plansrme Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 I would welcome meniscus stories. My gymnast daughter has competed a full season of level 10 with a torn meniscus. She is having another MRI right now, and we have a consultation with a surgeon next week. I would love to know, especially, if you have had one heal without surgery or, if you had surgery, what the recovery time was like. This is a tear in the back, not on the side. We are going to have to decide very soon whether to have it repaired or just see what happens, and it is really difficult to find information on anyone else's experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snickerdoodle Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 Maybe you can find some info here or contact them for more info.. http://gymnastcare.com/getting-started Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 I had a small tear in college and managed it conservatively. I was majoring in physical therapy at the time and did have some help from a professor and my PT major roommates. There are too many variables to give you any advice. You can read up by googling conservative management of menisal tears. Hope she is on the road to recovery soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 Sorry for phone typos. Meniscal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 Here is an article about it from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery http://www.aaos.org/news/aaosnow/oct09/clinical2.asp That article relates more to the effect on the meniscus if the acl is not repaired, so somewhat different than op's scenario. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted May 15, 2014 Author Share Posted May 15, 2014 There are too many variables to give you any advice. And that stops anyone on this board, umm, never? Would love any input anyone wants to offer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 Sorry, not trying to be vague. There are times it can be managed without surgery. Googling will pull up some info on conservative management. It really just depends on the extent of her injury, any li genius involvement, location, etc. I had locking for weeks afterward that could be relieved via joint distraction (phys. Therapy friends and faculty pulling down on my leg to create more joint space, temporarily freeing up the loose body of cartilage). I didn't mean to brush you off...it is sometimes possible to do PT and manage it conservatively, but most people end up having surgical repair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 Gah. Hate typing on phones. Not Lil genius lol. Ligamentous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 I tore mine in the Army 20+ years ago. I chickened out on the surgery. Back then, if I ran on it, I'd be limping for days. However, when it happened I was almost out with no intention of running ever again. I could do everything else without issue. To this day, that knee nags me a bit if the weather changes. It doesn't stop me from walking, hiking, caring for my disabled son, or dancing 8+ hours a week. I couldn't do serious ballet, or trust it for repeated leap landings, but since that type of stress rarely comes up in bellydance, it doesn't effect my life too much. I do feel it more during very active weeks. It's been so long, I don't remember the exact type of tear I have. I'm guessing it's not TOO bad or I'd have more trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueTaelon Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 I tore mine at 18 in both knees in a bad fall and waited a year for surgery. Wish Id had it done right away but I was terrified of the surgery. By the time I had the repairs I had clearly visiable arthritis they saw while fixing my knees and it limits my mobility to some extent, I cant carry weight very far or stand for long periods without causing a flare. I can also predict rain a week before it happens now due to the pain it causes. The surgery was really no big deal, recovery time on the 2nd knee was almost nil. I walked out of the surgery center much to the irritation of the nurses but I was just so darn excitied I could finally walk! I was doped up on moraphine(sp?) So I didnt feel that mistake for a few hrs but I was off vicadin in a week and fully recovered in a month. Delaying treatment can cause further injury, I was almost at the point of needing a knee replacement but I tore a few other things too:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 I hurt my knee last summer playing pickleball with my dad (he was thoroughly kicking my butt). We stopped playing and a few weeks later, I went in to my GP. She did the Marshall test [?] and said, "Oh, did you hear that click? That means a torn meniscus." She scheduled me to see the orthopedist. He tended to agree it was a torn meniscus (the x-rays weren't conclusive), but we decided to wait and see if there were more problems. I googled a bunch and tended to agree with the torn meniscus diagnosis based on what I read. Anyway, after a couple more weeks, and some funny feeling tweaking, I called back and he scheduled me for an MRI. The MRI -- now more than a month after playing pickleball -- came back clear. For several months it still tweaked weirdly at random times, but after awhile it started to lessen. I'm now back exercising, which for me includes power walking for 3-4 miles with some interval training (short jog/sprint spurts) sometimes. So far so good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truscifi Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 Well, I had surgery to repair a complex tear in the anterior horn of the lateral meniscus in my right knee 2 months ago. While they were in there they found a plica and removed it as well. The doc made it sound like 2 weeks, good as new. Apparently he meant good as new for someone who is only lightly active. I still have stiffness and swelling when I am on it for more than an hour. I have been back at karate for a month or so, but still can't kick well, or do squats, lunges, anything that puts a lot of strain on my leg. On the plus side, even with all that it hurts less than it did pre-surgery (and I couldn't do all that stuff after the injury anyway). Dh had a simple tear of his left meniscus when he was in his early 20s. The doc he saw then recommended waiting because that type of tear in a person so young had a good chance of healing on its own. It did and he was fine for several years until he reinjured it in karate when he was 31. He had surgery and it took 2-3 months for him to be back to normal, and not really back to pre-injury state for almost a year. I do agree with pp that it is hard to give any recommendations without more info, but at your dd's age it might well heal on its own if she gives it time. She may not want to take it easy that long though. Is she seeing specifically a sports ortho? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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