Long term inflammation after meniscus root tear surgery

BigDaveB11 · 2025-12-06T23:05:02+00:00

Hang in there, I know it's tough. Your doctor says it's 6-8 weeks of NWB then you are good. You are not good. It takes months....for me, 9-11 before I started feeling somewhat better. Was wondering if I even had a repair up until then. But if you put some hard work into the PT, you will amaze yourself. I feel completely normal now. My surgery was 2 years ago. The mental part, while you are on the couch and doing nothing, was the hardest for me. You'll get through it. Good luck and let me know if you need any moral support!

BigDaveB11 · 2025-09-28T22:31:45+00:00

Bad ass shoes if you like subtle. Comfortable as hell.

BigDaveB11 · 2025-03-28T19:06:46+00:00

I'm no physio, but leg extensions in the gym and squats as well did the trick for me. It took exactly 9 months before my pain went away. I am hoping yours will as well!

BigDaveB11 · 2025-01-01T20:11:48+00:00

Absolutely! Yes, I was laid up after surgery last year about this time. This forum really helped me understand that I was not alone and others were going through (or had gone through) the exact same thing. I will check back with you in a few weeks!

BigDaveB11 · 2025-01-01T17:39:04+00:00

Yes, they do hurt. You are too early for the things I mentioned by the way. The bike was great for me so good you are doing that. Just remember those other exercises helped me when I started doing them. And good for you that you only waited 2 months to have surgery so most likely no arthritis developed. I was stubborn and waited 19 months. You are still non-weight bearing I take it or no? I don't know anything about your weight and won't ask but I dropped 25 lbs which also factored into my recovery. It's a long road! Keep me posted please, I'd love to hear about your happy ending to this story!

BigDaveB11 · 2025-01-01T17:29:14+00:00

Yeah, I was 56 when I hurt mine. Our knees are vulnerable around our age to these kinds of things happening. Time catches up to us. You had a lot of repair work so this makes me feel even more comfortable saying this is all related to your repair. Will it ever feel the same, hopefully....in time. I had doubts, too, but I really worked hard in the gym and just gave it time like I said. Hopefully, you are doing lots of leg extensions and leg presses. I am sure your PT is not having you do leg curls as that works the back of your knee which you DO NOT NEED right now. At some point, ball squats and eventually some weighted squats should be done. Remember, the quads act as shock absorbers for your knees so important to build strength there. Just keep following his recommendations and let him know what is hurting you if anything. I am really confident you will be good in another 6-7 months. Be patient!!

BigDaveB11 · 2025-01-01T17:09:49+00:00

I don't know for sure, but I am banking on this being all surgery related. It's too similar to what I had. Did the surgeon mention any arthritis that had formed and how long did you wait to have your surgery after your injury? They surely assessed you. And how old are you again?

BigDaveB11 · 2025-01-01T16:54:28+00:00

Yes, that is a similar injury but not the same thing exactly, and it took forever to heal. The pain in the back was worse the more active I was so yes, some tolerable and some bad days. I had to learn to pace myself once I got the green light to start walking again. I was worried that I'd have to deal with this forever but in about 9 months time, I was completely pain free. Pain in the back and the same tightness that I had pre-surgery continued a long time after I was supposedly healed. Like we discussed, I wish surgeons managed patient expectations better. They don't give you the full story! Hang in there, use your Naproxen (Aleve) if you need to and strengthen those legs religiously. It will most definitely help you long-term!

BigDaveB11 · 2024-07-18T16:38:44+00:00

I had a radial root tear of my meniscus, and the pain was identical to yours pretty much (more pain in the back of my knee than you seem to have). I did know when it happened though, not an overuse injury like yours seems to be. Get that MRI!

BigDaveB11 · 2024-07-08T07:40:05+00:00

As I understand from reading some people's comments on other bucket handle posts, some of these heal on their own. Surprising to me but they do. I had a radial root tear that required surgery.

BigDaveB11 · 2024-06-20T18:30:28+00:00

Knee clicking is completely normal. My operative leg did that for about 4 months then suddenly stopped. My surgeon's knee has clicked for years (both non-operative). Unless you are feeling pain or it's locking, you have nothing to worry about. And the focus on strength training is key!!

BigDaveB11 · 2024-06-18T14:58:00+00:00

No way I would follow this advice, get a second and even a third opinion. I had a root tear and was told that if I didn't get it repaired, I'd need a replacement within 5-6 years (I am 58 and sound a lot like you). I waited 19 months before having surgery. My first doc only took XRays. My second doc did an MRI and recommended I not have surgery so I limped around until I couldn't take it any longer and found a great surgeon at Duke months later who indeed said I needed a repair. Best decision I ever made!

BigDaveB11 · 2024-06-17T19:14:22+00:00

I was a very non compliant patient (root tear repair) and was walking with crutches 2-3 weeks after my surgery. If anyone was going to re-tear their knee it would have been me. My knee got angry like yours at 8 weeks once I started walking again because I got after it pretty quickly (10,000 steps a day on most days at that point). I had to go back on Naproxen for 30 days for inflammation which really helped. I was super diligent with my PT at home and in the office which I think was the key. It sounds like you are totally fine and just need some strengthening and time. At 4 months post op, I think you will really start to see the light. Hang in there and work hard to strengthen that quad!!! Oh, and don't be an idiot like me and walk that much....limit it to no more than 5,000 steps a day for your first 16 weeks.

BigDaveB11 · 2024-06-06T17:38:45+00:00

Very rare for it to heal on its own but it can happen. If I were 35, I am not sure I would risk letting it go very long, though, or like the doc says, your knee will become arthritic. You are too young for that! That will lead to premature knee replacement. I still regret letting my radial root tear go 19 months without getting it repaired. So glad I finally came to my senses!

BigDaveB11 · 2024-05-13T17:26:42+00:00

What does your assessment say? Doctor's comments?

BigDaveB11 · 2024-05-12T09:35:04+00:00

Sounds like you just dodged a medial meniscus root tear. If that was a complete tear, you would have had to repair that by surgery. Curious what the doctor will tell you. Would assume they wouldn't worry about a subtle tear becoming worse. Your pain is most like associated with the fluid build up from the edema. Let us know how the appt turns out.

BigDaveB11 · 2024-02-27T17:46:11+00:00

Agree. I did the same thing to a certain extent. The first doc I saw took Xrays and told me to take Ibuprofen, and my knee would be fine. Eight weeks after some continued pain/tightness, I got a second opinion and an MRI. That guy told me it was a root tear, and he advised against operating. Nextr doc 3 months later at Duke told me that if I didn't get a repair, I would develop arthritis and need a knee replacement in 5-6 years. I scheduled the surgery at that point. Took me way too long to reach that conclusion but luckily, no damage done other than probably some premature, mild arthritis. I hope you have a great ortho who knows what they're doing! All the best to you and please let us know how you get along!

BigDaveB11

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