I am going into surgery for a torn miniscus in my knee. Any suggestions for rehab and getting back into training?

It might be late in the game, but have you fully explored non-operative protocols? Even if you have moderately significant mechanical problems, progressive physical therapy can help dramatically.

Assuming you are getting cut, are you getting a meniscus repair or a meniscectomy?


Unfortunately with most sports related meniscus injuries, the nature of these tears are usually not repairable. This usually means you are getting a meniscectomy. The upside is, aside from the rest required from the trauma of having a doc shove a tiny camera into your knee, breaking the sac and cutting flesh, very little has to be done in order to come back from a partial or even full meniscectomy. However, some rehab to make sure your knee muscles are strong where it counts for better knee protection is always a good idea.

However, if you have a tear which can be repaired, your recovery will be longer (3 to 4 months). You will probably be required to immobilize your knee for a while, and you will need rehab. The upside is a repair greatly protects your knee from developing degenerative arthritis when compared to the long term results of a meniscectomy.

Whatever it is, follow your doctor's instructions. It would be silly to go through any of this without staying along for the full ride. If you think an alternative rehab protocol might be better, discuss it with your doctor and see what he or she says.

Damn, I'm worried I might have one of those but I keep putting off seeing the doc.
What were the symptoms? I get pain near to full flexion, full extension and with twisting movement.

Symptoms of mensicus tears usually manifest themselves as lock or a hitch where you can't extend or straighten your leg for a moment, They so produce popping and clicking sensations, but a lot of knees have this "crepitus", so it may be nothing.

Pain and/or swelling indicate muscle or (more likely) ligament injury/strain/dysfunction/scar tissue.

Anyway, it's kind of stupid to put off seeing a doc because you are worried it might be something. Even if you still do nothing, is knowing more scary than not knowing?

Regardless, remember: a surgeon wants to cut. It even might help. :smile: But good physical therapy alone has been known to work wonders for chronic pain.

Cheers. I don't like my doctor actually, but should be able to see a different one. You're right of course.

My symptoms are swelling and pain after any sort of strenuous exercise. I moved this weekend and with all the up and down on the stairs the knee swells and gets sore. I have lost strength and can not completely contract or extend the knee.

I have done three months of PT and it has not gotten better at all. Certain parts of the miniscus do not get a lot of blood flow and will not heal. Surgery seems to be my only solution. There was an older man in PT with me with a torn miniscus too and he seems to be doing very well. I guess it just depends on where the tear is. If you feel like you might have a tear, the only way to know is with an MRI.

My surgery will be orthioscopic and they hope to suture the tear. Rehab is supposed to be six weeks and the knee should be back to normal.


I actually hurt it training at a systema seminar which my friend wanted me to see. They still do the old soviet era warm up exercises that were on morning television. Some deep knee bends and my knee got hot. Getting old I guess.

I was wondering if anyone in the forums has gone through this before and what I should expect. How much pain etc... I appreciate your comments Tom.

I did not have a meniscus repair, I had a knee trifecta surgery: full ACL reconstruction, a partial meniscectomy, and cleaning up a partial PCL tear. I also had a moderate complication from the surgery. So my experience wouldn't apply. However, I am reasonably satisfied with the ultimate result. (I've written about it before on this forum.)

My sister however had symptoms similar to yours. She had a partial meniscectomy done to BOTH knees at the same time, along with some other stuff done to her kneecaps (the name of which eludes me at the moment.) She walked out of the hospital with a cane she discarded five days later.


And don't worry about the pain. Just ask for some Percocet and Vicodin (if he doesn't practically force a prescription on you). I didn't like the side effects of the Percocet, but the Vicodin was a lot of fun. :smile:

friends are already lining up for the 'scripts.