Recovering From Microfracture Surgery

Sorry to hear the more serious outcome. I know it doesn't help now but I can tell you firsthand that six months will go by pretty quickly and I found new enthusiasm for exercise after recovery. Wish you the best.

Ted, so sorry to hear about the knee situation. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers for sure. Please keep blogging and giving us updates and let me know any way I can help you or your family out.

As, you might know I'm a pretty big basketball fan. I know Jason Kidd from the Dallas Mavericks and also playing on this year's Olympic team had microfracture surgery, I also think maybe Amare Stoudemire from Phoenix and Kenyon Martin from the Denver Nuggets have had the procedure done.

I'm not so sure about any distance runners, but it would be interesting to know how many have had this surgery done.

In the mean time, keep the faith. Paul had a really good post a few weeks ago, talking about running, injuries, life and putting it all into the eternal perspective of things. Hopefully, everything will workout for you with time.

You will be in our prayers. So sorry it wasn't an easier issue, but at last the mystery is over and the long road to recovery has begun.

You might want to buy spin bikes for the whole family. You can do FHE, dates, PPI's all on the spin bikes!

Bummer news. We're rooting for you.

Wow Ted that is very difficult news, you will for sure be in our prayers here!!!! Keep your chin up, and try and do what the doctors tell you!

Sorry to hear about the news on the knee, I will keep you in my prayers. You are a very dedicated and focused person, so if anyone can get through this and back to running, it is you!

Hey I'm really sorry to hear about your injury. The only advice I can offer is to try and keep as positive an attitude as possible. Injury can be very tough to deal with, but I believe a good attitude is the best weapon you have to defeat it. Keep your head up - I'll keep you in my prayers.

I don't know you but I stumbled across your blog. This is bad news indeed, but I'm sure you'll get through it just fine as long as you keep a good attitude like what Dustin was saying. All us FRB people are rooting for you...good luck!

Ted, so sorry to hear about things. But of all the people I know, you are one of the toughest and can overcome this! Keep positive and know that we are all thinking of you.

The good news is that you went thru with the surgery, they found the problem, and you're now officially on the road to recovery. You're an Army officer, which means you're tougher than the average patient, in good physical and mental shape, and have a good likelihood of meeting or exceeding the best-case recovery estimates. The Army's got a vested interest in getting you healthy again so make the spin time a priority, both at work and at home. Focus on doing your physical therapy to give your body the best chance to heal. Show the physical therapist what you're made of and get take-home assignments to work on if they'll allow it. Most importantly, don't hold yourself back thinking about the bad but embrace the good news....you've been struggling with this issue for months and now you've finally got a fighting chance at getting things fixed once and for all. Use all your life memories from the *really* tough times (like being deployed in Iraq) to help you thru this one.

I'm certain you can make it through this and will come out strong and healthy on the other side. You just have to believe it too. Time to get to work!

All,

Thank you so much for the words of supoort and encouragement. The last couple of days has been tough. I have second guessed myself on the surgery but then I keep reminding myself that it really doesn't matter at this point. All that matters is that I put 100% effort into recovery and returning stronger than ever. It is scary not knowing what lies ahead but I am willing to do whatever it takes to get back to being healthy again. Thanks again for the support and encouragement as it does help. For those of you out there that struggle to get out the door for a run just use me as your motivation as I would give anything to head out the door for a run right now. Getting used to crutches is not my idea of fun. I will try and write updates on my progress. I sit down with the Dr. next week and he will show me pictures from the surgery, which should be interesting.

Ted - sorry to hear about the injury. You're in our thoughts and prayers. You are an inspiration to many runners including myself. I know you can recover from this.

We are still just glad that you survived that accident. I guess you had to come through with something...it was a pretty serious accident. Good luck.

I read about Paul's thorn in the flesh this morning in 2 Corithians 12, and that also made me think of Ether 12:27. A weakness can make you strong if you are humble, and God's grace is sufficient.

Hi Ted, I am so sorry to hear about this.

Did you ever meet Amy Barrow in Nashville? Perhaps inspirational - she had double hip replacement 3 years ago because of osteoarthritis and has since been running 18:30 5K's, 1:29 1/2's and 3:24 marathons at 51 years old ...

