5 weeks post op - Arthroscopic Knee Surgery Scar Tissue at Portal Sites??

[runner1431]

Hello - new to this site and appreciate anyone's insight and help.  I had my knee scoped 5 weeks ago and ROM is good, but I have very painful and noticeable bumps at the site of my incisions/portal holes (one on each side of the knee).  I had chondroplasty and plica removal (had very minimal pain, only pain going up and down stairs and squatting, prior to surgery but surgeon suggested diagnostic scope to see what was causing pain and apparently a cartilage flap and some scar tissue - had my patellar tendon repaired last year in the same knee).  Been doing PT and massaging them (portals) every night, but they (the bumps/lumps) do not seem to be going away or breaking down.  I believe it is scar tissue but when I've heard of scar tissue I've heard of people hearing cracking or the scar tissue breaking up and I never hear that when the areas are being massaged.  Has anyone experienced this and did this go away with time?  My recovery hasn't been what I was communicated.  Prior to the surgery I was running 50-60 miles a week and I'm now concerned that my knee isn't healing properly. Thank you in advance for any insight!

[diesiel]

if youre doing all the mobility exercises and getting some good massage, i doubt it's scar tissue as proper post op treatment will prevent alot of its formation.  Maybe its fluid?

[runner1431]

Thanks for the insight Diesiel - I am concerned and seeing my primary doctor today.  Doesn't seem to be scar tissue - its a bulging bump at/below the incision site.  Anyone else have any experience or insight??

[The KNEEguru]

Just bumping this thread up to the top...

[Clarkey]

I had surgery of anterior interval release in July 2014 after my 1st scope of fat pad trim and medial plica excision caused the scar tissue build up. Friction massage therapy or graston technique might help to break down the scarring around the portals. Six weeks post-op is when scar tissue can build up and need to keep on top of deep friction massage and patella mobilisation to reduce and break down the scar tissue.

Deep friction massage technique video demonstration.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vMvAJYikxo

Patella mobilisation video demonstration.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcU7Kc1FtnI

There will always be a slight bump around the portal region where the incision was made as long as it not too deep into the knee, scarring around the incision mark with a slight bump is normal. I did 15 miles running 3 times a week totalling 45 miles averaging 7 minutes a mile. It is easy to do many miles too quickly as I did. Need to increase the miles gradually over a couple of months. Stretching before and after a run is important that I should have done that helps decrease the risk of a knee injury.

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