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Torn Meniscus

Posted , 7 users are following.

mountaingrace
mountaingrace

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?

 

0 likes, 15 replies

15 Replies

  • lyndawcanada59
    lyndawcanada59 mountaingrace

    Posted

    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.
    • mountaingrace
      mountaingrace lyndawcanada59

      Posted

      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.
    • ruthie2673
      ruthie2673 mountaingrace

      Posted

      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.
    • mountaingrace
      mountaingrace ruthie2673

      Posted

      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.  
  • lyndawcanada59
    lyndawcanada59 mountaingrace

    Posted

    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.
  • paul57039
    paul57039 mountaingrace

    Posted

    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  

  • martinarvelo
    martinarvelo mountaingrace

    Posted

    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!
  • orion-kid
    orion-kid mountaingrace

    Posted

    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?

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