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Thread: squats contraindicated

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
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    12

    Default squats contraindicated

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    Coach ? thank you for the books, videos and this site. I have learned a lot and gained a lot of strength in the last year.

    In searching this site, you said in one post ?Squats are contraindicated in the presence of a completely fucked up meniscus and/or articular cartilage.?

    I was hoping you could expand on this. I have been recently diagnosed after an MRI with ?worn or injured femoral articular cartilage? plus cartridge damage under the knee cap. This is in a knee that I have suffered through several sports injuries. I have given up those sports. But, most recently and most frustratingly, the latest injury was after a workout of squats, power cleans and back extensions. I did screw around with a couple of light (bar only sets) of deep high bar squats. No immediate pain ? maybe a little stiffness, but within 24 hours my knee swelled up like a balloon.

    4 weeks later I am finally able to do bodyweight squats and was hoping to start building back up when I got the MRI and then noted your comments on articular cartilage and squats.

    Are squats completely out of the question or do I just have to take it even slower coming back? Should I be substituting something else for squats? Sacrificing some depth. I love squats and don?t want to give them up. But, your post has me worried.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    North Texas
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    53,559

    Default

    I'm not sure what they mean by "femoral articular cartilage". It may be the hyaline cartilage on the end of the femur, or it may mean the meniscus. Find out.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
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    12

    Default thank you

    finally had them give me the MRI. It says "focal posterior lateral femoral condyle articular cartilage defect measuring approximaly 5 mm traverse with adjacent subcortical marrow signal abnormality"

    It says my ligaments, tendons and menisci are intact.

    Making progress with range of motion just working with really light squats and deadlifts. Front squats are a lot easier - low bar squats still give me trouble on the inside of my knee.

    I hate not being able to work squats and deads heavy. A heavy bench or press and chins workout just isn't as satisfying.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    The Gunshine State
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    95

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by 38SS View Post
    ....No immediate pain ? maybe a little stiffness, but within 24 hours my knee swelled up like a balloon....
    I realize that osteoarthritis can cause pain and swelling, but this sounds suspiciously like loose bodies in the joint to me.

    I have a LOT of experience with orthopedic injuries/surgeries and I have exactly the same problem as you. Over a quarter century ago, my left knee jettisoned a good sized chunk of joint cartilage off the medial femur surface. You can bounce back amazingly well from stuff like that when you're 19. Now that I'm 46,.............

    Squatting heavy three times a week wasn't going to work for me, if for no other reason than the fact that I can't plan to have three "good" days with my knee each week while squatting hard. I came up with sort of a bastardized program in which I do heavy 3X5 squats on Mon., completely skip squats on Wed., and do a light deload squat workout on Friday. I'm adding 5 lbs. each Monday with no end in sight.

    This sort of thing is part of the price I pay for playing sports, being half again as large as the average person, and already having lived to be twice as old as my ancestors.

    Give it some thought, accept your limitations, and I'm sure you can come up with something that'll work for you. Fifteen or so tough squat reps each week won't grind your knee into dust (despite what your orthopod will tell you), but it WILL allow you to get stronger and might possibly keep you sane.

  5. #5
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    Jul 2007
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    North Texas
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    A hyaline cartilage injury is actually not that common. What have they advised as a repair, or have they merely suggested that you sit on your ass for the rest of your life?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Posts
    12

    Default my Dr.

    actually wasn't that bad. He had no problem with me continuing to lift weights and lifting heavy. Actually, encouraged it. Just wanted me to build up the load in a continous gradual manner. No problem with squats and deadlifts - just cautioned against going really deep, emphasized by him squatting really deep, 5-6 inches below parrallel to show me what he didn't want me to do.

    If I continue to have problems and can't lift weights, then he thougth we may have to try something more aggressive such as microfacture surgery or allograft/autograft to replace the cartligage.

    So, if you don't think, low bar back squats are any worse for this type of injury (as I mentioned in the first post, you implied squats may be bad for a totally screwed up cartlidge, I'll just keep chugging away at getting my strength back pound by pound week to week. Maybe cut down the weekly volume a tad as suggested above. As I mentioned, the only strange thing is that front squats seem to feel a lot better on the knee than back squats. Pushing the knees out aggravetes the inside of my knee, which is where the pain and swelling started.

    Thanks, again, for the board, books, videos etc.

    Thanks to the poster above for the words of encouragement.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
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    North Texas
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    starting strength coach development program
    Just squat the way that hurts you the least. Just make sure you squat if you can possibly do it.

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