Post meniscectomy knee recovery?

[grfox92]

I am 9 weeks post surgery on my left knee. Had a bucket handle tear in my meniscus. I walked on it for a week before I finally broke down and had it looked at. By that point, the damage was done, and there was no option for repair as I had pulverised the torn area by walking on it. So when they got in there with the scope, the only option was to cut out the affected area. I was told from the day of surgery that I was "weight and range of motion as tolerated." I am not at risk for re injuring this injury as nothing was repaired, and material was just removed.

The surgeon said I had a good rim left around the knee and only removed and cleaned up the affected area. I did PT but after 2 weeks, discontinued because all we were doing was strength and conditioning exercises for my legs and knee that I do regularly anyway and it was costing way too much money in Co pays.

I have elk hunted every weekend since August 15th (3 weeks post op) and at no point in the mountains would I say that me knee "hurt". I would say I could feel my knee more so than experienced pain. When I switched from running shoes to my stiff Kenetreks, I could feel my knee much more as my ankle wasn't absorbing the terrain and the ankle support was transferring most of the load to my knees. But over all, i felt good and confident.

Fast forward to today. I did my first run as I start training for an Ultra Marathon in June. After 100 yards my knee hurt, after 1/4 mile it was painful and I stopped. I will switch to en elliptical at the gym for now.

Im curious for those of you who have had meniscus surgery, how long until you were 100%. The doctor told me that with a tear as severe as I had, he cant guarantee I will have a normal knee going forward but with how quickly I recovered and how active I've been, I wasn't expecting what I experienced this morning.

I really was hoping to run my first ultra this year and am hoping that the impact of running isn't going to be my limiting factor post recovery.

Any insight is appreciated.

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[sndmn11]

I really was hoping to run my first ultra this year and am hoping that the impact of running isn't going to be my limiting factor post recovery.

I am 41, 25lbs of dad bod overweight, but still sexy.

I had 6 meniscus surgeries between 2005 and 2007; partial meniscectomies and one failed repair. In 2019 I had another partial. The first was on my left and the remainder, including the failed repair, were all on my right.

I never was into running at any point in my life until 2022, and I now run 3-10 miles per day most weekdays. I have no pain at all now and never think about my knees. My relevant history was baseball (catcher) through college, active with weights and sprints/short runs for cardio, physically demanding job until 2020 including a handful of patrol years in LE.

I had so many surgeries in college because the prevailing thoughts then were that partial meniscectomies had no healing to do other than pushing the swelling out. I was back to playing at 2-3 weeks each time (other than the failed repair), but this last one was different. I had very different PT that was focused on "remodeling the joint" with lame small movements, rather than muscle atrophy and biking to get get out swelling.

My layman's opinion is that you have lived a running life with an intact knee cushion, and now that has changed. Your body will be trying to figure it out and with as much of a running history you have as a barometer, it will be 6-9 months before your body lets you forget about it.

 

[nodakian]

I had a bucket handle tear from a snowmobiling incident in 2004. It didn't bother me, so i didn't get surgery. In 2013, i got back into running and hiking, but by late 2023, things deteriorated to where I could not run more than 5 steps.

Things feel better after surgery in Feb 2024. I do strength training and whatnot, but my running days are over, and walking down stairs and steep terrain requires slow, conscious effort to avoid the stabbing pain. It is better than it was, but reduced mobility sucks.

I hope you get better results. It seems like the variables between people's situations make predicting outcomes pretty tricky. Athletic type and intensity at various ages, severity of injury, age at surgery, diet, etc. Good luck.

 

[grfox92]

I am 41, 25lbs of dad bod overweight, but still sexy.

I had 6 meniscus surgeries between 2005 and 2007; partial meniscectomies and one failed repair. In 2019 I had another partial. The first was on my left and the remainder, including the failed repair, were all on my right.

I never was into running at any point in my life until 2022, and I now run 3-10 miles most weekdays. I have no pain at all now and never think about my knees. My relevant history was baseball (catcher) through college, active with weights and sprints/short runs for cardio, physically demanding job until 2020 including a handful of patrol years in LE.

