I'm been using the Donjoy offloader specifically the OA reaction web knee brace. It's very comfortable ..little bit more so then the Ossur Unloader fit that I also have. I have the Donjoy defiance custom as well... but I save those for snowboarding :).. I don't think I wanna run in those for any significant distance.


all I do are sprints tris.. I'd consider Oly, but not ready for that distance yet.

I have a treadmill, but don't use it. I'll take a walk with the family in the evening and occasionally a short hike. If I run for exercise other then competing... I will stay off the concrete and run at the local school track on dirt.


I also purchased a Game Ready 2.1 system after my surgery and I use it often. I use the knee attachment all the time

I am trying this Ossur Unloader first....30 day return if I dont like it.

does it hurt when you run using the unloader brace?
how often do you run besides in triathlon?
how are you run times compared to what you did or think you could do by training regularly if you could?

After the 70.3 world champs last year I had to accept that at age 68 and after 33 years in triathlon, I would have to cease running altogether due to OA in the knee. Hard to accept initially but I kept swimming and cycling and just completed the aquabike world champs in Penticton. My only wish now is for more opportunity to compete in aquabike races. My body loves me more than ever now that I have given up running.

Had 60% of medial posterior horn removed at age 58 (2006). 5'9" 172. Told to expect oa but only minor discomfort in that knee. Rested about 2 months and started back slowly. But favoring that knee put load on other knee to the point that degenerative potholes not big tear in that knee caused pain when bending and cut running but kept biking and swimming, tried some minor knee braces but no impact. That at age 63. Forward to 2013 (65)and got stem cells from hip + prp for the potholed degenerative knee, could tell almost immediately 6 weeks that it was better, but doctor said no running for 9 mos.

Began racing sprints in 2014 and continue to date and am toying with maybe an IM in 2018 at 70. My biking and swimming are doing fine. Run mileage is still low but no knee issues from oa, just age and muscle imbalances are culprit for any joint issues (hip, ankle , knee, shoulder). Run mileage is low 3x /wk at between 6-10 miles augmented by some pool running occasionally.

The operated knee has been oa free due to the mobility exercises I continue to do. Same forvstem cell though I have to use a technique termed gapping on mobilitywod website.

In addition I cut out a bunch of sugar sand bread in diet. More ketogenic, higher fat low carb and it helps with the inflammation fight.

Why I don't have problems with operated knee really astonishes me. Guess I got a great doctor (Dr. X of emory fame and ga tech football ortho). Got stem cell from mautner also emory healthcare. Google him and emory for info. Insurance did not cover the stem cell.

That about does it. We are all a little different in terms of injury but I think with better body alignment & mobility added to modern science like synvisc, stem cells & prep you could continue a triathlon life. Good luck...my next race is October at longboat key at 69 but then I will be youngster in 70-74 in 2018.

I'm 80-85% medial left gone.. so not much left.

Ossur has many.... I specifically have the unloader fit, which is fairly lightweight and comfortable.

- no it does not hurt when I run with the unloader
- I run maybe once a week maybe 2 miles outside of Tri.. random 5k here and there when I can get my daughter to join me.
- When I used to run ( I hate running) and when I was young and a lot lighter.. 8 and change min/mi was pretty norm. Probably in the 10s is relax pace now (not fast). I don't tend to push it though. I've probably sprinted less then 50 yards total in 3 years. I avoid jumping like the plague and I don't change direction quickly ever.

I've been using the Donjoy ...because frankly I can put it on faster at T2 and it's slightly more comfortable then the ossur. But the ossur is really good and probably has a slight edge to donjoy web in support.

I tore my meniscus in my left knee training for the New York City Marathon in 2015. I did the inaugural 70.3 in CdA in 2016. I wasn't aware it was actually torn tbh ... that's another story. The tear was due to osteoarthritis. That makes me a non candidate for orthoscopic surgery absent mechanical problems -- which I don't have.

I've had Synvisc and cortisone. My Orthopedist says Synvisc may not work for everyone or even most. I had it anyway. It made things marginally better. After chatting with him for quite awhile about running we went ahead and did the cortisone injection. It's made a world of difference BUT ... it's not normal and never will be again. Cortisone is an anti inflammatory drug and can't be taken more than once or perhaps twice a year. It reduces the bone on bone pain tremendously but you still have osteoarthritis.

