NSR - Knee recovery question

mmglobal · #1 (**permalink**) 07-17-2009, 03:02 AM

Sorry about posting this in the main forum... I'll merge it with my old knee thread later.

Surgery went fine yesterday. I think I caught a virus before the surgery that manefested itself with severe headache and nausea... I spent the first 24 hours post-op completely miserable with whatever that was, but with ZERO knee pain.

This afternoon, as I turned 24 hours out, I began to feel human again. (In my language, that means hungry.) Unfortunately, this is the time that the knee pain came on. It's really intense and goes all the way to 9 when I move it. After I move it around a bit, it gets better, as if I've broken up whatever had it frozen and it's free again.

Post-op instructions are very sparse... only says crutches/no weight bearing for a week and start a stationary bike after 3 days.

>>> Anyone know if I'm supposed to keep it moving or still? Instructions don't kick in for a few days. I'll call docs office in the morning, but am not prepared to page anyone for this.

Mark

PS, this was just an arthroscopic meniscus tear repair.

sahuaro · #2 (**permalink**) 07-17-2009, 04:24 PM

Mark:
Did you get an answer from your surgeon yet?
I will probably run into my PT later and will ask him.

dshobbies · #3 (**permalink**) 07-17-2009, 05:17 PM

I'm surprised you weren't told to keep it iced. Julius had a machine that circulated ice water around his whole knee but topical is great too.

runner · #4 (**permalink**) 07-17-2009, 06:58 PM

Mark,

I had two arthroscopic knee procedures so don't take this as verbatum because the last one was years ago.
RICE: Rest, ice, compression, elevation.

I think it still applies. I didn't move my knee around a lot until the swelling went down and then I started moving it.
My post-op instructions with the last one were very sparse. When things weren't going how they were supposed to, I went into PT. Even a little arthroscopic surgery leaves your muscles surrounding your knee weak. I think for at least the first week, I would do RICE.

wilsonrob · #5 (**permalink**) 07-17-2009, 07:26 PM

Mark,

Hope all is well re cervical. I have had many knee surgeries for various issues. One thing that would be nice is find out exactly what they did. If there was any arthritis work (meaning debridement or microfracture) then you need to take it easier. Soemtimes they don't even tell you if it is minor. If meniscus only then the instructions seem ok. ICE and some type of minor continuos passive movemnet is very nice to reduce scarring and increase ROM.

sahuaro · #6 (**permalink**) 07-17-2009, 08:11 PM

Didn't see my PT but spoke to a trainer who had the surgery:
He said the first few days you need to not move around much, keep the knee elevated and iced. However, he also said that he was crazy enough to be at the gym the next day testing his ROM on the EFX--but did not recommend that!