I had so many surgeries in college because the prevailing thoughts then were that partial meniscectomies had no healing to do other than pushing the swelling out. I was back to playing at 2-3 weeks each time (other than the failed repair), but this last one was different. I had very different PT that was focused on "remodeling the joint" with lame small movements, rather than muscle atrophy and biking to get get out swelling.

My layman's opinion is that you have lived a running life with an intact knee cushion, and now that has changed. Your body will be trying to figure it out and with as much of a running history you have as a barometer, it will be 6-9 months before your body lets you forget about it.

Great info, thank you.

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[Baddog]

basically did the same as you have. I can no longer run regularly, no cushion basically in the knee anymore. Obviously how much they actually carved will dictate if you can or not.

 

[yfarm]

Had a partial tear of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus in 2019, knee ortho recommended no surgery just use a 360 brace. Said my running days are over. He said to avoid anything that produces a joint effusion as the effusion contains substances that accelerate arthritis.
Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)
MMPs are a family of proteolytic enzymes that break down the ECM. In healthy joints, their activity is tightly regulated, but in arthritis, their production increases and their inhibitors are overwhelmed, leading to net degradation of cartilage.
6 yrs out I wear the brace when doing activities that load weight on that part of the joint, weight on one leg and rotate causes pain. Steep stairs require placing both feet on each step going up. Why haven’t I had surgery, with the meniscus gone there is no cushion for the articular cartilage which should accelerate cartilage loss until you are bone on bone. That eventually leads to a total knee replacement. I do have a friend post bilateral knee replacement who climbs mountains but does not run. I bike 12 miles daily. Think about the shock loads on your articular cartilage as you run with each step. Choose wisely, its your only body.

 

[Schism]

I had a partial meniscectomy a couple years ago at about age 40. The orthopedist said it might be up to a year before I'm healed enough to forget that I had surgery. My recovery was pretty quick (couple months) and my knee is currently at 95% of pre surgery condition.

I have young kids and have no problem playing soccer or football with them in the yard. Before surgery, kicking a ball was excruciating. Knowing that the amount of cushioning in my knee isn't what it used to be I try to stick to elliptical machines and biking for cardio. The only time my knee gives me any issues is when hiking long downhill stints with a heavy pack. After that type of activity I'll notice mild swelling and stiffness in the affected knee. I tend to listen to what my body is telling me and adjust activities accordingly.

I dealt with a torn meniscus for over a year before surgery. Post surgery I found strength training to be very beneficial likely due to favoring that knee or altering my gait due to pain. A good friend is an orthopod and made the suggestion that keeping my leg muscles strong will help support and align my knee.

 

[grfox92]

basically did the same as you have. I can no longer run regularly, no cushion basically in the knee anymore. Obviously how much they actually carved will dictate if you can or not.

Yea im optimistic as they didn't remove the whole thing and I have a rim in excess of 6mm.

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[Baddog]

I’ve read they are close to being able to regrow cartilage. That’d be a big deal/money maker if they actually could.

 

[grfox92]

I’ve read they are close to being able to regrow cartilage. That’d be a big deal/money maker if they actually could.

Im sure with stem cells its entirely possible.

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[aMurderOfCrows]

I wish my experience was the same as the person who started the thread. I tore the meniscus and sprained the MCL in both knees a year apart. I do have arthritis and bone on bone conditions in both knees but I was always able to get after it without pain, just stiffness.

I had one meniscus procedure and my knees are killing me. They hurt all the time. The knee with the procedure hurts way worse though.

 

[robby denning]

I am 9 weeks post surgery on my left knee. Had a bucket handle tear in my meniscus. I walked on it for a week before I finally broke down and had it looked at. By that point, the damage was done, and there was no option for repair as I had pulverised the torn area by walking on it. So when they got in there with the scope, the only option was to cut out the affected area. I was told from the day of surgery that I was "weight and range of motion as tolerated." I am not at risk for re injuring this injury as nothing was repaired, and material was just removed.

The surgeon said I had a good rim left around the knee and only removed and cleaned up the affected area. I did PT but after 2 weeks, discontinued because all we were doing was strength and conditioning exercises for my legs and knee that I do regularly anyway and it was costing way too much money in Co pays.