Her doctor didn't/doesn't know what to do with her - and I don't think they had any idea that someone could run like that after a surgery like that.

If anyone else can do something like that - you can! I will be thinking about you the next time I am "dreading" my run.

Bonnie,

I am not sure I met her but I am sure I was at some of the same races with her. Those kind of stories are inspiring for me right now. Thanks!

Army Runner, you will definitely be in my prayers! Yeouch! This stuff is really hard to swallow, but I do know one thing--if anyone can make it through this thing and be a better runner than ever it is you. You are a tough cookie. Now be a good boy and don't run too early, 'K?

I'm a little late on this but sorry to hear about the bad news Ted. I miss seeing your active running blog. Hopefully you can work through this no matter how long it takes. In the mean time try to have fun doing other things.

Dear Army Runner,

I don't know you and I am very new to the blog, but wish you the best of luck. I have had two knee surgeries over the past 5-6 years and am finally back into running (partly due to laziness). I appreciate your comments because I have taken for granted the fact that I can even run again. My doctor told me about 18 months ago, "Let's see how many more years we can get outta this knee...." YIKES! I feel your pain and when I am "dreading" a run, I will pull my head out and go enjoy. Also, props to you for serving... my brother is in Army reserve (he went thru the ROTC program @ BYU a few years back) and is serving his second time in the war, (first Iraq, now Afghanistan). GO USA!!! My advice to you......DO NOT PUT PRESSURE ON THE LEG!! That is partly why I had to have the second surgery!! Best of Luck and keep us all posted.

Hey Ted, I just got wind of your pain! Wow, I have to tell you not to let your doctors prognosis keep you down. You are better than that! Did they mention anything about walking in a pool? After my surgeries from a car wreck, I did pool therapy everyday for an hour and it helped keep my muscles moving and you should try or ask about it. My doctor told me I would never be able to run again so I think they do that to give you some motivation. Do spin alot also. Thats all I did for my therapy to get back into running. You'll find that you'll be back at it in no time. Keep your head up and if you need to break your boredom call me and I come down and bring some board games over or something. lol I did lots of puzzles, model cars, oh and lots of I love Lucy.

Hello, I need some help from someone ASAP please!

I went to have an arthoscopic surgery and I woke up to a microfracture!!! My whole season is ruined - I am a pro tennis player and I have been very depressed the past few months. I have had the surgery 3 months ago and I still cannot walk without pain. I was not told not to put weight on leg for 6 weeks and never used the CPM machine. I was permitted to play tennis tournament after the 7th week and I have to retire after the 4th match because of pain. I have been resting since then for 6 weeks now and I still have pain even to walk!!

Can someone tell me if mictofracture can hurt more in the 3rd month post opperation or did I ruin any chance of healing because I played on it too soon??? Went to some other ortho's and they said to do more therapy for 6 weeks because my quad is very weak so I will do that but I am so scared that's not the case and I ruined the healing process by playing too soon!! Can someone please advice?? My email is Oren67@aol.com.

Thanks, Oren

Oren,

Although you are a tennis player feel free to join the blog and use it as a rehab motivation tool. It helps me to blog about my rehab and recovery and get all of the support from others.

Best of luck with the knee and rehab from microfracture.

Ted, your story is me to a tee. When I had my knee surgery they thought I had a torn meniscus. My surgery was exactley the same as yours, not as expected. I was very angry and depressed when the Doc came to the recovery room and said oh, by the way, 6 weeks on crutches. Just take this time to relax and enjoy other things in life. The thing that helped my recovery the most, was excercises in our pool. You will come back from this. I had never even run until after this surgery. One of the docs told me I could never run long distances and that motivated me to start. With your experience in running, you already have a leg up, "no pun intended". Hang in there and use this to your advantage, to come back stronger than ever.

Mike,

So how long did it take until you could run again at all after the surgery? I wouldn't mind hearing about your recovery and rehab story. It is nice to see someone that is a success story and it is motivating. If you get a chance drop a note with your story and what your recovery was like. Thanks!

