Medial Meniscus Tear: Surgery or Not???

[David A. Rowe]

I suffered from a medial meniscus "bucket handle" tear. The inner part of the meniscus doesn't have the blood flow to repair naturally. "Cleaning it up" just means shaving off the meniscus back to keep the tear from becoming worse. Like cutting a piece of paper that has been torn back to a clean edge.

Glad I had it done. Walked out of the hospital on the day of surgery and was running through the woods playing paintball 2 weeks later. Haven't had a problem out of it since.

[vanslix]

I'd pause, too. There was a study a couple of years back which showed no difference in pain between sham operations and the actual meniscectomy. Several golden goose surgeries have fallen once they are actually held to the rigor of a sham control. This may be another one.

[Mark E. Hurling]

I got a complex tear in my medial AND lateral meniscus at age 19 some 45 years ago. It hurt a little from time to time after age 50 after a few decades of jogging, lifting, and other vigorous activities beating it up. When I finally got an MRI at age 62, I discovered just how bad the damage was just a few weeks before going to one of Rip's seminars in Costa Mesa. Which I went to and completed with a slightly sore knee. I still haven't had any surgery and am doing just fine.

[Barry Charles]

I tore my my cartilage when I was 21. Arthroscopic surgery in 1984, by a top sports MD.

Over the next 29 years that knee would ache whenever I would hike (mostly from during downhill and when I would use any kind of leg machine in the gym. Swelling behind the knee and limited range of motion. Despite the pain and the degenerative processes I was told were inevitable, I have stayed fairly active. Pain free and knee replacement were facts of life for me. I just sucked it up.

However, Started powerlifting at 50, and Trying to follow the SS model for squatting shortly after. My first "squat" was at 45lbs.

While this is a work in progress , and I am frequently working on my form, my knees have never felt better. My best competitive squat (full depth blah blah) is 335 and I am on track to squat over 350 at my next meet. I am also confident that I am on track to go over 400 within a year or two.

Squatting correctly has worked very well for me.

[Ryan M. W.]

Thank you to everyone that has responded. My natural reaction is to put the surgery off, and I feel like the majority have agreed. I know this is an imperfect situation and there are no perfect solutions.

Rip, I know you have had probably the most experience with this, personally and through coaching. I know I have provided you with limited information, but what do you believe you would do?

I'm 35 years old. No competitive sports, but want to continue getting bigger and stronger.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I would only have my knee scoped if the meniscus flap was mechanically locking the knee. I have a couple of stable tears in my right knee, and they've been no problem.

[Ryan M. W.]

Ok, thank you. Originally, tear was causing locking. After the first aggravation the locking discontinued. Probably tore it all the way through. I think I will wait it out.

I can't tell you how valuable it is to have access to a forum like this. The fact that you take your time to respond means a lot. I have B.S. and M.S. in Kinesiology and I can say that the information you put out is more practical than anything in school, while at the same time being completely science based. Academics provides great theory, but very little real life application. Your work has been inspirational and has gotten me back to what got me into this industry in the first place: strength.

Thank you and thank you to everyone that has responded.

[hollismb]

I would only have my knee scoped if the meniscus flap was mechanically locking the knee. I have a couple of stable tears in my right knee, and they've been no problem.

That's why I had mine done. After the initial injury/tear, I let it heal for several months (if not longer), and it never really hurt, but it would get locked up at inopportune times, so I finally got it fixed.