I have elk hunted every weekend since August 15th (3 weeks post op) and at no point in the mountains would I say that me knee "hurt". I would say I could feel my knee more so than experienced pain. When I switched from running shoes to my stiff Kenetreks, I could feel my knee much more as my ankle wasn't absorbing the terrain and the ankle support was transferring most of the load to my knees. But over all, i felt good and confident.

Fast forward to today. I did my first run as I start training for an Ultra Marathon in June. After 100 yards my knee hurt, after 1/4 mile it was painful and I stopped. I will switch to en elliptical at the gym for now.

Im curious for those of you who have had meniscus surgery, how long until you were 100%. The doctor told me that with a tear as severe as I had, he cant guarantee I will have a normal knee going forward but with how quickly I recovered and how active I've been, I wasn't expecting what I experienced this morning.

I really was hoping to run my first ultra this year and am hoping that the impact of running isn't going to be my limiting factor post recovery.

Any insight is appreciated.

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man, sorry to hear all this and wish I had better news.

But I tore mine in a similar fashion when I was 16.

I never got back to running pain free, and while I did run, we're talking like 1-2 miles max before I had to stop.

I finally had to quit running totally at 48 years.

Knee has continued to decline and a replacement is needed, but here I am, still getting along.

you might talk to your doc about the hyraluronic (sp?) acid shots (Euflexa, Synvisc, Duralene). I started them in 2022 and they have helped.

Then I can add that working in a gym as a Personal Training Director of 20-30 trainers, we all agree that running is not for everyone and for some people, leads to rapid injuries. Plenty of other ways to stay in shape.

 

[Poser]

I've torn both of mine in the last 2 years, the most recent one being in May of 2025. I didn't have surgery on either as I didn't experience any locking up, but I did have a piece flailing around in there that eventually feel off. This most recent one was a quite painful 7 weeks. The sentiment I encountered from my Dr and a consultation with an Ortho was that its better in the long term to have more damaged meniscus than less meniscus and that surgery would have a faster recovery but I'd be better off long term with no surgery.

I've done the same recovery both times: Linear Progression Box Squats. Using the box removes the stretch reflex at the bottom of the squat which can be hard on the knee if you have an injury. I'm probably 100% box squats from here on out. Note that there are at least two variations of the box squat. There is the Westside method where you actually sit back and rock off the box, pulling with your hamstrings. I don't advise that unless you are competing in geared powerlifting. Simply squat to the box, sit on it while maintaining full tension -basically a paused squat sitting on a box.

Anyway, once I could reasonably tolerate some air squats, I started with am empty barbell and added 10 lbs per workout for as long as I could run it, then dropped to 5# per session and eventually moved to a heavy day and a light day. There were some very uncomfortable and slightly off camber squat sessions in there, but the body adapts, the tissue responds and heals back up through the stress-recovery-adaptation cycle.

I can't advise you about running, but I started hiking again as soon as I could and was able to backpack all summer with no issues. I do have a friend who had meniscus surgery some years back and he competes in mountain ultras. Doing one this year, may be a bit ambitious, however.

I don't perceive that either of knees are "100%", probably more like 80-85%. And I would advise that you need to take extra precautions when doing anything involving twisting on the knees.

 

[Poser]

I’ve read they are close to being able to regrow cartilage. That’d be a big deal/money maker if they actually could.

Yeah, there's a Biotech company in Germany that's had some significant breakthroughs in this. Unfortunately, insurance companies in the US will consider this "experimental" for some amount of years to come and refuse to pay for it. Blue Cross Blue Shield won't even cover PRP therapy at this time.

Its also interesting to note that there is 0 biotech that can come anywhere close to replacing the meniscus with a synthetic option. Nothing synthetic has worked and there's nothing on the horizon for regeneration.

 

[realunlucky]

I thought I tore mine earlier this season luckily they concluded it was only a tiny tear along with a bad MCL sprain. It's slowed me down noticeably while trying to still hunt but let it heal.

I applaud you guys that bounced back from a serious tear knee injuries, good joints are paramount for backpack hunting for sure.

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[EastHumboldt]

I’m 67. Had my left knee done twice. I never was a runner and now I just save my knees for hunting and bacpacking and hiking. Things I no longer do include tennis and skiing because of the strain on my knees. Listen to your knee. If it hurts, stop doing it. Maybe you can do a lighter runnin regimen, but your knee is telling you “Not just yet buddy”