Ted, I'll be sending good thoughts your way! You will recover and run again!

hey, i go under the knife friday,not a runner but an avid golfer hope it goes well, dont want to think about 6 months no golf

smbbuff,

Feel free to come back and let us know how your surgery goes. You may not be a runner yet but you never know if you join the blog you may end up a golfer who likes to run.

Hope you knee comes around. I had this 7 years ago and stayed off the leg for 6 weeks. Then started running slowly. Ive since run a 3:30 marathon, my PR. Bad news is Im having the same trouble again, I got 5 good years out of it though, thinking of having it again at age 52. Ive been cycling which is great, no kneed pain. But I miss running.

Thanks Scoot. If I can get 5 years of good running that would be great. I hope for more but I will take whatever I can get. I know that one way or another I will compete in an athletic event of some sort or another regardless for as long as I am physically capable as that is just part of who I am. Hopefully that athletic event will be running.

Ted, sorry for the delay. I just realized you had ask me about my recovery and rehad. I will take some time this week and tell you all about it. I will also shoot you the pics of my surgery.

I TOO HAD MICROFRACTURE 12 WEEKS AGO.I'M RIDING MY MOUNTAIN BIKE 7MI. THREE TIMES A WEEK. TAKE IT SLOW AND EASY AND AND DON'T PUSH IT. I TO HOPE TO RUN AGAIN, BUT I'M 56 YEARS OLD.CHECK OUT steve@woohoo.org.HE'S BACK TO RUNNING MARATHONS. GOD BLESS

MFOX,

Best of luck with your recovery. Keep in touch and let me know how your first attempt at running turns out.

I had microfracture surgery in October last year. I had the same as many, went in for miniscus, came out with microfracture. I have been told NOT to run, but I am reading more that you actually can recover. I have been afraid to run, and have been riding my bike a LOT. I have started running in deep sand (I live in Ft Lauderdale) and that has been encouraging. I am just starting to run on pavement to see how I feel. I was extremely conservative with my recovery, and I'm hoping I can start running again to do a 5K sometime. I'm not a marathoner, I just run to keep in shape. Does anyone else say I should NOT run?

Brad,

I think you should listen to your body primarily. By everything my doctor and physical therapist have said they are supportive and optimistic of my eventually running again and hopefully even doing marathons. However, slow and patient is the key according to them. Doctor and PT both feel I should not even consider trying to run for at least 4-6 months and this is dependent on how things progress. So as long as you take it very slow and gradual and listen t your body you should be able to try and run again. Probably run a little and walk a little trading off at first just to feel things out. Best of luck and let us know how things go.

i had microfracture surgery on Friday and I found this blog searching for others who've had this procedure!

I was told I only need to be on crutches for two weeks along with 4 hrs of CPM. has anyone else received similar instructions?

I was a runner before i was sidelined by knee pain and hope to get back to running once I've recovered.

Army runner-just curious, how many days after surgery did you have to wait until you could get on the bike?

Travis,

Two weeks seems a bit on the short side from everything I have rad and been told. My doctor had me on no weight bearing with crutches for 4 weeks followed by 2 weeks of partial weight bearing only as a slow transition back to walking. If you read my subsequent blog days you can see my progress. Most of what I have read says anywhere from 4 weeks to 8 weeks of no weight bearing. My doctor allowed my to get on a spin bike as soon as I could which for me was basically on day 3. However, it was with no resistance whatsoever and very slowly. I think this was a key to how fast I got my range of motion back. Don't be afraid to ask the doctor questions and more importantly make sure you get a physical therapist that has dealt with microfracture before as this will be important. I hope this helps.

Travis,

I had the same as armyrunner. 4 weeks of non-weight bearing. Then it was slow, but I got on the bike probably after 8 weeks, and it was probably the best therapy. The bike is EXTREMELY important in getting your range of motion back. It took me a good 6 months before I could bend it completely. Like armyrunner says, patience is key. It WILL take a while, but it gets back. I'm starting to run slowly. It's mostly just a lack of confidence after so much time not running. I just don't want to ruin what I had done...

