Knee surgery

I had been carrying a knee injury for a while and it seems I may have caused it by some sudden movement on a tennis court. The MRI scan revealed a meniscus (cartilage) tear and apparently it’s a portion of the knee that doesn’t heal itself nor is there any miracle medicine that can cure it. I had distinct difficulty while walking and couldn’t bend my knee or do a complete squat. Climbing stairs, stepping out of a car, rotating on one knee were all avoidable and painful movements.

That’s when I was recommended arthroscopic surgery of the knee and it’s supposed to be the most basic form of surgery for an orthopaedic surgeon to perform. The procedure lasted only half an hour and the damaged portion of my cartilage, which was causing the pain, was ‘shaved’ off. It’s a procedure that was done with me under general anaesthesia and required me to take a blood test, a urine test, fast for 12 hours before the surgery and had me stay overnight at a hospital. The overnight stay had more to do with claiming insurance, but that’s for another post.

I’m not big on medicine, typically bear the pain instead of popping a pill and so going through this ‘basic’ surgery was quite an ordeal for me.

It’s been almost 2 months since the surgery but I’m still not a 100% fit. I’m told it should take 3 months post surgery to return to normalcy. While I can bend my knees a complete squat is still painful. I’m able to play tennis but can’t be out jogging or running which would mean a continuous pounding of the knee and that is something I still can't handle.

There were quite a few medicines I had to take too for this and I continue to take a vitamin tablet to ensure that the surrounding portion of the knee isn’t too damaged and that I keep strengthening it. Fortunately, my knee is strong enough for it not to require any physiotherapy. I do need to do some weight training to strengthen the hamstrings and quadriceps(thigh) muscles.