Meniscus :

Possible re-tear of miniscus? - - Posted by Azam (Azam), 17 September 2003

Hi,

I am an active soccor player, and as a result of this, approx 7months ago, i underwent an arthroscopy of my right knee, with the aim of fixing small tears to both the medial and lateral minisci, as diagnosed following an MRI scan.  After surgery, i was informed that only the lateral miniscus was repaired, since no tear could be found on the medial miniscus.

I was advised to start jogging after approx 4weeks post-op and that i could play soccer again approx 6-8weeks.

Since this surgery, my knee has never felt totally comfortable, and i would generally feel slight discomfort/stiffness when going up/down stairs, or generally placing weight onto that knee.

Recently the pain has returned once again in the exact same place, namely the lateral miniscus region.  I have also felt some pain/stiffness in the knee area around the medial collateral ligament region, and am feeling quite uncomfortable when walking.

My question is, is it quite common for (1) a torn miniscus to tear again, and (2) is the pain in the collateral ligament region consistent with this type of injury and (3) if i have further surgery, is there a greater chance that it could lead to Osteoarthritis in the future?

I am due to see an OS once again, to assess the damage.  

Many thanks
Azam
Posted by ATsoccergirl (ATsoccergirl), 17 September 2003

I would be worried about possible damage to the medial meniscus.  The deep layers of the MCL attach to the medial meniscus and normally both structures are injured at once.  It is possible to retear a mensicus,  the chances are greater if the previous tear was repaired rather than removed.  Any surgery will generally increase your risk of osteoarthritis in the future.  

Do you know if the lateral mensicus tear was repaired or simply removed.  From what you describe it sounds like it was simply removed, the repair protocal is alot stricter concerning weightbearing and return to activity.  Bring up your concerns with your OS, and really stress the fact that you are an active soccer player and you are unable to return to 100%.  If your OS does not specilize in sports medicine consider getting a second opinion.  
Posted by Azam (Azam), 17 September 2003

Thanks for your informative reply.

Yes, the lateral mensicus tear was removed, and i will indeed raise my concerns regarding the possibility of damage to the medial miniscus when i visit my OS on Fri.

My aim is to get back to playing soccer again, without worrying about whether my knee will give me any pain every time i play.

I may also consider a second opinion, depending on the outcome of my visit on Fri.

This old Forum was so valuable that we have kept it as an archive. It is just for reference. If you want to ask questions or offer advice, there is also a current Bulletin Board which you can access from our home page.

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