Anyone familiar with cartilage injuries (knee)?

[Elidor]

My SO has torn some cartilage in her knee and has suffered for months. A thousand-dollar MRI later, the doc faxes her some exercises and says resume normal use. Not even a sit-down! Shameful.

She read today that cartilage doesn't mend and is really bummed out about it. Is this true? Is there anything she can do?

[Spinzonner]

1. How does she know its torn ?

Does she belong to a HMO or some other insurance type ?

Is this a medical decision or a 'utilization' one.

She may have to appeal it.

[Elidor]

5. The doctor looked at the MRI and said it was torn

The doctor is with Blue Cross.

[sans qualia]

2. It's true

Cartilage is avascular connective tissue, so it usually needs to be repaired surgically. It's not that easy to tear, though, unless you're playing really rough contact sports or something. What happened to your SO?

[Elidor]

6. She was playing disc golf

There's a complicated step for backhand power throwing called the scissor-step which is very hard on the knees. (We don't even need to get into my disc golf injuries.)

[Hillary08]

16. Hate to hear about the injury...

I love disc golf! Best game ever invented. Surgical repair is the only remedy I've ever heard of working. Hope SO gets healed up asap! Good luck.

[Elidor]

17. Yes, Disc Golf is my consuming passion

Played three courses yesterday in Bowling Green and Nashville. And now, I'm off to play my local course. :)

[Sympleesmshn]

3. I am not sure but

I am pretty sure it will heal and from what I know there is not much you can do. I had a bad knee injury, dislocated patella, and a little cartilage damage which they trimmed when they fixed it. I believe that is about all they can do. The procedure is arthroscopic.

[sabbat hunter]

4. its true

cartilage doenst repair itself. thats why olympic wrestlers wear headgear, to protect their ears from getting calliflowered.

the exercies are probably for strengthening the area around the injury so it doesnt get worse.
if it is a bad tear, surgery would be an option to repair or remove the damaged cartilage. if the tear isnt bad, all they usually do is rehab.

david

[MichaelHarris]

7. After 9

operations and finally a total knew replacement on the same knee It's safe to say I know knees. Love dat football, yes I do.

Seriously before any surgery I would do those exercises, after the first cartilage removal or repair of some kind it goes downhill fast. The goal for her should be strengthen the knee and let the new muscles take up the slack for the injured cartilage, it's a good program.

You do not want her to be in my shape, I'm young with an old man's knee. Do non-load bearing exercises and leg lifts, don't got under da knife until it's absolutely necessary. My wife is a doctor and she always prescribes exercise as the first treatment for those kind of injuries.

[Sympleesmshn]

9. football is tough on the knees

I went out in the first game last year and can't play again, and I am in high school. I did some PT before the doctors decided they needed to fix my knee (it was not a cartilage problem), and I was so grateful that I had 6+ months of PT. I was way ahead of the PT curve for my injury after it was fixed.

[MichaelHarris]

12. good job

tough rehab that one. Keep it strong if you contiue to play, my problem was I kept playin' after it was so bad that it ended up looking like gravel on the inside. I'm always for team sports, builds character and trust, we really need to trust each other and if that bastard misses a block in front of me Imma whup his ass. Not really those lineman some big-ass dudes and they eat like half a cow at a time, I've seen it you want to keep your hands and feet clear at all times.

[Sympleesmshn]

14. I played DT

I got chop blocked on the line and my knee went pop. My doc said if I play again I could end up with mash in my knee. I am health now and can finally play lacrosse again. I have to agree with you about team sports, they teach a lot of good life lessons.

[Elidor]

8. My SO and I thank you all

The advice you've given is better than anything her doctor offered.

[NashVegas]

10. You've Got to Strengthen the Muscles

And give the cartilage a rest. Quads. Lots and lots of quad excersizes.

I dislocated a kneecap years ago. Went 6 weeks in a brace, then a month or two in physical therapy. Did about 12 sets of quad excersizes a day for another 6 months, with ankle weights.

Have your SO get with a therapist and form a plan.

Plan on making sure that knee gets regular exercise for years to come, even if it's just light stuff like walking, especially if you live in a climate that gets cold and damp.

I was told that cartilage does mend but that it takes years and years.

[Divernan]

11. She MUST see a physical therapist.

I have had knee injuries, and the orthopedic MD would do the xrays and give me some stick figure diagrams of exercises. NOT NEARLY ENOUGH ! I had to DEMAND a prescription for physical therapy - in my state, you can't see a physical therapist unless a physician gives you a prescription for it.
Orthopods are predisposed to surgery. that's where they get the big fees. Also, although I am a fairly intelligent person, I was not properly doing the exercises because the damn stick figures in the diagram are inadequate to demonstrate the proper way to perform exercises. These diagrams will work as reminders after you have worked with a PT who makes sure that you learn to do them correctly. In my case, the PT determined that my knee caps had significantly moved out of alignment, resulting in weakness and repeated falls. Using a combination of exercise, massage, heat treatments, and taping, my problem was FIXED in a matter of months. If I had NOT gone to the PT, I would have continued to suffer injuries until I would have been forced to have surgery.

[LiberalEsto]

13. Physical therapy is the way to go, definitely

You need to strengthen the muscles around the cartilage so they can compensate. I was told to do - and did - leg lifts with a handbag around each ankle because I broke both knee cartilages in a car accident at age 17. It helped quite a bit.

It's possible that taking some kind of anti-inflammatory meds and using ice packs can help get the knee area calmed down enough so that PT can be used. But the PT will know what to do, and what meds to take if needed.

Good luck to your SO!

[no_hypocrisy]

15. Personal experience: physical therapy, research, and supplements.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/104-6422125-3323966

I tore my meniscus a little (like a papercut) compared to my total torn ACL last year. I had 6 weeks of physical therapy where I literally learned to walk again. I took and still take a combination of chondroitin, MSM, glucosamine to maintain the cartilege. I now exercise without pain and may not necessarily need surgery in the future.

Also use links like webmd and JAMA to keep up with orthopedic innovations. There was a post on DU this evening about a new device for knee injuries, bionicare.

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/health/3757004/detail.html


Feel better.