Self Diagnosing My Meniscus

[Tin]

Almost three years now since I fully tore my ACL & slight meniscus damage. Didn't have surgery because my ortho didn't recommend that I do at my age (59 now).

That is really surprising. My GF's father fell off a ladder preparing a vessel for Sandy and torn his ACL and MCL. He was 68 at the time and his went in and fixed it. As you mentioned orthos do not recommend at a certain age but he is in good shape and very active so they repair it. Great to hear you don't have the instability issues with it.

 

[steamboat1]

Very interesting. Before my replacement, my knee would "pop out" playing hockey and skiing. That is one of the reasons why I have arthritis, no ACL for 12 years destroyed the knee. I wish I had done it sooner.

Doctor said if I ever start to feel that it's a problem I could always have surgery. I haven't had a problem so so far I'm happy I didn't have surgery. In your case you had a problem. Definitely should of had it done sooner in that case.

 

[ThinkSnow]

Tore my right ACL in 1995. Didn't bother me skiing, but when I took up snowboarding in 1996, my knee would totally give out when walking on flat outs. Had the ACL repaired in 1998. My ortho is about my age, also a skier and came highly recommended. Did all the PT and my usual gym regimen. Have not had any issues since either skiing or riding. However now, the right knee tires more quickly than the left. Two friends of mine had their ACLs repaired within the same year as mine. One plays tennis, and constantly has knee issues. The other plays volleyball, and just had his ACL re-repaired 2 years ago.

 

[deadheadskier]

I also could never play tennis or basketball, anything that involves pivoting.

Surprises me that tennis is out where skiing is okay. You do put similar twisting torque on the knees in both sports. My knees rarely ache after playing tennis, but they do occasionally after skiing.

 

[HowieT2]

Go get an mri and get properly diagnosed.
if in fact it is an issue with the meniscus you could be be causing more damage to the joint. The meniscus is the shock absorber for your leg. In pristine condition it is smoother than ice so the joint can flex without friction. If there's a tear it's rough and aggravating the other structures.
as for whether it will heal on its own, it depends on where the tear is. Parts of the meniscus do not have blood flow and therefore won't heal.

its not uncommon nowadays not to recommend surgery for acl tears. Personally, I had mine replaced 4 years ago and couldn't be happier with the outcome.

 

[dlague]

From what you are describing, it sounds like there is more to this than just Meniscus tearing. The weakness is generally a result of ligament damage. Meniscus tears generally result in sharp bone on bone pain and stiffness. One of my colleagues torn his Menisci on his left leg and he still walks on it with no weakness, just pinching and occasional stiffness. He will have surgery to remove pieces that were broken off and have it sewn back together because he keeps feeling a crunching in his knee. Never any weakness. I would definitely get an MRI done!

I tore my ACL and Meniscus during the 2009-2010 ski season. I was 48 at that time. I had three choices use Patella or Hamstring Tendon to repair it, use a cadaver tendon or do nothing. I went 4 weeks doing PT, but my knee would give out which freaked me out and the bone on bone feeling f'n hurt. I went with cadaver tendon of a 40 yr old (newest part of my body)! However they removed about 30% of my inner Menisci. I had Surgery in April and was at Killington opening weekend of the 2010-2011 season. It seemed weird first time back in skis and the head games I was playing on myself were aweful, however, after a few weeks I thought nothing much of it. To this day still ski with a Bledsoe knee brace. Knee does not bother me outside of the occasional time where I sit in the office chair wrong. Skiing no problem!

Get it checked so you can get back out there - do it now and you could even be skiing again in March.

 

[deadheadskier]

Can I just say I hate reading these threads. Shocking amount of people with blown knees. Makes me feel like I'm due. *knock on wood*

 

[ss20]

Can I just say I hate reading these threads. Shocking amount of people with blown knees. Makes me feel like I'm due. *knock on wood*

+1

I'm just happy I suck at moguls and don't do freestyle. Seems like those are the worst for the knees.

 

[Not Sure]

Can I just say I hate reading these threads. Shocking amount of people with blown knees. Makes me feel like I'm due. *knock on wood*

Felling lucky also after skiing Moguls every chance . Made it to 50 plus.
A little rotator and a UCL thumb due to bad pole design.

This thread has me inspired to exercise off season. I already use a Nordic trac with leg weights
But need to lose 15lbs , knees let me know at the end of the day!

 

[steamboat1]

Skied 52 years without hurting my knee, not that I didn't hurt other things. If not for a stupid misjudgment I still wouldn't have. God willing this will be my 55th year on skis coming up.

 

[SkiFanE]

+1

I'm just happy I suck at moguls and don't do freestyle. Seems like those are the worst for the knees.

quite the opposite. Moguls move your knees straight up and down. I find big GS turns where your body is not above your knees while you try to turn them causes more stress. After I twisted me knee 2 springs a go, took a weekend off and then back on skis the only time I noticed strain in my knee was when I was trying to turn my ski with me knee - laziness...rather than using my leg muscles. Forced me into better form. I spend 50+ days in moguls - and at 50yo (yikes!) and 45-6 winters on skis, that twist was the only problem I've ever had. I can bump all day and maybe by 2-3 I can feel my knees get tired.