Running wise I no longer run hard, I no longer run long and I don't even do a run-walk ala Jeff Galloway. I now do a walk-run. I wear a compression brace that keeps the knee from twisting. I'll be in an off loading brace soon as well.

With all that said, I can still run, I can still bike. I'm slower and I'll need a knee replacement down the road. But I'm still running easy. I now consider a 5k a good day. I'm aiming for a walk-run of the Hapalua half marathon next year. You just need to readjust to your new reality and keep on moving. We have a guy here in Kona that runs with both knees in compression braces AND off loading braces. And has done Kona (Big Island lottery) twice in that setup. You can still do the stuff, you just need to be smart about it and try to push that kneee replacement back as far as practical.

Oh diet can help control the inflammation aspect of osteoarthritis a bit as well.

Good luck.

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The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits. -- A fake Albert Einstein "quote"

Not really much to add but I had meniscus surgery earlier this year in Feb and I know its different for different people but I only started running properly (3-4km very easy) in June I'm now up to 19km as of last Monday @ 5mpkm here in SE Asia very hot and humid.

To race that quickly after the op is IMHO a very quick turn around.

I hope you get it sorted and I feel your pain.

5/2017 does sound like not too long ago... but with the proper PT, I assume it would be possible. Along with my meniscus, my ACL and MCL went south.. so my rehab needs were very different.

like I said different people and all that.

I do remember reading and being told, oh its just a routine op, feeling great afterwards and then struggling with soreness and tightness.

Again the PT has a massive role to play in the rehab and its all too easy for the VMO to suffer as a result of not working it out.

In reality since my op and talking to quite a few athletes it appears (again IMHO) that the recovery time appears is far more than appreciated or communicated far too often (or we as athletes are far too impatient - more the case possibly).

I had a meniscus tear trimmed and right knee scoped in Jan 2016, was told post op that I had some bone on bone contact. I had good physio with return to normal (for the average person), very quickly. I had IM France scheduled as an early season race so I was highly motivated to get going. I found that I could do lots of walking with only one or two minutes of running at a time for several months, no issues biking as much as I wanted.. Pain in the right knee was worst when running downhill. I know we are all different but for me I found the following worked. Warm-up 30 minutes on the bike before running, my knee loosens up and seems to work better. I did manage to get through IM France with a run of just over 5 hours. I was then prescribed an unloader brace which allowed me to increase my running to 3 times per week (5 miles at a time). By the end of 2016 I was able to run upto 10 miles without the brace but still required a long warm-up, I also completed IM Lake Placid, Wisconsin and Florida with runs all just over the 5 hour mark (walking and jogging without the brace). In December I had a durolane injection in the knee which helped significantly but improvement in the knee took nearly 10 weeks. I am now running upto 30 miles a week with a long run of 12 miles. I am still slow but last weekend managed a 10 km run in 57 minutes with no knee pain. I consider this a significant milestone. I have found that I need to try lots of different things to be able to keep running. I will never be as fast as I was pre-surgery.

I wanted to let you know be careful with the un loader brace. I had micro fracture surgery on my knee and was fitted with an un loader brace, long story short I tried it a number of times, got new straps and tried it again, couldn't wear it to run really but then found out the hard way it had damaged a vein at the back of the knee as you have to have the straps so tight there to prevent slipping.

Anyway it really caused me so many issues subsequent, massive blood clot in my leg, bilateral pulmonary embolism, then the IVC filter installed and subsequent rupture, on and on all from that dam brace. So just be careful with the straps and how tight you pull them... I would hate anyone to go through what I have and continue to go through due to an un loader brace that is pretty much impossible to run in anyway. Cheers LA Rob

 To answer your questions:

- I was diagnosed with OA in one knee in 2010 and the other in 2015. I have done the Synvisc injections as well as cortisone for the inflammation and both helped. As you said, cortisone can't be used often but it is effective.
- I have run with a custom unloader brace since 2010 and now run with two unloader braces. Running with one was no problem and I hardly noticed that I had it on. I have always been a slow runner but it didn't slow me down any further. Now that I have to run with two braces, I am really slow. So, I only run 3 times a week and never over 3 miles; most runs are 2 miles. The doctor has said to let pain be the guide, the damage is there and it can't get much worse. My best running is in a triathlon as the bike segment loosens everything up. I did increase my running last spring and did a 70.3 in June. That was my last longer distance race as the running was just too slow.
- I do mainly sprint triathlons, the 70.3 in June was my last. I do get a lot of "pity cheers" when running with 2 knee braces, either that or people can't believe that someone is actually running that slow.
- I have not used an elliptical for training, it seems that it might be worth a try however.

