Returning to Running after Parial Meniscus Removal

by Mark
(Sydney)

At 32 and after 20 years of running (x country and track) I only recently had a partial meniscus removal in the left knee. Post operation the Doctor told me no road running, however that I could play football matches, so long as I did not train, and take part in other sports.

My physio, stated, without wanting to override the Surgeons advise, that the Doc/Surgeon is not looking at the big picture and only advising you as what is best for your knee - and advised that it should be possible for me after rehab to run once or twice a week on grass.

I have returned to running about 35-45k (quality) a week and substitute the remaining mileage/kms with Cross Training and Weight training etc....with all running being on grass, bar the odd 5k road race and my track sessions on tartan.

Am i asking for trouble down the line? My Knee feels fine, no bothers no issues - 10 months since the op. Physically I am a lean 6ft 4 and only weight 80kg, and work on strength on the knee to help out on impact.

My lifestyle takes a dramatic swing when I am not focused on Athletics and thus am at the best state of mind when I continue to exercise and race. Thus don't want to quit!

I was also contemplating having a damage assessment done after a couple of years training to see if this could determine the impact that my continued running is having - is this possible?? so that I could re assess development of any longer term damage at a later stage?

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Returning to Running after Parial Meniscus Removal

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Sep 17, 2008
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Was there other damage?
by: Bart - SII

I would probably agree with your physio - for someone like you who is healthy, in shape, young, and very motivated to stay fit and keep exercising, sensible running shouldn't be something that you give up.

You do sound like you are being sensible - not too many miles, running mostly on grass surfaces, resting between running days, strength training, etc. All of these things will help you avoid overuse injuries and future problems.

With a partial meniscus removal, your knee does lose some shock absorbing ability - which means that the articular surfaces then take a bit more stress - over time this will lead to degeneration of the joint surfaces - and when I say time, I mean decades, not months. You will likely have some arthritis in your knees when you reach 60 or 70 years old, perhaps a bit sooner.

The only caveat I put on this is whether or not there was other damage in the knee that was found during your arthroscopy - did your doctor mention any chondromalacia or roughening/degeneration of the articular surfaces, or other damage? Also, how much of the meniscus did you end up losing? These are not deterrents, but can be indicators of long term prognosis for your knees.

All in all, if you stay sensible with your activities, you should be able to enjoy running for many more years.

Bart

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Sep 17, 2008
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Submitted by: Bart - SII

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I would probably agree with your physio - for someone like you who is healthy, in shape, young, and very motivated to stay fit and keep exercising, sensible running shouldn't be something that you give up. You do sound like you are being sensible - not too many miles, running mostly on grass surfaces, resting between running days, strength training, etc. All of these things will help you avoid overuse injuries and future problems. With a partial meniscus removal, your knee does lose some shock absorbing ability - which means that the articular surfaces then take a bit more stress - over time this will lead to degeneration of the joint surfaces - and when I say time, I mean decades, not months. You will likely have some arthritis in your knees when you reach 60 or 70 years old, perhaps a bit sooner. The only caveat I put on this is whether or not there was other damage in the knee that was found during your arthroscopy - did your doctor mention any chondromalacia or roughening/degeneration of the articular surfaces, or other damage? Also, how much of the meniscus did you end up losing? These are not deterrents, but can be indicators of long term prognosis for your knees. All in all, if you stay sensible with your activities, you should be able to enjoy running for many more years. Bart

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Returning to Running after Parial Meniscus Removal

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Returning to Running after Parial Meniscus Removal