Torn Meniscus

Bones, joints and muscles
1

I've had a torn meniscus for almost a year.  Two months ago it was diagnosed by MRI.  My pain varies from a sharp pain, to an ache, to a "misery", to hardly knowing I have a problem.  I have surgery scheduled for next week, but for the last two weeks I have felt good and have not needed pain medications.  I am in a conundrum as to whether to have the surgery or not.  I had a knee injection early February which helped the knee cap area, but the inner meniscus area still gave me pain after the shot.  But, as I said, the last two weeks I have been almost pain free.  I don't know what to do!  Do you have any advice?

 

2

Are you having a scope to repair your tear or a replacement? I have had a scope and now have had a replacement. Even though I am still having surgery pain my knee is much better than before replacement.

3

A scope to repair a tear.

4

In 3 weeks you should be pain free! Just don't push yourself to do too much. Good luck!

5

When I scheduled the surgery I was having pain that is similar to pain when you need a root canal in a tooth, lol.  But, now I am having minor discomfort.  It is hard to go into surgery when you are not feeling poorly.

6

So you would advise me to go ahead with the surgery?

7

In 2009 I had a meniscus tear that would bring me to tears. I had a scope to fix the tear and clean up some arthritis and I felt much better. Since my knee had arthritis it has gotten painful again. In 2014 I had another scope to clean up arthritis and this time it didn't feel a lot better. I did develop arthritis is my other knee as I was favoring one to compensate for the other. I also had a scope in other knee. My knees still hurt and I was given the option to have my knee replaced. I wish I had done this in 2009! I was originally told that I was too young for a replacement but I said my quality of life was not good as I could not even go for a walk around the block. Everyone needs to decide based on their pain and circumstances if a scope is right for you. It's the only way to fix the tear.

8

Hi all,

same here, right knee, two arthroscopies followed by a TKR. Arthroscopies are Ok if done early I think, but the surgeon said after the second we are wasting our time here and a TKR was the inevitable outcome, it was just of a matter of me deciding when the time was right. Like everyone else I had my doubts about the TKR but at 20 weeks post op I think it was the right decision. Just to confuse you I had an arthroscopy for a torn meniscus on the left knee five years ago and it has been O K ever since.

Regards Paul  

9

my experience of this was that the loose bits move around and sometimes cause excruciating pain and sometimes not. I had keyhole surgery and it was great. Although i had osteoarthritis in my joint the surgeon told me I had another 5 years before I would need a knee replacement. I made it through 7 years.

10

A lot depnds on the probable outcome of an arthroscopic operation . .in my case, it gave me ten more years of pain free walking, before I finally needed a TKR . . Before I had that, a second arthroscopic opertion which just made it worse. . .I would go for it, as although the pain isn't there at the moment, when a loose bit of cartilage gets caught in the joint again, you are going to have the pain again . .I imagine!  In any case, an arthroscopic interventon is soon over with little post operative pain (in my case. . and a nephew who had it done a few weeks ago) but of course, there are always exceptions!

11

Thank you.  That helps!

12

Thank you!  That also helps me with my decision.

13

Thanks for your help!

14

Thanks again!

 

15

Thanks.  That's what I was suspecting.  I suspected that the excruciating pain came when a loose bit or my meniscus got "caught" somewhere.  Sometimes my knee will pop loudly and then it will hurt less for a while.  I suspect that is a piece of loose cartiledge popping out, but don't really know.  I just know that when I scheduled the surgery I would have gladly gone THAT DAY!!!  But now I feel good and it seems like I don't have a problem.  Your experience with the loose bits verifies what I know must be true... It is just a matter of time before I have the pain back because something moved.  Thanks.  

16

Hi there,

I have the exact same symptoms. Limped round for a month then spent another 3 quite sore and now 2 weeks before surgery seems like I am 100% better all of a sudden. Did you go ahead with the scope?