[chunka]

Basically a 5 yr old ACL repair has failed, and the subsequent rotation of my knee has caused a meniscus tear. Probably the result of a raid Pyrenees on top of a hard year of cycling.
Anyone had a meniscus repair and what was the time it took to get back to cycling? Consultant looked at me as though slightly mad when mentioned 3 hrs on a bike was not a particularly rare occurrence.
Op will be in Jan, want to be fit for the etape in July do-able or not?
I did not ride a bike when I had the acl done so have no comparison to make, all I can remember was that for 48hrs it was bloody agony!
The Acl re reconstruction can wait until after July!

Topic

[Ali Gibb]

I feel your pain, literally!
I feel your pain, literally! I’m 11 months on from an ACL resnap and lateral meniscus tear with a fairly temperamental knee now. I got 18 months out of the hamstring recon. I had torn my meniscus the first time around as well and that held me up with the rehab a bit as it needed more time for the stitches in it to do their stuff. I started cycling at 8 weeks and was limited to 5 mins a day easy on an exercise bike. I actually did laps of our village on my MTB in a very easy gear, and it didn’t take too long to up the mileage and get out on my road bike. Be v v careful with clip ins to start with.

Having resnapped the ACL the MRI initially showed a tear on the edge of the meniscus in a different place to the initial tear. My knee was stable though, 3 days after I was able to do 1 legged 180s with my physio and so we decided to try to manage it without surgery again for now. I feel that having it done a second time will be the last chance saloon a bit and if I can get it to 95% without surgery that’s about what I can hope for with surgery. I did a full summer of cycling in the Alps with a few niggly bits. I mostly had to be v careful what gear I was using – too hard made the knee get puffy and too easy made it grate, as if the muscles weren’t holding it together enough which was pretty painful.

I’ve been back skiing for a week out here in the Alps and have to say it feels awful, though hoping that has mostly been the conditions as well. I got a Ossur CTI custom knee brace which feels really good and better that the old Donjoy. I don’t use that for cycling though. Cycling generally makes it feel better.

best thing is to find a good sports physio who understands what sports you do and what you want out of the knee and go with them. Fingers crossed!!!

[rhodrigo27]

I have torn meniscus tears in
I have torn meniscus tears in both knees, at the time of each (2 years apart) I was back running in 6-7 weeks probably could have done some easy cycling after 5. Just remember everyone heals differently and at those times I was very fit and healthy and had great physio and support.

I however agree with fingerbobs, if the cause of the tear is your ACL failure, all your doing is prolonging the issue. the likelihood of having another tear down the line is increased and you will be in the same boat. Knees are pretty useful, its better to get issues sorted early otherwise in years to come you may come to regret it.

[Fingerbobs]

If your ACL reconstruction
If your ACL reconstruction has failed with subsequent instability that has caused a meniscal tear, then a meniscal repair is almost certainly doomed as the predisposing cause, the ACL instability, remains. The unanswerable question is will it survive till after the Etape?

[Darren Franks]

I had both done alongside
I had both done alongside trochlear chondroplasty (filing down ridges on the femur either side of the groove that my kneecap had dug). This was before I’d started cycling but the surgeon and physio both told me that if I was a cyclist they’d have me back to full training within 8 weeks. I was 30 at the time and very active.

[truffy]

I did the ACL, medial and
I did the ACL, medial and meniscus in a skiing accident. Was back on a bike after 4 months, but could’ve done it sooner if the weather hadn’t been so lousy. But then I’m not exactly hardcore.

[Eebijeebi]

My Mrs had the repair
My Mrs had the repair (keyhole and stapled) many months prior to the ACL reconstruction and that the former was worse than the latter for pain but lesser in recovery time.
I’m sure most cases are different though 🙂

She’s back skiing and could go back to tri I’m sure if she had time/motivation.
I’m waiting for the tongue detachment so they can staple that!

[Author]

Replies