it! I'm guessing something like Articular wear and tear (the Articular cartilage is the one that sheathes the end of your femur and tibia/fibula and provides a smooth surface for the Meniscal cartilages to pivot against).

If you're fit and healthy (and I presume you are) you should be back on the turbo within 2-3 days, then out on the road in 5-6. That's how it was for me and I'm 52..... I had an Articular cartilage tear repaired last October and I only occasionally get a bit of a twinge now.

However be prepared for (a) tighter than usual ITB as your knee re-adjusts and (b) needing a bit more float on your cleat. I clip out with my operated knee and find myself being a but 'careful' ... just in case....

Running is another matter altogether - anything that's load bearing directly through the joint will be strongly discouraged by your surgeon/physio - cycling is low impact so they'll encourage you to focus on that and stay away from running for as long as possible. Again, depends on the nature/location of the damage.

Whatever you decide, good luck.

pmorgan1

Thank you. Just shaving off a bit of the meniscus. I understand it's the repair that has a much longer recovery.