problem with meniscus pain

[funscuba]

Has anybody been with this kind of situation (wikipedia source):

The patient's chief complaints are usually knee pain and swelling. These are worse when the knee bears more weight (for example, when running). Another typical complaint is joint locking, when the patient is unable to straighten the leg fully. This can be accompanied by a clicking feeling. Sometimes, a meniscal tear also causes a sensation that the knee gives way.

In the end of each of my dives in my last trip, I had terrible pain in the right knee and the orthopedist concluded it was a problem with meniscus.
Seems that the only way to get rid of this problem would be a surgey if I want to continue diving, and how long time after the surgery will you be able to dive, will the pain be permanently over ?
I know that surgery is not a must, as this problem doesn't occur in everyday of my life, but only if I go diving or by running, but as scuba is a must during holidays, you know the feeling.

Thanks !!

 

[TSandM]

Did the orthopedist discuss getting an MRI of the knee, to get a better idea of what's going on in there? Pain in the knee can come from a variety of structures. If you have the classic syndrome, with pain and locking, there's little doubt; but if it's just pain, it may be hard to be sure.

A lot of people have meniscus repairs and do very well afterwards. They're often done arthroscopically, which doesn't lay the joint open and has a pretty quick recovery. I had a tibial plateau fracture, with tears of the lateral collateral ligament and the lateral meniscus, and although I was laid up for six months because of the fracture, I have full range of motion and no pain in the knee almost twenty years later.

 

[funscuba]

Well, it's the pain and locking situation I have, exactly how it's described in wikipedia or on any other clinical forum. I'll be doing some X-rays soon and I guess a minor surgey will occur.

Here Meniscus Tear - Torn Cartilage in the "Symptoms of a Meniscus Tear" section.

What annoyed me was the fear of not beeing able to dive properly after the surgery.

 

[tomfcrist]

First of all, don't try to diagnose your ailments over the Internet. If you actually guess correctly about the cause, you may begin to think that symptom checker is the easiest way to diagnose yourself, and next thing you know you are convinced you have rickets

Take it from someone who has had 6 major knee surgeries in the past, if it is a meniscus tear, let them trim it up and carry on with your normal life. The surgery doesn't actually repair anything, so you will still have a tear, but there will be no more grinding popping or locking. You may however be right back in the same situation if you don't take it easy for a year or so.

 

[rhwestfall]

everyone is different, so the "what happened for me" can, or cannot be the results you will achieve. The degree of the tear, age, etc. play a major role. I have had both knees scoped, one being very simple, and a rapid recovery, the other being more complex, and still having some minor issues. Regrettably, you won't know the result until you go through it.

I was diving so soon after surgery, I actually was using waterproof bandages to seal up the still open holes from the scope.

Good luck.

YMMV