I’m going to the orthopod this week but wanted to run my injury by the forum for some feedback before the fateful appointment. About 2.5 months ago after a 9 mile run I felt pain in my outside of my left knee. The swelling was almost immediate and by evening it had ballooned to big fat knee status.
I stopped running during this period, thinking it was “Runners Knee” (whatever that is) and thought I would be good to go in about 6 weeks. I kept riding with little pain but going up stairs hurt after just a few flights.
Now I’m in my 3rd month with no apparent healing I decided that it’s not pattelofemoral syndrome but something more serious like a torn meniscus, or worse. Any thoughts, especially from the more mature members? I’m 57, been running since high school, wear orthotics, 5’11" 165 lb. and have never had any knee injuries before. Help!
I have had a lateral meniscus tear. I was most aware of it walking down stairs (buckling and stabbing). I got it scoped and was running 3 weeks later under the ATC’s supervision. No need to self medicate either.
There were 2 areas that I had trouble with. The short term problem was the GA during the surgery. I was stoned for about a week and completely out of it post-op. The second was the loss of ROM in that quad. It took me about 6 months before my heel could touch my ass again, kneeling and in drills.
Got first hand experience with this dealing with my daughters knees, and my neighbor who is a great orthopod.
Bottom line what he told me is MRI’s are a waste of money. Only way to know what is going on is go in and look.
But, if a HMO forces it, or your orthopod wants it, yep, first step. What they thought the MRI said was wrong
with my daughters knee, and what he found when he went in were different.
Either way, stop running or anything on the knee until you see the orthopod, especially if there is swelling.
At 57, the first thing you need is a good old x-ray. Even without a history of any trauma to your knee, you may just have some arthritis that has been “flared up”. this can happen with no prior symptoms or warning. Hopefully it is not arthritis and then an MRI would absolutely be helpful, to say it is useless and that scoping the next step is just silly and in most cases wrong. Now not every meniscus tear even needs surgery, but if you have a big one, and have symptoms then that might be the next step. I doubt it is ITB, given the amount of swelling you are talking about.
Had my knee scoped 6 months ago and had some medial meniscus removed. I also had a “plica” growth trimmed that was the main cause of my pain. MRI’s can help if the injury region is clear. Mine of course was not. X-rays can help as well. I had my knee scoped on “blind faith” not really knowing what was wrong.
From my “info” archive:
The symptoms of a torn meniscus can include: Knee pain, usually on one side of your knee Tenderness at the side of the joint Knee swelling within the first 12 hours after injury These are some of the main symptoms… A “locked” knee that can’t be bent A knee that catches during movement, or can’t be fully straightened - A click, pop or grinding inside your knee when you move it A knee that buckles, gives way or feels generally weak
Did you injure the knee doing something specific? Twisting motion involved? The ortho may perform McMurray’s test or Ege’s test in the office. Read up on the test’s as well as the symptoms for the torn meniscus. Being informed can help give the ortho a better idea as to what is going on. Give them as much detail as you can.
FWIW - I walked out if the hospital after the scope, really didn’t feel much pain, lost all strength in my quad, thought it would never bend… I was biking in 7 days and “running” in 4 weeks. I am 6 months removed and am around 90% running. 99% biking. I am faster than last year…go figure.
I still have no idea what I have. Yep, 2 tomorrow, will see what the doc says.
(Can not see how he can say much since I can not feel anything other than the sharp
pain when I start to run. If I get through it, then the pain goes away about 80%, until
I stop running, and then it comes back full force. Still seems it could just be
a muscle tear also. But, will see)
Now, if I knew it was a hernia, and was getting worse, my season would be done.
I’m also 57. I tore my medial meniscus in February 2006, had surgery in May 2006, started running again in June 2006. Did my first tri in August 2006. So far no problems. Best of luck to you.
Thanks to all that replied to my post. A lot to think about but it definitely looks like some kind of surgery ahead. And putting it off sounds like just delaying the ineviteble.
i had medial tear and ran for about a year and half with it (did IMFL on Celebrex).
when first went to doctor he said patella femoral symdrome and rest would help. did not work. next doctor said might be tear but more than likely osteoarthritis. both did xrays and physical tests that other responders referred to.
symptoms were pain and catching/clicking.
got off celebrex and struggled for year and went back to different doc who did xray again and said the same thing as second doc…might be tear but more than likely OA. I asked why I did not have OA in any other joints. Not happy with him and went to another doc and insisted on mri, which he said showed tear. Operated on in may 2006 (60% of posterior medial horn removed). Straigtening leg took some time, I was 58 then, and would highly recommend GOOD physical therapists. Because i ran over a year with bad knee, my body compensated so now the other knee is going thru some tendinitis issues. Big difference between patellar tendinitis and meniscus tear. You can ice both but meniscus tear really never gets much better, it is always stiff and sore (i did not have much swelling though).
Tendinitis is tuff to deal with complete healing (balance between time off and itch to start back again). But I could rest tendinitis and after about 10 days I could tell big difference. Tear never felt right even with Celebrex. It did seem like OA. Also with tendinitis just had pain going up and down stairs, the medial meniscus tear always was stiff.
I got back training in DEC 06 and did St. Anthony’s and one more international distance race. The knee with the tear is pretty much healed, but I doubt if I can do another IM. I’d rather race short than overloading the knee again. So i’ll stick with shorter distances and maybe do HIM. My swim and bike are pretty good now, but the run is tough to get back. I would recommend surgery, good PT, and run on soft surfaces for at least 75% of your run training. Don’t come back to quick unless it was minor tear and doc says so.
