Medial meniscus tear options

No disrespect to the posters here but I would recommend you see an
orthopaedic specialist and get his professional opinion.

--
I smile and go off waving
(Amiably) - for that's my way

Baal

http://www.helden.org.uk
"sunil" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi,

I recently found out that I have a tear in my medial meniscus.

Quoted message said:

From what I have read online and from talking to others who have had

this condition, it seems like the primary treatment for this condition
is to cut out the torn cartiledge. My question is:

Are there any other options to address the tear apart from:
1) cutting out the torn cartiledge
2) leaving it as it is

Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Sunil

*** Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com ***

Baal,

Thanks for responding. The ortho specialist who diagnosed the torn
meniscus recommended arthroscopic surgery.

I am posting here to see if there are any other treatments that have
worked for people.

Regards,
Sunil

"sunil" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

I recently found out that I have a tear in my medial meniscus.

Quoted message said:

From what I have read online and from talking to others who have had

this condition, it seems like the primary treatment for this condition
is to cut out the torn cartiledge. My question is:

Are there any other options to address the tear apart from:
1) cutting out the torn cartiledge
2) leaving it as it is

Here's my experience (not medical advice):

I was diagnosed with a small meniscal tear 10 years ago when I was 44. My
knee never locked up or clicked, but it hurt to run, especially on hard
surfaces.

I talked with three acquaintances who'd had the operation, and 2 out of 3
did not improve, or just improved slightly. The surgeon, of course was very
enthusiastic, and predicted a good recovery for me.

But I decided to wait. Mainly because I looked at a model of the knee and
saw how important and significant those meniscii are to the structure,
support and cusioning of the knee joint. It didn't seem like a good thing
to remove any of it unless absolutely necessary.

I stopped running for a while, then started jogging very slowly on trails
and sand. If it hurt, I walked. I gained 20 lbs. But gradually, over 6
mos to a year, the symptoms disappeared. The last thing to come back was
being able to run on pavement without pain.

I now have no symptoms whatever, and docs who've looked at the knee say
there's no sign of joint wear, even though I run 70-80 miles/week.

-- Dan

At the very least, consider a second opinion.

My doc and my ortho both agreed I had what appeared to be a meniscal tear a
couple years ago, but both also agreed to a wait-and-see approach. I
modified my running slightly, opting for alternating days rather than daily
running, and have really had no further significant knee issues since (and
no need for any further exams or tests, so I don't know if, clinically,
it's any better or worse -- this is just anectdotal).

"sunil" <[email hidden]> wrote in news:1147124199.320897.292060
@v46g2000cwv.googlegroups.com:

Quoted message said:

Baal,

Thanks for responding. The ortho specialist who diagnosed the torn
meniscus recommended arthroscopic surgery.

I am posting here to see if there are any other treatments that have
worked for people.

Regards,
Sunil

On Tue, 09 May 2006 00:59:12 -0500, Newsdude <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

At the very least, consider a second opinion.

Yes, and not from NewsDUD either, cause he's an idiot.

I too am in a wait-and-see mode. Tore my meniscus last October and basically
couldn't walk, though I did try to run for two more weeks. I've been at the
gym ever since and am now able to walk without a limp, but certainly
couldn't run and a quick move can be painful. I've kept on exercise bikes
for 5 days a week and do plenty of strength work for the lower body. Bottom
line, I'll probably get the thing cleaned out when I turn 65 (about a year)
and can have it done on Medicare (no insurance). Of course, it all depends
on how much things have progressed when I do turn 65. It's been a slow
improvement, but I'm not totally convinced it won't be significantly better
without the operation.

Tom
--
www.DuendeDrama.org
Bringing Plays and Stories
to Our Schools and Communities

I had a strain or tear exactly two years ago.
Both the hamstring and quad got sore and I
stopped for about 3 weeks. I invested in stability
shoes and knee straps. If it got worse, I'd consider an
operation, but it didn't get worse. Besides I'd have to pay
$3500 of deductables and co-pays. AFter about five months
I was back to hour runs. I used to get lokups once or twice
a month, but havent had one in a while. They feel like a
charlie-horse in the inside knee. I stop what Im doing,
massage, then resume lightly in five minutes.
The worse thing was it happend four weeks before
an Alaskan trip, so my hiking was limited to hour before
I got sore.