keyhole surgery on knee cartilage

ValleyGary

just been told i gotta have this done in the next few weeks.

anyone had it done?
what was the recovery period before you was able to play sports?
was you able to walk on it immediately after or did u have crutches?

tying to find info on the internet but its all abit vague. Though someone may have undergone surgery on here as its wuite a common football injury.

richie8

I had cartilage sorted in May this year.It was a day surgery job I was in at 9 ish and walked out the place just after 2.The only snag was they found my cruciate had snapped but if it hadnt I was to be ok for sport in about 6 weeks.

guinnessaddick

Just had keyhole on my ankle, if they just clean it out, you should be able to walk on it from day one. Best leave any sports other than swimming for at least two to three months. I had mircofracture done also, this is where they drill holes into the bone and leave it, trying to get stem cells to form a new cartilage. I can't put any weight on my ankle for at least six weeks.

AFKABartram

had it done on my left knee, though i can't be specific on the impact as it was part of three things being done to the same knee. Was on crutches for about a month. Couldn't really do anything for at least 6 months, and have never really been able to push it too much ever since to be honest.

Leroy Ambrose

ACL tear playing ice hockey. Arthroscopic surgery a couple of days later. Agonising pain for weeks on end, followed by a horrible dull ache for about six months. Had a brace for four months. Took me nearly a year to play football again (never played ice hockey since - only ever skated twice since) and had two abortive 'comebacks' before I could make tackles with anything like full force. Still only 90%, and give me grief at various points throughout the year. Have had a scan a couple of times, and apparently the repair was a 'good' one (i.e. not left me with any shit floating around in there).

Wouldn't wish the injury on anyone, but since you haven't got a torn ACL you shouldn't have any of the grief I had. Keyhole surgery is far less invasive than 'old school' knee surgery - I played with a kiwi who had the exact same injury - and whilst I've got a scar the size of a 5p piece, his entire knee was ripped open and looks like he borrowed it from Frankenstein's monster as a result

Good luck

richie8

Ive had both knees ACLs repaired,the left was done nine years ago and was opened up like Frankensteins monster.It hurt like hell and took about a year to recover but it is fantastic now able to play football and rugby full on.The right was done in August and was keyhole but I was cut open to get better job done the scar is only about an inch long and four key holes and I feel Im about where I was after nine months after having the first op.Obviously dont know if it will heal as well as the other yet.

dabos

I have recently found out that I ruptured my ACL playing football 5 years ago. At the time I went to A&E and was informed that I hadn't broken my leg and had just twisted my knee. Went to see a consultant last month and MRI show a tear in my ACL and medial meniscus. At the end of January I'm having ACL reconstruction and meniscal repair.

This site has a lot of info (specific link for knee cartilage damage here). I've met the consultant who wrote it and he's performing my surgery. Been very impressed with his professionalism throughout the process so far so would consider the information and advice on this site very trustworthy.

Thommo

Had left knee done about ten years ago, all back playing sport after 4 months

Mark Curtis

If it's just a clean out and removal of some cartilage then you will be back and it it within a couple of weeks. Also if the offer you the option to have the spinal take it as it's a lot better than being knocked out...I had this done 4 months ago!!

Charltonparklane

Had this done and was desperate to play after not playing for 7 months (inc wait for op). I came back too soon, about 7 weeks and done ligaments in my opposite foot. This happened because the last 7 months i had over compensated the weight on this foot.
Hoping to play my first game for a year next week.

DONT RUSH IT!!!!!!

Bournemouth Addick

I had it done the the old fashioned way years ago. Left me with one leg like a piece of string and the other like a piece of string with a knot in it and as I get older the dodgy knee is giving me more and more gip but I've pretty much learned to live with it and gone on to run marathons and play sport on it in the intervening 20 years. Things much, much, better these days I think.

When I had it done initally I rushed back into playing again way too soon and without any adequate physio on it and it broke down again so as others have said, take it easy.

ken from bexley

My brother had this done privately about 15 years ago, and still plays 5 a side at 50.

What everyone seems to do is rush back and play football. WRONG!.

The season for most purposes finishes in April, keep yourself fit and active, then you can do a long pre-season and build up.

I know you will be frustrated by hearing this, but it depends on a number of factors, and if you are relatively young, why rush it and cause another problem later on, and if you are older well you really have to take care!

You need time to recover!. Good luck anyway mate!

ozaddick

I too had this done about 8 years ago, rest well for the first few days, and build the leg muscles back up before any sports.

ValleyGary

cheers for the feedback lads, just not gonna rush back. get up the gym after and build the strength up gradually.

CAFCsayer

[quote][cite]Posted By: ValleyGary[/cite]just been told i gotta have this done in the next few weeks.

anyone had it done?
what was the recovery period before you was able to play sports?
was you able to walk on it immediately after or did u have crutches?

tying to find info on the internet but its all abit vague. Though someone may have undergone surgery on here as its wuite a common football injury.[/quote]

Had it done when I was 14...
Couldnt tell you recovery time as while I was waiting for the muppets to find a problem my hamstring fused with the top of my calf and had to be sliced, resulting in me having to be in a cast for a while
Fitter than ever now though... good luck

smiffyboy

Had my left knee cleaned out twice in the last 18 months, afraid no more football had so much taken out it now causes me no end of problems, pain swelling and now its caused arthritis and only 30. Finally been referred to a professor at charing cross hospital whos gonna grow me a new one in a lab and implant it. All i can say is dont rush go gym and lots of swimming thats what they told me and i took no notice and look where i am now cant even run for a bus.

smiffyboy

Just been to see a consultant because my right knee has been playing me up for a while. Had my left knee cleaned out and cartilage trimmed back twice four years ago and as a result have now got arthritis in it so new the symptoms once they started in my right. Walked in thinking it was gonna be simple op to now be told my left is knackered and my right is too so got go back back Thursday so that 4 consultants can all view at once as they feel a double knee replacement is my only option but they want to get all there views as I'm only 34, walked out in shock. Just wondered if anyone my age on here has had it done.

razil

Artificial knees? I am just recovering from my fourth to my right knee acl tear, the second acl replacement is still good but cartilage fkd and arthritic, latest was a cleanup of scar tissue and all sort floating about, I left it too long after the first injury sadly. Third op bought me a few years of 5 aside tho. More recently I ran a 10k it swelled hence the op.

GreenWithEnvy

I had it done after tearing cartilage in a footy game- was walking the next day after surgery. was running a week later. guess it depends on the surgeon* and how much cartilage is being removed (I had about 10% loss). It really is a quick procedure. I wouldn't worry about it. since then I have run 4 half marathons and one full one, swim, gym, cycle and I still play the odd game of footy.

*luckily I have private medical insurance through work

smiffyboy

Yes they are saying I need two artificial knees at 34!!!! I walked in or limped in expecting to be told I need them cleaning out again but got told they think knee replacement is my only real option

nth_london_addick

Wow mate that's shit hope it all goes well.you.going private or NHS

Clem_Snide

Waiting for a date for mine to be done. Had it done before and wasn't too bad. Issue I have this time is the scan I had showed a properly nasty "bucket handle" tear and the surgeon doesn't think repair is an option so am going to loose a lot of cartlidge this time round.

smiffyboy

NHS mate not got private unfortunately. Here is an x ray that shows how bad the left knee is as most of the cartilage has gone and so is now bone knocking bone constantly causing the arthritis.

ShootersHillGuru

When I had my cartilages done. (All of them) I went under the knife. We were real men in them days. Keyhole surgery. You don't know you're born.

razil

As long as you don't do joint impact exercise it shan't get worse, so cycling, swimming and cross trainer?