Patient will be non-weight bearing for 6 weeks immediately following surgery unless otherwise directed. Progress to partial weight bearing with brace at week 6. Progress to full weight bearing with brace unlocked (if adequate quad control) near week 8.
Arthroscopic surgery for a torn meniscus (meniscectomy)
It may take 4-5 months for full healing. The patient should be able to bear weight on the knee while standing or walking, immediately after surgery. Crutches will be necessary for 2-7 days after surgery.
Most patients can be fully weight bearing by the end of the first week while continuing to wear the immobilizer. After the first week, you may then increase weight as tolerated and advance to one crutch for a few days and then a cane if needed.
Most patients are off crutches at or around the time of the first follow-up visit after surgery (2 weeks), but some may still require them at that time. Don't worry if you need crutches longer than 2 weeks- remember that everyone's recovery is different.
This helps in reducing swelling, pain, throbbing and the risk of infection. KNEE WALKERS/KNEE SCOOTERS ARE PROHIBITED UNTIL AFTER THE FIRST POST OPERATIVE APPOINTMENT. You should use crutches, a walker or a wheelchair during the first two weeks post operatively.
Brace locked, crutches • Partial weight bearing • When going up the stairs, make sure you are leading with the non-surgical side, when going down the stairs, make sure you are leading with the crutches and surgical side.
You will be sent home from the surgery center with prescriptions for pain medication. Take the pain medication as prescribed. you take the medication and taper off as you feel comfortable, but keep in mind that many people have an increase in pain around day 3 or 4 after surgery.
Your Recovery
Your doctor put a lighted tube—called an arthroscope or scope—and other surgical tools through small cuts (incisions) in your knee. The incisions leave scars that usually fade in time. You will feel tired for several days. Your knee will be swollen.
Don't Overdo It
Although exercise is the key to healing, you could be backpedaling progress by overworking your knee. Signs of over-exercising include swelling of the entire leg and lingering pain that stretches into the evening or into the next day.
Walking up or down stairs may be particularly painful, and may also cause increased swelling in the knee.
So unfortunately, having a meniscal tear which requires surgery may raise your risk of getting arthritis later in life. It has also been shown that a knee that has undergone meniscus surgery has weaker thigh muscles and poorer quality of cartilage 4 years after the surgery [3].
To avoid placing stress on the meniscus repair, do not bend your knee beyond 90 degrees (bent to a right angle). Brace and Crutches: Unless otherwise instructed by your doctor, use crutches when walking and bear weight as tolerated on the operated leg. Wear the post-operative brace for walking.
With weight-bearing as tolerated, the individual may support 50% to 100% of body weight on the extremity. The amount of weight depends on the circumstances. With full weight-bearing, the affected leg can carry the entire weight of the body and can ambulate.
Most people can walk with crutches soon after meniscus surgery. Many return to normal activities within six to eight weeks. Your healthcare provider may recommend low-impact activities rather than high-impact (such as walking rather than running). If you have a physical job, you may need extra time off work to recover.
Avoid any exercise that causes crunching, clicking or pain at the kneecap. Do not pivot or twist on the knee. Stand facing the wall, using the wall for balance and support. While standing on the unoperated limb bend the knee of the operated side and raise the heel toward the buttock.
Arthroscopic meniscus repair is moderately painful. Because more soft tissue surgery is performed, it is more painful than a standard arthroscopy, but less painful than a ligament reconstruction or another procedure that requires drilling holes through the bone.
Wound Care:Leave the big surgical bandage on and do not shower for 48 hours after surgery. After 48 hrs, remove bandages, and apply waterproof bandaids to thencision(s) prior to showering (available at Walgreens or CVS). To see bloody soaked fluids on bandages is normal. Leave the steri stips (white tape) on.
Sleeping positions
This is especially true if you're a stomach or side sleeper, and you can't lay in your regular position due to the location of the incisions on your knee. Generally, learning how to sleep after meniscus surgery means sleeping on your back with your leg slightly elevated.
Walking frames are more stable than walking sticks and crutches. They come with, or without, wheels.
You will also start physical therapy soon after your surgery, often within the first week or two depending on your surgeon's approach.
Sleep on your back with the leg slightly elevated
This is especially important during the first few days after meniscus surgery. Keeping the leg elevated (but not bent!) encourages healthy circulation, which helps keep pain and swelling in check.
The typical recovery time for a meniscus repair is around 3–6 months because the damaged pieces of the meniscus need time to heal back together. For a meniscectomy, it is typically about 3–6 weeks. In either case, a person will likely experience some pain while their knee is recovering.