HI ALL..Im a 40 year old guy who took up running at 28. I fell in love with it and ran 25-30 miles a week till a bulged disk sidlined me 2 years ago. I moved to biking,hiking,elliptical,etc. 3 month ago I felt pain in my left knee and I ignored it. recently while in china walking the great wall my knee gave out and I fell to the ground. upon my trip back to the u.s I had an MRI. I am undergoing microfracture for a grade 3 defect Oct 8. Just my luck..a childhood injury "I think" never healed as most do. I had a quarter sized piece of bone/cartilage fall off my medial chondryl into my notch. VERY NERVOUS !!!

Brad,

It is good to hear someone else is trying to run again. How long since your surgery? I am hoping to try and start jogging sometime between 4 and 6 months but like you do not want to rush things and cause any damage to the healing process. I constantly worry if I am doing too much as it is.

scottsdalemick,

I was pretty nervous as well and even as I was waiting for surgery I was almost wanting to not go through with it. However, I am hopeful that in the long run I will be able to run pain free again. It is a long road but if you have questions you can read about my on going road to recovery on this blog. Best of luck and let us know how things go. Even sign up for the blog and blog your recovery if you wish. It is nice to have the support of fellow bloggers.

thanks ArmyRunner,

I have read about your progress and have found alot of insight in hearing your progress. Was there substantial pain from the microfracture? I have never had any surgery,broken bones etc and have anxiety thinking of the procedure. Thanks for your insight. Also, anyone elses experiences would be VERY welcome as I am in unchartered territory. THANKS ALL !

Armyrunner,

I am 4 weeks into my 6 week stint on crutches. after visiting the doctor for the post op he confirmed that i would need a total of 6 weeks. at first he considered two weeks due to the small size of my lesion but in the end decided to play in on the safe side.

Anyways, my question to you and to anyone else concerns small missteps. There have been a few times where I have taken a misstep and found myself catching my balance with my affected leg. My question I guess is this: Would a few bad missteps here and there ruin the chance for the microfracture to work? Your thoughts or experiences?

Travis,

I understand your concern as I was worried about the same type of thing early in my recovery as my kids caused me to bear weight once or twice and even jumped on my knee one day and had me in severe pain. However, so far so good as I don't think these small events have caused any recovery issues. However, it is a long slow process. Many times I have been discouraged over the last three months. However, it has been 13 weeks for me now and until this week things were not even close to normal. This week has been my best week since the surgery. My knee has felt more normal this week than it has since before the surgery. It has given me encouragement that things are working and that I will be able to routine to running again. The last couple weeks I was still concerned and discouraged at times. So be patient and understand that it may take a long time and that you will have those days that you really wonder if things are working and if you will ever run again. I am starting to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel but it has taken a me awhile to get to that point.

Best of luck and God Bless.

Not to sound like a broken record but I too went in for meniscus repair surgery and woke up to the microfracture, 6-8 wks on crutches song from my dr. Lucky for me I am not a skier otherwise I'd be pretty bummed! I did cross-train (swim, bike, run) however, and really miss all of that.

One question I had was about rehab. My doc is of the school that one should try to be on the exercise bike up to an hour/day within 2 weeks after surgery. I think he's pretty aggressive. Anyhow, I asked him about the CPM and he said forget that; instead I should try to reverse the atrophy of the quads, hams, calves and get on the bike. (The CPM is 100% passive so doesn't reduce muscle atrophy).

I was up to 12 minutes on the bike (which was a huge accomplishment considering how badly my calve hurt from swelling after the first week) until a couple of days ago when I felt a sharp pain in the area I suspect the microfracture was performed. I told my doc and he said to take a couple of days off and then ease my way back into it. Seems like mixed signals...?

I am willing to be patient and can stand not rushing back into my mini triathlons, but am struggling to find a balance between "rest" and "rehab". Any advice out there? If I feel the pain should I just back off entirely or try to suck it up and push through (which is my natural tendency, albeit not always the smartest).

I had a microfracture procedure 10 days ago and have fallen and or stumbled on the crutches 6 times causing me to put weight on my knee, how do i know if I have messed everything up? At my first post op I had already had 4 of my 6 mishaps and my Doc put me in a wheelchair but I have to go up steps to get in my house lost my balance and fell backwards causing me to but weight on my leg by the time I got in the house I stumbled again before I could get in my wheelchair. What do y'all think, am I doomed?