But like DHS said - I feel so fortunate to have gone this long - every day I walk into Lodge after last run is a great day! Keeping active all year really helps. I am no image of fit-queen - but the more a body moves doing something - the better off you are.

 

[dlague]

Skied 52 years without hurting my knee, not that I didn't hurt other things. If not for a stupid misjudgment I still wouldn't have. God willing this will be my 55th year on skis coming up.

My family not so lucky ACL Tear (Me), Broke shoulder with 7 fractures (Wife), two broken clavicle (son 2), two fractured thumbs (son 2), concussion (Son 3) all skiing. The sons were in the park going off big kickers. My wife got cutoff by a beginner. I tore the ACL off a jump in mash potato snow - binding released after the knee did.

I think of it as getting it out of our systems. Still worried about our youngest (son 4).

 

[DJAK]

Thanks for all the thoughts on the admittedly bummer topic ya'll.

 

[Dickc]

I've had knee problems for 44 years. Tip # 1 is to keep your bindings as loose as you can stay in them. I caught a tip in one mogul and the tail on another at Mad River 44 years ago on much too tight bindings and did a nice SLOW twist out of it. Lucky I did not spiral fracture the damn leg. Have had issues since. Doc has been in left knee three times since then. Last time I actually had hyper-extended it to tear the meniscus. Skied that winter and it HURT. I now have some arthritis in that knee as I have had too much cartilage out. Does OK skiing, but sitting down sometimes hurts. Do see your doctor and have him/her do all the routine things including X-rays. You will most likely need and MRI. See if there are newer scanners in your area as they give a better picture than older ones. Make the follow up appointment and see what he/she says.

 

[deadheadskier]

quite the opposite. Moguls move your knees straight up and down. I find big GS turns where your body is not above your knees while you try to turn them causes more stress.

Couldn't agree more. Carved turns are way more dangerous to knees than the natural up and down motion of skiing bumps.

That said, I cut my bump skiing time in half when I turned 30. Not to preserve my knees, but to preserve my back.

Tough to dial things back, but I think it has paid off. I turn 40 in September. Outside of a bum shoulder I've been doing PT for over the past 3 years, I feel good.

 

[steamboat1]

Skied 52 years without hurting my knee, not that I didn't hurt other things. If not for a stupid misjudgment I still wouldn't have. God willing this will be my 55th year on skis coming up.

My family not so lucky ACL Tear (Me), Broke shoulder with 7 fractures (Wife), two broken clavicle (son 2), two fractured thumbs (son 2), concussion (Son 3) all skiing. The sons were in the park going off big kickers. My wife got cutoff by a beginner. I tore the ACL off a jump in mash potato snow - binding released after the knee did.

I think of it as getting it out of our systems. Still worried about our youngest (son 4).

Like I said not that I didn't hurt other things. I have a pretty long list.

 

[steamboat1]

Thanks for all the thoughts on the admittedly bummer topic ya'll.

You just get it checked out.

 

[Brad J]

I tore my ACL in 98 and have skied 30+days since 05 and did not have it repaired because of being a self employed carpenter with 2 kids in collage, I did tons of pt for a year which made a stable knee. at 58 I had a quad tendon rupture in the same knee and did tons of PT and am skiing pain free and still able to ski at 90% of my ability in my mid 40's . I believe Knee strength is the key for lowering risk of injury and less wear and tear on the joint. Knock on wood it has worked for me.

 

[dlague]

Couldn't agree more. Carved turns are way more dangerous to knees than the natural up and down motion of skiing bumps.

That said, I cut my bump skiing time in half when I turned 30. Not to preserve my knees, but to preserve my back.

Tough to dial things back, but I think it has paid off. I turn 40 in September. Outside of a bum shoulder I've been doing PT for over the past 3 years, I feel good.

However not on the front five when you are there.

 

[SkiFanE]

Couldn't agree more. Carved turns are way more dangerous to knees than the natural up and down motion of skiing bumps.

That said, I cut my bump skiing time in half when I turned 30. Not to preserve my knees, but to preserve my back.

Tough to dial things back, but I think it has paid off. I turn 40 in September. Outside of a bum shoulder I've been doing PT for over the past 3 years, I feel good.

Knock on wood - no back problems ever. After first few days of soreness, core is strengthened and I'm good for rest of season. Back really only gets pounded when it's an idiotic flat footed landing lol. The WROD days are great for getting body back in shape for the real skiing. That one trail always bumps up nice by mid-day. As long as you're positioned correctly and use your core - shouldn't be a back problem. But - I also didn't ski nearly as much in my 30s when kids were born and little. maybe it preserved me for middle age (it's middle age if I live to 100 lol).