I may have to have knee surgery for torn cartilage. Any DUers been through this? What's recovery

[Minimus]

like?

Doctor told me it will be done by scope and they will go in to clean up debris and cartilage. It is the cartilage where knee cap slides over femur so he said recovery is worse than meniscus and acl surgery. Apparently since it is on top of knee instead of side of knee it is harder to bend knee after surgery. He said they may put me on a machine that forces me to bend my knee. It sounds painful and I am scared. :scared:

I have arthritis in both knees and have been managing with cortisone injections and anti-inflammatories but the left knee -with the torn cartilage- keeps getting worse. It locks, pops, and makes all kinds of horrible grinding noises. The pain is now more than just an arthritis ache it is sharp burning pain and is getting to be more than I can take.

I meet with surgeon on Wednesday to get the scoop.

I am paying over $400 month for COBRA - I just wonder how much of this surgery will be covered?

[skygazer]

1. I had surgery for a torn meniscus in my left knee. Twice.

It's not 100% but it is better than it was. It no longer locks up on me. I have arthritis too - that's not going anywhere and I haven't got a lot of cartilage left after 2 rounds. As for recovery, it took probably 5 or 6 months before I felt like I was pretty much done recovering.

My surgery was more straightforward than what yours sounds like (I remained awake and watched mine - the anesthesiologist thought I was nuts but the doc was cool with it). Good luck - I hope it all goes well.

[madamesilverspurs]

2. Had mine done

in 1969. No scope, and a plaster cast from hip to ankle. Several of my friends have had the procedure you are anticipating and they're all glad they had it done. Hang in there, I'll be thinking of you.

By the way, during high school one of my best friends got whacked in the knee by an errant baseball. It gave her fits for years until she finally got it fixed. People were sometimes unnerved by the loud 'crack' when she'd have to pop it; she handled that by glaring at her knee and demanding, "What's a joint like you doing in a nice girl like me?!"