 Poster: A snowHead
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Found out this morning I have a meniscus tear. The doc has referred me to an orthopaedic doctor which may take 4-5 weeks.
The question I put to all of you is what chance do I have of fulfilling my ski holiday over new Year?
I know you don't know how severe; neither do I. But if it needs surgery, that will be around October. Is there enough time for re-hab and ski?
Thanks in advance.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Dougie, Plenty of time. I had my meniscus operated on last August, played golf 2 weeks later & was skiing 6 weeks later. Spend the next few weeks building up the muscles around your knee to help your rehab.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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stewart woodward, Like the sound of that. Thanks
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Timely post given that I think I damaged a meniscus skiing three weeks ago. I've yet to visit a doctor and it seems to be improving but range of movement could be better and it's still a bit swollen and becomes hot to touch at the site of the injury. Hope to be skiing at new year too.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Dougie, I had a meniscus trim in the February Half term week (I was teaching at the time so it was better that way) and 3 weeks later I was skiing with the kids on our Class 7 ski camp.
Problem comes if you have a repair rather than a trim as that takes longer and you may be non-weight bearing for a while. If the tear is in an area with good blood supply it should be repaired if possible. If it is in an area where there is limited blood supply, a trim is the usual option. Jonathan Bel is a member here and is one of the leading lights in UK knee surgery, he should be able to give you a more definitive answer based on current accepted practice.
My feeling though is if you can get it done privately, the sooner the better to be honest.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Samerberg Sue, Thanks for that. It is good to hear stories of quick recoveries. Going private is unfortunately out of the question so has to be good old NHS. I think they do a really good job but it does require a waiting game unfortunately.
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I am having a meniscus tear "trimmed" next Weds. I have been advised by the surgeon's secretary to take in a pair of crutches (I have some in the attic from a previous injury) as otherwise the BUPA hospital will charge me for them, and the insurance won't pay. I hope I will soon be able to drive and generally get around as I have quite a lot of commitments of one sort and another. I had physio which definitely helped to get the quad muscles working well again (my GP noticed some muscle wastage when I went to her - and sent me off to a physio) but I still felt it wasn't right and I couldn't flex that knee the way I could the other one (ie heel to bottom). The surgeon said that the tear, which was diagnosed by MRI, was a "nasty" one but honestly it cause little or no trouble except for moderately tough walking, or skiing - it gets swollen and hot with rather little provocation so in a way I feel a bit of a fraud having it done. But my insurance, which I've now been paying for 2 years, will pay for it, so I just hope I won't be one of the tiny percentage which has complications - generally it's quite a successful procedure, I believe. My OH had two, one in each knee, and he was back to normal in no time. Certainly never used any crutches. I have arranged for a friend to pick me up after the day surgery but I have to report in at 0710 and am reluctant to rope anybody in for that. It's only 2 miles, I could easily walk, but would feel a bit of a fool walking with a pair of crutches over my shoulder and am afraid that it would make me thirsty - and I'll be "nil by mouth" so might resort to a taxi. 
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pam w, Hope it goes well.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Dougie,
I posted in similar circumstances in November last year (Squats - helping or hindering a poorly knee). Lots of useful information in there from others about prospects & aids to recovery, including relevant guidance from Jonathan Bell.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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stewart woodward, Definitely going to try that one. Thanks.
HammondR, That whole thread is a good read with lots of positivity there. Makes me feel very hopeful. Jonathan Bell certainly knows what he is talking about. Thanks also.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Dougie wrote: |
Found out this morning I have a meniscus tear. The doc has referred me to an orthopaedic doctor which may take 4-5 weeks.
The question I put to all of you is what chance do I have of fulfilling my ski holiday over new Year?
I know you don't know how severe; neither do I. But if it needs surgery, that will be around October. Is there enough time for re-hab and ski?
Thanks in advance. |
Im assuming you haven't any wear in the knee.
4 weeks you'll still be prone to getting quite a puffy knee when skiing so would be inadvisable.
6 should be fine if you have followed advice on being cautious not to stir it up and done rehab.
If it is the lateral meniscus add 50 to 100% to the above advice, they swell a great deal longer
Jonathan Bell
The main problem will be if you haven't/ can't keep fitness and stength up before surgery as you'll be at higher risk of re injury . So if you ski 6 weeks after rein back a bit.
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Jonathan Bell, how much will a meniscal trim knock back the fitness/strength gained before surgery? Mine is lateral. 
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You know it makes sense.
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| pam w wrote: |
| Jonathan Bell, how much will a meniscal trim knock back the fitness/strength gained before surgery? Mine is lateral. |
You will have to virtually stop CV and strength for a few weeks. If you do that the knee will tolerate swim cycle much earlier so you can get back into CV, which will pick up fairly quickly.
