I tore my ACL two years ago and had it completely replaced at the Hospital for Special Surgery, NYC (Dr. Hannafin) Very good surgeon.
She told me knee braces are bad for you because you don't strengthen the small muscles in your knee that you need for stability. You may be fine with it on but once you take it off your knee will be weak and unstable.
The brace gives you a false sense of security.
Granted your injury is different....just passing along what I was told by a good surgeon.

Thanks for the input. I think an ACL injury is WAY more serious than my particular meniscus tear. As my doctor pointed out, you could do an MRI on 100 people, and probably 30 percent of them would have a meniscus tear, despite being asymptomatic. I think anyone who has an ACL tear knows it!!! I did two IM's on my right knee which had a medial meniscus tear, without incident. It was only when I tried to run fast that it became (extremly) painful.

tore mine in the late 80s, never had it operated on and still so far so good now. No brace will work or even minimize the pain, your race is still in november why not concentrate on strengthening your legs by lifting weights or even hiking --this did me wonders back in the day. because of that part being our shock absorbers, how do you run? if you run hard and it hurts it might be because your form is getting sloppy. If i tend to over stride i feel pain but since i switched to running mid-ft and trying to run like lightly so far so good.

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"Pain is NOT temporary,you remember every bit of it"

An unloader would really be the only think I could think of that would help with the pounding...but they are custom, and not cheap (esp. if your insurance won't cover part of it).

If your doc and you are okay with you running on it (in terms of potential for other damage), then I think really your options are: run on it or don't. Only you can decide how much pain is doable.

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mmm-mmm-Momo Charms
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If your diagnosis of meniscus tear is correct, your doc's PA is right. Bracing is ineffective. But this is June, November is a long way off, and if your tear is not amenable to repair and you have the procedure now, you'd be back in work out mode straight away. Having already had a scope on the opposite side, you know best how your body handles it. If it is a repairable tear, and I had to choose between a race or preservation of the tissue inside my knee, the race takes a back seat any day. See what your doc has to say.

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John H. Post, III, MD
Orthopedic Surgeon
Charlottesville, VA

Well well well! First of all, thanks for the comments. The consensus seems to be that a brace won't do anything for a meniscus tear. Turns out, though, that I have some "bone bruising" as well just below the medial meniscus (at the top of my tibia(or fibula)). So the P.A. said that if I tried to "run through the pain" I could cause a stress fracture. She also said I can give it a rest, and try running again, but that if it hurt, I should probably give up trying for an IM this year. She said only rest can help a bone bruise, and that the pounding from running, or even walking, is not conducive to healing. (I'm a Clydesdale, and not 'cause I'm tall). So, my plan is to swim and bike the next two weeks, and then get back to slow running, and see how it goes. She said it's ok to try running again, but I should stop if it hurts. Unfortunetly, it's difficult if not impossible to tell the difference between the meniscus and the bone pain when it's accute.

don't mean to offend, but why not work on walking fast....i tore my meniscus and did imfl by running the first half of the marathon (using celebrex) and walked the second half(my long run was only 15 miles in training) at about 13+ min pace....i probably looked goofy, but had i worked on my walking i might could have gone a little bit faster. you finish the race without causing a whole more damage to meniscus and bruising to the bone....just an idea.

another idea may be to try chi running where theoretically there is less pounding but will take some time to become proficient. i wonder if other readers have tried this running method to improve their running?

good luck

I had surgury to repair a torn menisus and did Ironman Hawaii 9 weeks later. granted, I could not run more than 45 munutes berfore the big day, I finished with a decent swim and great bike and a slow run. But I ran the entire way. Not knowing your goals, if this is not some effort to qulaify, then best to just not do the race. if it is a huge race for you, then get the surgury and do what you can. otherwise you won't be able to do the run anyway.

"I had surgury to repair a torn menisus and did Ironman Hawaii 9 weeks later"

Wow! That's amazing. I had the surgery on my right knee a few years ago, and while its a pretty easy, straight-forward recovery, I don't think I could have run a marathon 9 weeks after it! Just the uncertainty alone would have freeked me out!

I think I'm just going to play it by ear. No running for a couple of weeks, then slowly start back into it, with a real slow, easy pace.

do recall whether you had an actual meniscus repair, sutures or some devices) to sew the pieces of the meniscus together inside your knee, immobilization/brace for a while, etc.? Or was it removal of a torn portion of the meniscus, the so-called menisectomy when you had your arthroscopy?

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John H. Post, III, MD
Orthopedic Surgeon
Charlottesville, VA

I've had success with these:

http://www.hapad.com/...ine/home.php?cat=283

Sorry - I should have been clear -- it was just removal. I was under the impression that there was no such thing as repair, and so i never should have used that term to begin with.

The PA said my current tear, just like my previous one, is a run-of-the-mill type tear, nothing particularly significant about it. They said, just as they did last time, that it was totally up to me if i wanted to remove the tear. I had a good result last time, so i'll be inclined to do it again.

Ah, Grasshopper, big difference. Some folks, after an athroscopic menisectomy have this spectacularly successful post op course (which they naturally credit to the surgeon's skill!) Joan Benoit Samuelson for example, and it appears that you're lucky enough to be a member of that club. Well done.

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John H. Post, III, MD
Orthopedic Surgeon
Charlottesville, VA

keep in mind that you could water run and get some intervals in that way - no pounding there.

I don't know much about bracing.

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

thanks for all your contributions to ST.

i am 62 and had meniscectomy for right knee in 2006 (which likely occurred as result of bike crash in 2004) and have had problems with left knee as it likely overcompensated for weaker knee. mri in march 09 showed some meniscus tearing (medial posterior horm similar to right leg) but doc said related to age. but the knee also has some tendinitis and mri also showed some arthritis which was mild in lateral and medial compartments, but moderate in patella compartment. it only acts up big time when i walk up steps after resuming running ( i have been off and on for last 3 years due to lknee tear, tendinitis, oa). it seems to fall into the jumper's knee definition but gets better when i back off running.

here is the dilema.....the right knee works fine (only stressed it to about 5 miles per outing of running) and if i could just get the left knee to that state i wouldn't have to sit on sidelines for triathlon (sprints & oly). but left knee is mild in symptons except for stair climbing....not locking catching.....

doctor, i am not getting any younger and my aerobic conditioning has only gotten better over the past few years, i bike and swim similar to what i did 10 years ago. i know there are no guarantees that meniscectomy will be as successful on left leg as it is on right leg, but let's say in 3 years i become more symptomatic. would it not be better to fix minor degenerative tearing now than let it become a more complex tear in the future ?

gaze into that crystal ball....fix smaller tear now, prp, stem cell in future, any suggestions would be appreciated.

i have good doc at emory dr x, but he is a whirling dervish....and frankly haven't gotten much face time with him, but rather the interns

ps does medicare do meniscectomies? or do they send you to the glue factory? and i spent two great years at uva in early 70's and i do miss tris

thanks in advance

Do cortisone shots help for tears, perhaps reducing any swelling in there?

i'll leave to the doctor, but tears in older folks unlikely to heal...they are degenerative and blood flow very limited. swelling occurred in my right knee that got the surgery, but no swelling in left knee, just gets real sore when loaded (running only, just the mildest stiffness on occasion on the bike...longish bike rides). maybe cortisone, but generally what i have read it has its limitations and is catabolic. a sports doc that i talked with briefly at the gym said prp may help with tendinitis....not sure if it will help tear or arthritis....sucks getting older...thanks for feedback.

also, sorry did not mean to infringe on thread, but thought it might help

No.

John

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John H. Post, III, MD
Orthopedic Surgeon
Charlottesville, VA