Has anyone had a Meniscus Repair Surgery??
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A meniscal repair is a lot more delicate than a simple arthroscopic debridement. I would say that most I have seen have been in a brace...but it is surgeon dependent.
Swelling and stiffness of the knee is still common at this point. Full range of motion should come over the next 4-6 more weeks. Intermittent swelling, however, can last up to 6 months to a year post op.
perhaps i have but im 14 so im not sure yet
My daughter had her medial meniscus repaired May 29th. She had 3 tears that were stitched back up. When I picked her up from the hospital she was in a G11 brace. A brace that runs from thigh to ankle. It was locked at 30 degrees for 2 weeks, and then 60 degrees for another 3 weeks. She was non weight bearing for 6 weeks. She is partial weight bearing right now ( about 1/2 weight) Her knee isn't swollen anymore, but she is having a hard time getting her knee to bend more than 90 degrees. The physiotherapist is working on it with her.
She had the same surgery about 10 years ago on her other knee. Her knee is totally normal & she has no problems at all with it.
I had a medial meniscus repair done in the early 1980s.
I only had to wear a little stretchy elastic wrap, like an ace bandage for a short while.
I then went to therapy & used some ankle weights at home to strengthen my quads. SInce this was over 20 some yrs ago I dont remember how long it took, but it wasn't too long... and I ran track several months later (I was in high school)
Only being 4 weeks post-op, that's not abnormal. If you were at 6 months post surgery, I might say that was a problem (how old are you??)
Are you continuing to use ice on your knee for the swelling? keep using it!
you may also want to get a therapeutic massage done on your lower body-- loosen up your legs, hips etc so you can straighten the leg & walk better.
good luck
I had a medial meniscus repair and I am a Registered Nurse. Each person is different re how long it takes for healing;it isn't uncommon for you to still have swelling and reduced range of motion after just one month. What may assist you is to ask the physical therapist what you can do on your own - at home - to ensure that you regain as much range of motion/strength as possible. My surgeon had me using a continuous range of motion machine throughout the day and night immediately after surgery (for about 2 weeks); I kept - up the elevating, application of ice and then ice alternating with heat = as directed. I was in physical therapy for 3 months and very diligent around performing the extra exercises on my own. It still took me over a year to "capture" full range of motion again (some people never quite regain 100%). It took me longer to rebuild my muscles around the knee/leg. The swelling went down significantly after 6 weeks and even more so at the 2 month mark. My tear was quite severe, I had an ACL repair at the same time and I was in my late twenties so healing time was longer than it might be for you. I recall struggling with stiffness even at 5 months :( and for a couple of years - after certain exercise/weight bearing and with cold or damp weather. I wouldn't worry too much at this point. Ask your Dr. and physical therapist how they feel you're progressing and what to expect. Not all Drs do the same thing in every case and your physical therapist should have a decent idea of what "the plan" is. I wish you a speedy recovery!
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