The strength work will be determined by how quickly you can get the knee dry ( no swelling) Machines, free weights etc will not be helpful whilst the knee is swollen. The length of time the knee is swollen can vary with lateral meniscus. You need a surgeon who is not going to be overly aggressive with the trim of the lateral meniscus as it is very easy to keep trimming away as the part you leave behind doesn't always look perfect. It is a judgement call on how much to remove. That is much more of a problem on the lateral side and I think to be safe sometimes a " bit more" is removed. You should be fine if you have a knee specialist who is rated by the local physios ( as they see how long his/ her ops take to settle)
So the priority is to get swelling down.
Bank on being out of action for a good few weeks.
It will pick up fairly quickly if you were in good shape prior to the op.
Jonathan Bell
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Jonathan Bell, that's really interesting. My flare up these past few weeks is now squarely put down to meniscus, and like Pam my repair was lateral. I have absolutely no idea how much was trimmed. Can you tell how much has been removed? I'm not looking forward to any similar flare ups which are likely to get worse with wear and tear!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Jonathan Bell, thanks so much for that reply. I will obviously be asking my surgeon, and will be having physio (I hope with the same physio I was seeing after my initial visit to the GP) but just trying to plan the next few weeks a bit. The surgeon was recommended by my GP (he has operated on her knee) and is also the one to whom my physio suggests people go to, though he was a bit reluctant for me to go for an MRI at this stage (he said nearly everyone my age has some raggedy bits of cartilage and people just seize on that and think that's the cause of the problem, when often it isn,t...).
I can see that control of the swelling is critical - will have the ice packs to hand, and try to keep the leg up as much as possible, and generally do what I am told.
Thing is, I have done routine iceing and anti-inflammatories, and had steroid injection and fluid drawn off knee, and done fair amount of physio for an old lady. I do feel there is a mechanical problem - normally in everyday life the knee is fine but some trivial movements (e.g turning over in bed) can give me a sharp acute pain and it just won't bend right up. Tougher walking on uneven ground, or more than very gentle skiing, and it complains. I'm fairly "in tune" with my muscles and am sure it's not a muscular issue which makes one knee so much more able to bend than the other. If I'm to get in good shape for the ski season I need to get the surgery done without delay to give me loads of time to build up again. The surgeon's report said the knee was "ligamentously stable" and that the X ray showed "good preservation" of joint spaces (he managed not to say "good for her age" so if I can sort out this meniscus problem I should be good for a few more years of piste skiing with long lunches....
In a way I do feel I'm making a bit of a fuss, as my ability to get around and do most things is a lot better than many people my age, and I should just get on with it. But I'm now booked in, all ready to go next Wednesday.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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pam w, hope all goes well xx
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Jonathan Bell, Thanks very much for that. Does that mean I should be exercising as much as possible now before surgery as that will help rehab?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| stewart woodward wrote: |
| Dougie, Plenty of time. I had my meniscus operated on last August, played golf 2 weeks later & was skiing 6 weeks later. Spend the next few weeks building up the muscles around your knee to help your rehab. |
100%. I've had L&R done. Do the physio then blast the quads in the gym. It worked for me a treat. 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| holidayloverxx wrote: |
| Jonathan Bell, that's really interesting. My flare up these past few weeks is now squarely put down to meniscus, and like Pam my repair was lateral. I have absolutely no idea how much was trimmed. Can you tell how much has been removed? I'm not looking forward to any similar flare ups which are likely to get worse with wear and tear! |
Flare ups post trimming the meniscus are a different problem.
They are more troublesome on the lateral meniscus. Also the lateral meniscus is sometimes worth re trimming( not usually helpful with medial) . There are some knees where it is best to accept the knee as it is as meddling can make things worse. Scans are often not particularly helpful in deciding way forwards , though we would do one as occasionally they do spot evidence of a further tear.
Jonathan Bell
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Dougie wrote: |
| Jonathan Bell, Thanks very much for that. Does that mean I should be exercising as much as possible now before surgery as that will help rehab? |
Yes but try to avoid things that really stir the knee up, especially the effusion .
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Jonathan Bell, Thanks.
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| Quote: |
try to avoid things that really stir the knee up
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Hmm. the day before I had mine done I had to take my grand-daughter to a friend's house - she was on her scooter and it started raining so we hurried, and I jogged. I really enjoyed a bit of jogging, in the rain, but did think afterwards that it might not have been too clever. Anyway, the surgeon says my knee looked OK and I should get a good result - I have pictures, but needless to say they mean nothing to me!
Am now on second day post op and it's settling down nicely, swelling gone down a lot.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I can now walk normally, no limp, no pain. Swelling now very little, doing the ROM exercises. Could ride a bike, but won't.
