torn meniscus and PCL
 

MRI result shows torn meniscus and PCL. Now I have a custom brace coming in about 7-10 days that I must wear for the next 4 to 6 months, 24 /7 for the support of the PCL until it heals on its own. That's the good news. Nothing can be done about the meniscus. He may have to trim it but wants to wait a few weeks. Eventually the meniscus will wear to the point that bone will rub up against bone causing serious pain, then off for a total knee replacement all within the next 5-10 year. He doesn't know the length of time it will take to wear itself out. I got talking with the custom brace guy because he had his meniscus trimmed jsut two months and has little left under his knee cap. He says, "Surgeon. they always want to open you up."

Anyone has a knee replace?

I am super active up until this point. Haven't ridden my bike for two weeks and I am in hell. Doing more eating as I sit here at times during a time I should be out riding.

I have had a torn meniscus in my left knee for about 30 years

You need to be eating celery or rice coasters

Lay off the booze entirely

As I mentioned before, I cracked my Tibia, tore my ACL, partially torn Meniscus, and also another torn cartilage while playing b-ball 35 years ago .... ACL had atrophied by the time I was out of a cast and the knee scoped. So my ACL was removed, and the cartilages "cleaned up" and I was customed fitted (cast made) with a Lennox-Hill knee brace and did tons of rehab to build the knee muscles up over 6 months time. My b-ball daze were over as I found out on my 3rd strike on the court ... the knee brace prevented a real "blow out", but no ACL :(.

X-rays compared with the first X-rays show the bone wear, and beginning of build-up which the excellent surgeon said would cause arthritis later on if I continued to run, etc. .... I knew b-ball, volleyball, etc. was over .... that ends my tale of woe ;).

Cycling did NOT stress my knee, nor doing everyday stuff like walking .... so I've lived 35 years missing my ACL, meniscus, etc. and have been just fine.

Rehab that knee like a pro, don't be afraid to get a 2nd opinion (I had two excellent Drs. because I moved back to NC in between injuries and post surgery), and best of luck to you. I don't know how a PCL impacts the knee like losing the ACL does, but 99% of the time.... I've never missed not having mine.

That leg is still more muscular and defined .... did I mention rehab it like like a pro.

Best to you and good luck!

I severed my ACL and MCL 2.5 years ago. Had surgery right away, a long recovery made longer by a cyclops lesion that was subsequently removed.

I wear my brace on the dirt bike and when I ski. It hurts some days but is otherwise serviceable.

Had my right knee replaced 7 months ago. It’s been more of a head problem than I anticipated. My knee is stiff and I can’t do the things I used to do. It’s supposed to take at least a year of healing to where one doesn’t think about the knee all the time. At this point in my recovery I regret getting my knee replaced.

Scar tissue goes down to the bone

Scar tissue is not my friend.

Tore my meniscus nearly a year ago now. Did it on deployment; 3 Navy docs said they thought it was fine and just "take it easy." Went to a real doc when I got home--he also thought nothing was torn but at least sent me to physical therapy and to an MRI. MRI showed torn Meniscus and lots of arthritic build-up in the knee--yay me!

Immediately following the initial injury, I couldn't run anymore--too much pain--but I could bike. Biking doesn't feel like it's "enough" to me...I need my running. I'm not a small guy, so running is impactful on my joints, I know this. I'm at a point now where I can run on a treadmill but my knee hurts the next day.

I wear a brace when I lift with any knee movements (squat, leg press, leg extension) and when I play volleyball. Other than that, I just deal with the occasional pains in the knee that I know will only get worse as I age. Maybe once I age enough, that wisdom thing will kick in and I'll stop running and be able to switch mentally to biking...

Look into Moto Cross MX knee braces, the ones the doctors give you are crap.

https://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/search/go?w=knee+brace

My Lenox Hill custom fitted knee brace wasn't cheap back in '88 (mebbe $800) .... considered first-rate back than .... technology moves on ;).

A cast was made and the brace form fitted to a model of my knee/leg .....

By 1987, all the cool kids were wearing DonJoy braces. :)

So that explains a LOT :D. My first surgeon was the team doc, ortho specialist for the pro football team down in Jax .... as I recall, L. Hill had done Broadway Joe's braces back in the day. I do recall hearing about DonJoy ....

edited: Hey Hal, am I disremembering stuff or didn't you have a background in this stuff way back when?

You're doing good. Yep, I was in the biz, for a while.:eek:

Bugsinrugs, the rehab process I went through twice involved stretching exercises that painfully involved moving the newly repaired knee through a full range of what is a normal range of movement. It was damn painful. The therapist always apologized for the pain. This went on for about 3 weeks. It gradually got much better. He had a degree wheel and straight edge to measure the progress. i think I got up to 120 degrees of movement. He said the exercises broke free the scar tissue and adhesions that formed in the area of the procedure and that I would be glad I suffered through it.
I am sorry you had a less than great result. Dang!

My BB blow out knee clean up (arthro) was done by the Brown's joint guy at the Cleveland Clinic 35 years ago. Jack Andrish. Torn ACL and messed up meniscus.

I was 32. He says come back and we'll fix up your ACL. I wait until I'm 47, go to a guy in Canton, Oh and he says eff no. Come back when you are 60 and I'll give you a knee. The peeps I work on can't even walk. You are not bad enough.

