Types of Exercise after Meniscus Surgery

[Bassist66]

Hey everybody. So it turns out i have a farily large "bucket handle" tear in the meniscus of my left knee. The doc said theres a very small chance of being able to repair it, most likely they're going to have to take that large piece of cartilage out. He said the bad is that there will be more force inside my joint without it, and that I'm prone to getting arthritis in my knee at an earlier onset.

I'm guessing because of this, I will be limited to what I can and can't do. Although I haven't had a chance to ask him yet, I am fairly certain he will recommend me not to do exercises that would put a lot of force on the knee...like squats/leg press/running, etc...which really sucks. This got my bummed thinking about it, but then I figured I could try new activities. I'm guessing I could try cycling (even if its a stationary bike) or swimming. Anybody else in this situation have any advice or recommendations? I'm just trying to figure out what activities I CAN do and focus on the good...although if know of things i should avoid i'd love to hear them as well.

[Dirtylocks]

Any low impact activity is a great idea.

I think I have a small meniscus tear due to a locking in my knee that I get once in a while. (I was given the torn paper edge analogy).

The cardio bike and swimming are a great start! You could get into cycling!

Also, if your heart is set on running and lifting....try running on astroturf if there is some around...and make sure to wear a knee support whenever you do squats, lunges, etc.

Most importantly, don't let this stop you from doing the things you truly love. Do everything possible to keep cushion on the knee joint and take all the preventative measures necessary to avoid advancing arthritis, while at the same time making sure not to give up the activities that make ya happy.

Remember, just about everybody is on track to develop arthritis. What you have control over is how soon the onset of it is.

Good luck pal!

[Bassist66]

Thanks for the advice. Meniscus tears suck...mine was minor, sounds very similar to yours actually...I let it go for almost two years b/c I didnt think it was any big deal till they did the MRI and realized the extent of the tear. Kind of wish I would have looked into it earlier but I was busy with school, came down with mono, etc. Try not to wait too long to get it checked out if its bothering you is my best advice.

My doc doing the surgery actually helps handle the Redskins football team and a local highschool team as well, so I'm sure he'll be pretty knowledgeable about returning to athletics. My physical therapist is also a personal trainer, so he'll have some good advice as well. You're right though, I'm not going to let it stop me from doing what I love, I just have to modify my lifestyle and be more careful from here on out.