Now, here's the thing. I've just had a phone call to ask if I could join friends sailing next weekend. It's a club race, sociable evening meal etc, v pleasant. They were not sure about racing anyway, not having a strong enough crew (it's quite a sizeable and heavy boat which needs some serious power on the foredeck). I would love to join them but explained about my knee and said I would definitely not be able to race but thought I would probably be up to a cruise - would let them know definitely on Monday, when they need to look for somebody else if I can't go.
If there were any danger at all of doing damage to my knee, so soon post-op, then I wouldn't go. But if it's just a case of being careful, and putting up with some discomfort, no problem. They've said they are happy not to race, just to go along for a cruise in company.
It's made such good progress so far that it should be heaps better by next weekend. And going along next weekend opens up the prospect of more sailing in future (provided I don't do anything too daft).
Am I being foolish. 
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pam w, Is your knee feeling good because you are still taking anti inflamitories/pain killers?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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pam w, I'd just be worried about slipping...can you use a brace perhaps just as a preventative measure?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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stewart woodward, I am taking ibuprofen as instructed but don't need any other painkillers (was given paracetamol and codeine but don't need it now - I'm not being brave, I'm just not in pain!).
holidayloverxx, yes, good point. I have a hefty elastic compression bandage which I am supposed to wear till I get the stitches out, which gives quite a lot of support.
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| pam w wrote: |
I can now walk normally, no limp, no pain. Swelling now very little, doing the ROM exercises. Could ride a bike, but won't.
Now, here's the thing. I've just had a phone call to ask if I could join friends sailing next weekend. It's a club race, sociable evening meal etc, v pleasant. They were not sure about racing anyway, not having a strong enough crew (it's quite a sizeable and heavy boat which needs some serious power on the foredeck). I would love to join them but explained about my knee and said I would definitely not be able to race but thought I would probably be up to a cruise - would let them know definitely on Monday, when they need to look for somebody else if I can't go.
If there were any danger at all of doing damage to my knee, so soon post-op, then I wouldn't go. But if it's just a case of being careful, and putting up with some discomfort, no problem. They've said they are happy not to race, just to go along for a cruise in company.
It's made such good progress so far that it should be heaps better by next weekend. And going along next weekend opens up the prospect of more sailing in future (provided I don't do anything too daft).
Am I being foolish. |
In a word: yes.
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You know it makes sense.
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Jonathan Bell, what are the risks?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| pam w wrote: |
| Jonathan Bell, what are the risks? |
You'll make it sore and swollen and prolong the recovery by a few weeks. Also with lateral meniscus the meniscus tear gets bigger and needs redoing .
Jonathan Bell
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Poster: A snowHead
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I had my stitches out today - all looking fine. It's settling down very well. Walking on the flat or upstairs I wouldn't know which knee had been done, if I didn't know! Occasionally walking downstairs am slightly aware of it. Extension excellent, flexion coming - a bit more each day, taking it easy as there's still a little bit of swelling. Nothing like as much as a busy day skiing was causing a few months ago.
Just had the appointment for the stitches out, in the distant surgery as the village one had messed up my appointment this morning. Lovely sunny afternoon and would normally have cycled. Had to be very stern with myself to get in the car - I hate using the car for a 2 mile journey!
So, so far, I am very happy with how it's going. 
Second physio appt next week. BUPA are paying for six - but I'd be paying myself, if they weren't. Still icing several times a day.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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pam w, excellent 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Well, I did say there would be a waiting game involved with NHS but was not really expecting to wait this long! Have had consultation today where Dr said that I needed surgery. Now on surgery waiting list 7-8weeks.
I am still going skiing over New Year. Will just have to be super-careful, know my limitations and have regular breaks. In other words, be sensible!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Dougie, if your knee tends to swell, be sure to have access to ice/ice packs and ice the knee as much as you can.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
don't forget your insurance
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and tell them about the knee
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| Dougie wrote: |
Well, I did say there would be a waiting game involved with NHS but was not really expecting to wait this long! Have had consultation today where Dr said that I needed surgery. Now on surgery waiting list 7-8weeks.
I am still going skiing over New Year. Will just have to be super-careful, know my limitations and have regular breaks. In other words, be sensible! |
Fustrating how long it takes isnt t . It drove me to pay for the consultant appointment and MRI to get my diagnosis as I was in so much pain and unable to walk without crutches when I did my knee in the last time so at least I went to my GP with the diagnosis and could be refferered straight to an agreement othopedic consultant who booked me in as soon as he could once he saw me and the MRI results. (Along with express his disgust that they hadn't sorted me out when I went to A&E when I did the original injury).
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