So slowing down with age and not participating in basketball, golfing, and most anything that twists the knee, I have been fine.

I get a hip in ten days. FWIW. But they say that is child's play compared to a knee or shoulder replacement.

That's good to know because I am scare to death of the eventual knee replacement

I am feeling less and less pain as the days go on by. I can bend it without much issue but I try not putting much pressure on it. I was shoveling dirt from the back of my truck to help my in-laws with their vegetable garden this afternoon. I hate digging into the ground for any type of garden but hey this is to replace the lack of riding riding. This is going on three weeks. My form is all gone. I hope to be able to get some riding in after the new brace arrives.

this damn thing has to be on me 24/7 for the next 4-6 month.

JACK PCL — Joint Solutions Alliance

I can't help with the knee stuff because I've been really lucky... So far.

Please get better soon Champ!

Well, finally got me new friend. It must be worn for 3-6 months until my PCL heals. This thing sucks. I can't bend my leg a certain way or it has limits. Doc wants me to sleep with it. Now that's gonna to be a btich. It feels like an octopus around my entire leg. I am just thankful the PCL will heal unlike the ACL. There's go my bike riding for the next 4 months. According to the doctor, I should ride with the damn brace on but I am not sure if I can due to it being a bit clumsy wearing it. I surely hope I will get use to it and start doing normal things with it again.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1685082988.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1685082988.jpg

Impressive brace! Spin Bike? ;)

Looks like I will have to get one. I am thinking ones that hook up to a computer and ride with others. Riding one is so difficult. 15 min tops on my old turbo trainer. The hinge on the brace will bang on the top tube for sure. Knee warmer must be worn or wrap the top tube somehow.

Oh and your "Pins" still look good... My GF looked at mine last night and said "Not Bad For An Old Man" ;)

"Just Keep Going" :cool:

Remind me to not jack up my knee. Shoulders are bad enough.

Jeff!

I am just seeing this and really need to give you some supporting words and experiences here. Sorry you got wiped out, but hey, it happens when you are active!

You need a new orthopedist if they are telling you that removing the meniscus results in a total knee replacement down the line, that is a total crock. Look at yourself, you are fit, lean and as a cyclist have the best built muscles supporting your knees. Your orthopedist should not treat you like an obese geezer that's going to grind their knees into the ground with little muscle and twice the weight they should see.

I have had my RH medial meniscus removed due to a partially torn ACL and bucket handle meniscus tear in 1992. Yes, over 30 years ago. My RH knee is just fine. In 2016 I broke the tibia on that leg and the x-rays of the knee still showed plenty of cartlidge (gap) compared to the LH knee and no signs of arthritis etc. I can run, bike hike and have done so for most years out of those 30. Currently I am training to climb Shasta and I have through hiked the John Muir Trail a couple years ago. Also done the Death Ride in 2018 and many 5k 10k and half marathon distances. I currently trail run 10+ miles on a regular basis. Yes, not as fast as I did 30 years ago. :)

And I almost forgot, my other knee, LH side, the meniscus went bad too, just worn out to shreds with tears, and I had it removed Nov. 2021. I was doing a metric century on my mountain bike with 5k climbing 2 months later. My ortho does total knee replacements, but he just laughed me off when I asked if I'll need one in the future.

So, while I have no experience with the PCL, I do have a lot of experience with medial meniscus tears and removal. It is very very important to follow the recovery instructions, especially PT. Do it religiously, like it is your only job. Make sure you have a very good physical therapist that treats athletes and not obese geriatrics. This will be a distant memory next summer.

PM me, we can do a call if you need more encouragement! :D

Take care!

George

Thanks, George. I needed to hear this. The place I had that bionic brace fitted said the same thing to me. He claims they are surgeons, of course they want to cut you up. His meniscus had been torn for over 30 years and had it trimmed but no new knee, also very active.

Good luck, Jeff. Do the rehab, and get second opinions.

As I posted earlier, my meniscus and another cartlage were trimmed (cleaned up) along with my ACL removed 35 years ago ....

My NBA dreams were over :D

But I do just fine ;)

Good luck Jeff and hit the rehab like a madman when the time comes..... best to ya!

Rehab starts the week after next. I am mobile but the brace helps keep my knee in one place if not I can feel it shift within the socket. Most of the pain is gone but I sometimes wonder if it needs to be "Trimmed"? If I move it a certain way, it hurts like hell and the pain lingers on for 5-8 seconds.

+1

Hope things work out for ya, Jeff! ;)

Thanks BAZ. Its just time now. 4 months for the PCL to heal up within the brace and I am not doing anything about the meniscus for now until I feel like I need to get in there then decide. 4 months of light exercise is going to kill me.

My brother just had meniscus tear surgery and it sounded like the surgeon's knowledge and experience was very extensive. He said this is an injury with a wide variety of types and severities, with the prognosis depending upon the location and type of tear.

He could tell a certain amount from the MRI but only knew for sure upon getting in there. The MRI told other stories too such as the thickness of cartilage remaining. Based upon a range of factors he was hopeful that surgery would improve things for my brother but that could easily have not been the case.

Unless you have reason to doubt the expertise of your surgeon, I would not doubt it. And before you do, ask him why and upon what he bases that view. You may learn there are details specific to your case which underpin the prognosis.

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