I have a significant family history for arthritis so genetics were not in my favor. I am hoping to put off knee replacement as long as possible. I have not tried Nordic skiing in years, if we get some good snow this year I think I will give that a try again.

I had my left medial meniscus scoped around 7 years. I was told that I will eventually develop OA. I had a good 7 year run doing several marathons, multiple 70.3 and one full Ironman and a lot of other races. Last year I was able to do 8 sprint/oly tris. Then OA hit big time. This year no running and no tris. As a last resort I just purchased an Elliptigo, should be here this weekend. I intend to do all my run training on it. I'll have it on a trainer for indoor work and use it for longer rides on the weekend. I only plan on running during races. I don't know how this will work but really don't know what else to do. I'm not ready to stop triathlon yet. I'm 57.

I had arthoscopic surgery on my right knee on 2017-03-10 to fix a meniscus tear and remove some bone spurs. The doctor also 'cleaned up' some arthritis while he was in there. I turned 63 in July, am 5'8" and about 147 lbs.

Am pretty sure that the meniscus tear was from spring of 2011. I jammed my foot between some roots and rocks during a trail run. It messed up my run training somewhat. I was still able to do the full Vineman and the NY city marathon that year but the lack of training made both slower than hoped-for. Over the past six yeas, i would sometimes run fine and sometimes twist the knee and be off for weeks.

Not sure how long the bone spurs had been there.

I have severe arthritis in this knee and mild arthritis in the other knee. this is psoriatic arthritis, not osteo so maybe it acts differently. The psoriatic arthritis is also in my hands. Cortisone has helped my hands but did nothing for my knee. Synovisc (or something similar that is supposed to last a few moths) did help for a while, but i don't want to use it long-term.

The surgeon suggested that i could
- bike on the trainer, with zero resistance, after a couple of weeks. This took a bit longer and it was about a month before i could make a full pedal rotation - before that i just sort of swung my feet back and forth on the pedals.
- start running at six weeks. Tried that, knee hurt, and i waited until eight weeks. Started with 10 x (30 or 40 seconds jog, with walking in between)
- be at full training at twelve weeks. It took close to 20 weeks to get back full run volume, ie. 7+ hours/week. Speed is still not back :-(

Maybe if I were 25 years old, I might have recovered faster :-)

Currently:
- I can run better than i can walk. My wife says my run technique is better after the surgery than before. I did try, and am still working on, changing to less heel-striking and more mid-foot striking.
- I can't quite get the knee to a full extension or to flex as much as the other knee. The operated-on knee might be slightly swollen but not enough to be noticeable.
- walking / hiking anything twisty or with a lot of up and down, will aggravate the knee
- sitting for long periods is bad.
- biking any length of time, or biking hard, aggravates the knee. I can feel a little tug on the knee every time my leg goes over the top of the pedal-stroke. So i just bike slowly and short distances.

Triathlons. well, I don't do many triathlons any more. Did one half-distance last year, and one sprint this year, in early July. The run was pretty ugly, party because i hadn't run much and partly because i went too hard on the bike. The bike course was pretty hilly, and i had not ridden much at all.

I do expect to recover fully - be able to extend and flex the knee correctly, be able to run faster than before the surgery. However, if i can run well for the next 30 years but walk with a little limp, I am OK with that.

As for your questions
-Has anyone been through something similar? how did you end up?
sort of similar. see above.
-Does anyone have experience running with an offloader knee brace?...did it work to minimize or eliminate the pain when running?
have not tried the offloader or similar braces
-Has anyone had experience only running in sprint triathlons due to arthritis pain when running?
so far, my one experience was not good. i expect it will get better. And i do expect to train for run races up to and including marathons.
-has anyone trained for the run using purely elliptical or uphill treadmill walking and then run only in sprint triathlons?....how did the run go if you did?
have never used an elliptical, and rarely used a treadmill. I prefer being outside.

I don't know if my experience is much help to you. I have great hopes for running well from now on. My only real disappointment is how long the recovery is taking.

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run well, run happy
george

Thanks to all for your imput!