After 2 weeks off, then one ride (bad result), a cortisone shot a week ago, another week off the bike, then a test ride yesterday (bad), my sports ortho offered a knee scope.
When on that test ride yesterday, I noticed that when under high load (steep climb), my knee goes in slightly at the top of my pedal stroke. Hmm.
MRI (from 2 years ago when symptoms were very similar):
- meniscus fine, tendons fine
- small fissure under knee cap on one side
Symptoms:
- Only very very light dull pain on the bike (maybe a rare sharper twinge, nothing important)
- A greater dull ache after riding
- "Pressure" feeling in the knee when standing, and standing longer = more pressure
- I have a tough time fully straightening my leg when it feels that pressure (it's not locked from straightening, but feels like it's running out of ROM)
- Some stretches, like the ITB stretch where you stand and cross one leg behind you and lean the other way, give mild pain in the outside of the joint
- Same thing with a piriformis stretch -- the stretching side/bent leg will hurt on the outside (or if I lay on my back, and cross that ankle over my other quad)
- Knee cap pops a lot, and definitely more when the above symptoms are present
- Knee cap can be very painful if I kneel on it to do a hip flexor stretch, then it will pop, and be fine
I'm really torn about what to do here. I've had this off/on for a few years. Previous PT wasn't very effective -- it may have been the time off that helped. I crashed on an MTB 23 years ago (wow, time flies!), where my heel was tucked under my butt as I slid. Had it scoped because I couldn't fully straighten it, doc said very little damage at all, just flushed it.
I'm worried about a lengthy recovery for what could be nil gain (if there's nothing in there). On the other hand, it would be cool to know that the meniscus is OK.
I welcome opinions here. Yeah, it's an internet forum, so I recognize what I'm paying for those opinions. I still value hearing them.
Thanks.
**************
Too f@ckin depressed from various injuries to care about having a signature line.
Sponsored by Blue Shield PPO.
When on that test ride yesterday, I noticed that when under high load (steep climb), my knee goes in slightly at the top of my pedal stroke. Hmm.
MRI (from 2 years ago when symptoms were very similar):
- meniscus fine, tendons fine
- small fissure under knee cap on one side
Symptoms:
- Only very very light dull pain on the bike (maybe a rare sharper twinge, nothing important)
- A greater dull ache after riding
- "Pressure" feeling in the knee when standing, and standing longer = more pressure
- I have a tough time fully straightening my leg when it feels that pressure (it's not locked from straightening, but feels like it's running out of ROM)
- Some stretches, like the ITB stretch where you stand and cross one leg behind you and lean the other way, give mild pain in the outside of the joint
- Same thing with a piriformis stretch -- the stretching side/bent leg will hurt on the outside (or if I lay on my back, and cross that ankle over my other quad)
- Knee cap pops a lot, and definitely more when the above symptoms are present
- Knee cap can be very painful if I kneel on it to do a hip flexor stretch, then it will pop, and be fine
I'm really torn about what to do here. I've had this off/on for a few years. Previous PT wasn't very effective -- it may have been the time off that helped. I crashed on an MTB 23 years ago (wow, time flies!), where my heel was tucked under my butt as I slid. Had it scoped because I couldn't fully straighten it, doc said very little damage at all, just flushed it.
I'm worried about a lengthy recovery for what could be nil gain (if there's nothing in there). On the other hand, it would be cool to know that the meniscus is OK.
I welcome opinions here. Yeah, it's an internet forum, so I recognize what I'm paying for those opinions. I still value hearing them.
Thanks.
**************
Too f@ckin depressed from various injuries to care about having a signature line.
Sponsored by Blue Shield PPO.