Knee Surgery

[Kriech23]

I just had my knee scoped yesterday, to get cartilage out from under my knee-cap, and my doctor said I'd be out 4-6 weeks. The thing is part of my femur has deteriorated and my cartilage has collapsed to where my femur was. He said he's never seen anything like it, so he still has to get back with me, but...

It's obviously basketball season. So, has anyone else had this done, and if so how long does it usually take you to get back to normal shape. Thanks in advance.

[deaduck]

Re: Knee Surgery

Had a couple of different knee surgeries over the years (starting back in the 80's)and the one consistant in my experience is what kind of shape your leg was in muscle-wise preoperation. If you can keep it stretched and in shape with low impact workouts before the surgery....do so.

[ODogg]

Re: Knee Surgery

I had 4 screws put into my knee to keep it from dislocating and I was on my back for 6 months and unable to walk for about 4 of those months. But then that's more major then you are talking about I think.

[p_rushing]

Re: Knee Surgery

For the first scope, 4 weeks to 100%, but at the same time, before the surgery I was not doing much more than walking, so the muscle was small.

[Kriech23]

Re: Knee Surgery

I'm in shape and exercise routinely, but 4 weeks seems like a long-shot now, after 3 days. Especially, getting back into basketball, and cutting quickly.

[VDusen04]

Re: Knee Surgery

I'm in shape and exercise routinely, but 4 weeks seems like a long-shot now, after 3 days. Especially, getting back into basketball, and cutting quickly.

I have no personal knee-operation experience but I'll still strongly recommend not rushing the recovery. The last thing you'll want is to get "mostly healed" only to jump back a little early and reinjure your knee again. I've had surgery in other areas and I leave nothing to chance, following every single order a doctor tells me (regarding rehab and otherwise).

The good news is I just read another thread where a poster mentioned he'd fully torn his ACL and eventually made a full recovery (returning with more bounce).

[jrivera34]

Re: Knee Surgery

I am currently recovering from ACL and meniscus surgery and as much as you want to get back in the game, don't rush it! Give your body time to heal so you are not recovering from another knee related injury in a year.

[p_rushing]

Re: Knee Surgery

I'm in shape and exercise routinely, but 4 weeks seems like a long-shot now, after 3 days. Especially, getting back into basketball, and cutting quickly.

If you can walk after a week, 4 weeks should be fine. If you are still using crutches, then its going to be longer. Just don't do something the therapist says not to do.

[str8stuntin03]

Re: Knee Surgery

Just copying and pasting what I said in another thread...

My Junior Year in high school (2001-2002), i was playing basketball going for a dunk, my left knee gave completely out. I had a complete ACL tear and tore my patella tendon. I had immediate surgery that night. Four long pins were inserted my knee, but they took 2 out. Couldn't walk for 2 months, and rehab was a year. I lost my UTEP scholarship, didn't play my senior year. That was the hardest time in my life because I really love the game of basketball and it seemed like i lost so much.

I got into the best shape of my life, i had more bounce than before and my knee felt really strong. I had the opportunity to walk on at Maryland but I couldn't pass my physical to play at that level. Hoop Dreams was destroyed to say the least.

One advice I would give you, do not half-*** the rehab, listen to your body, and when rehab is done, continue to spend extra time on that knee. Do not rush back and do not think about your knee being injured

[stlstudios189]

Re: Knee Surgery

take it slow it's better to take the full 4-6 weeks when you could have been back in 3-4 then to injure it worse and miss 6-7 months

[Kriech23]

Re: Knee Surgery

I'm about 80% now, after about a month. I've been biking about everyday 2 to 3 times a day. My doctor told me I don't therapy. So my question is without therapy, what do I do to strengthen my knee? Just keep biking, stretching, running?

[CreatineKasey]

Re: Knee Surgery

I just had my knee scoped yesterday, to get cartilage out from under my knee-cap, and my doctor said I'd be out 4-6 weeks. The thing is part of my femur has deteriorated and my cartilage has collapsed to where my femur was. He said he's never seen anything like it, so he still has to get back with me, but...

It's obviously basketball season. So, has anyone else had this done, and if so how long does it usually take you to get back to normal shape. Thanks in advance.

I had knee surgery involving cartilage removal and removal of a grape sized bone chipped off. They told me 4-6 weeks but I never felt normal for about a year. Then again, rehab wasn't at a very high level in my opinion. I had it done, but it wasn't until I worked out on my own and brought it up to strength by myself that I stopped noticing it. I can say with confidence I broke lifting records post-knee surgery showing that recovery did happen. On the downside, it grinds real bad all the time still.

So, it took me probably about a year before I felt 100% again.

[Kriech23]

Re: Knee Surgery

I had knee surgery involving cartilage removal and removal of a grape sized bone chipped off. They told me 4-6 weeks but I never felt normal for about a year. Then again, rehab wasn't at a very high level in my opinion. I had it done, but it wasn't until I worked out on my own and brought it up to strength by myself that I stopped noticing it. I can say with confidence I broke lifting records post-knee surgery showing that recovery did happen. On the downside, it grinds real bad all the time still.

So, it took me probably about a year before I felt 100% again.

How did you strengthen it post therapy? Just need some ideas, doing the same thing every day can't be helping that much.

[CreatineKasey]

Re: Knee Surgery

How did you strengthen it post therapy? Just need some ideas, doing the same thing every day can't be helping that much.

I just eased back into weight lifting... squats. I was always in front of a mirror working on technique. I started very light and just worked at it.

Even starting with just "air squats" at body weight is a way to get back into it. If you want to actually get back to where you were, you'll eventually have to stress it again in my opinion.