Meniscus :
Scar Tissue After Repair - Can Massaging Be Bad? - - Posted by hozer2k (hozer2k), 1 November 2004
I have a had a hard lump under both incisions where the scopes were for my meniscal/acl repair. The medial meniscus side (repair side) was much larger though. They told me to massage it so I have been. I got more aggressive after not seeing any results and now a couple months later it is softening up, but the skin appears to be inflamed a little due to all the massaging.
My question can this hurt the repair? How am I sure where the scar tissue ends and the menisuc repair. This is stupid, but can you actually "touch" the meniscus through the skin at any angle? I aggressively massage this large mass, but I worry that maybe I should just let it alone. It is still quite large, but relatively soft now (it was rock hard when I started).
Posted by andrewc (AndrewC), 1 November 2004
Hi there
No...you cant damage the repair by massaging the incision area to soften the lumps....and no..you wont be able to "touch" the meniscus through the skin at ANY angle by massaging....
Its twisting when squatting or squatting alone for that matter that could stress the repair..
Good luck
Posted by sienna (sienna), 3 November 2004
You need to keep up the massage to break up the scar tissue. If you don't, then you will have many more problems in your knee. I have some scar tissue left in my knee and it causes all sorts of probs. I didn't massage enough so I guess I am to blame but at the same time, massage was not impressed upon me enough and the cosequences of scar tissue weren't explained enough either.
Pt should also be doing ultrasound on it to help with the break up.
Keep it up. If you skin is bothering you, ice it gently to cool it down.
Posted by pjays29 (pjays29), 3 November 2004
Massage hurt me more than anything along the recovery process. The first few time my therapist did it, I was in tears. But it seems to help a lot. I still massage my knee especially the tendon that gets tight. I would say there is no greater pain along the way than the first few massages.
Posted by shoegirl (shoegirl), 7 November 2004
I was glad to see that someone asked about the lump at the incision site.
I also have a amall bump at one of my of my incisions too. I am only 10 days post-op, so I suspected that it's just a residual amount of swelling. 
(10% lateral meniscal removal)
I start pt tomorrow, I will inquire on massaging my knee.
Posted by pjays29 (pjays29), 7 November 2004
I have a question and I guess it relates to scar tissue...not sure. One of the two places where the camera and surgical instruments were inserted were very sore at first. It is much better now.
After a bad movement--I stood up from a very low squatting position--I felt a soreness in that same incision spot. I was told it was probably the spot of chrondromalacia wearing that was observed during the surgery. Can the incision points cause damage to the mechanical knee function? Can something get nicked in there? I swear I feel things that I never felt before the surgery. I'm not really complaining. I'm better but occasionally get annoyed by the new sore points.
Sure can predict the weather with my knee now. (Baromokneemeter) I live in Southern California where it rarely rains. But I sure know when it's coming.
Any experience with new joint irritation from the insertion?
Updated Thu Apr 29 2010