I will be having microfracture surgery in a week. I understand the area effected is in a non-weight bearing area of my knee. I have been told 4-6 weeks on crutches with a lockable knee braze. Did you have to wear a braze? Thanks for any info.

I just stumbled upon this website and I really wish I saw this a few months back when I had my first knee done with microfracture surgery. Much like all the stories I read I went in for one thing (loose pieces of cartilage) and came out with a lot of other things including microfracture surgery. I'm getting ready for the same procedure to occur on my other knee (left)- that is I"m assuming i'll have microfracture surgery. the symptoms are the same as the Right knee so i'm preparing for the worst case scenario. And by doing so i'm working on strength training, spinning, swimming and adding yoga into my routine. This way i'm sure to have a speedy recovery. I was 4wks on crutches with the Right Knee and I had a very fast recovery and I owe it all to being in good shape to begin with and I got on the bike for spinning 2x/wk (45min classes with no resistance). This time for my left knee i'd like to continue that routine post op.

I too am very nervous about my future as a runner. I'm a distance runner so I have now started searching for other people like myself that have started to run after this type of surgery. So I thank you for showing me there is a light at the end of the tunnel! Best of luck to everyone. And to the two questions above my post- I had mishaps and put weight on my leg, just try to be careful though. I was very very conservative with my post-op. And no i did not have to wear a brace- they wanted me to move my knee and get a good range of motion.

Hey, Im 20 years old, and had lateral meniscal repair+ microfracture 4 weeks ago.

Wanted to ask how long it took you guys until you were able to bend the knee completely? -I also started putting weight on the leg early, but then stopped, and resumed using crutches. I hope this did not mess up too much.

brian, yes i have to use a lockable brace the only time i don't wear it is at pt and when i'm in the cpm. i'm 16 days out now, i work really hard at not applying any weight on my knee but i have learned that a small amount is necessary. be sure when you are up and around that you keep your brace locked and do your physical therapy. good luck. jason, i can bend my knee 90 degrees already without pain, but i have not purposely put weight on my knee,my physical therapist say if i did any damage to the microfracture then i will have pain when bending and applying weight. so far i don't have pain when bending, so i feel pretty good that i'm doing ok. if your not bending your knee much or if your having pain when you try you gotta talk to your doctor because if you messed up your microfracture you will probably need another surgery with another 8 weeks of no weight and crutches. good luck.

Jason - It took me quite awhile to bend it all the way. If you read my blog days following my surgery you can see it was awhile until I had majority of range of motion back. However, it came faster than physical therapist expected and I think this is because I used a spin bike for several hours a day from day 2 after the surgery. It was a long road but I am running 1 mile a day as of last week. So 6 months of no running but I am giving it a go now. The knee still hurts but I am hoping that will go away as the muscles around the knee continue to strengthen up gradually. If not then I guess I will have to take up bicycling.

I have not used a brace at all. Both my doctor and physical therapist did not want me to.

Meredith - Good luck with the second surgery. I do not know what I would do if I had to get the same thing on my other knee. Best of luck. To make you feel better I know a woman that had both knees replaced and a little over a year later ran a sub 3 hour marathon. So there is always hope.

Brian - Best of luck. Let us know how things go.

Anita - Hope things are progressing well for you.

I am in my third week of recovery after mircofracture. Concerning range of motion I have found that your range of motion will come back quickly if you work at it. The crutches have been a major pain. Like most everyone else, i have been very active ( running, basketball, tennis, etc). I find myself depressed and very moody.

Hey all,

I have much empathy for anyone that has had microfracture surgery on their knees. I injured my right knee racing a dirt bike and initially told I probably tore a meniscus. As things played out it turned out I had a torn ACL and medial/lateral meniscus tears. During surgery they also discovered a lesion of bad cartilage in my trochlear notch (groove on femur where patella tracks and partial weight bearing). So in recovery I too was told by the way you will need to use crutches for six weeks with only toe touch weight bearing. This is much harder than it sounds and complicates your life in ways you can't imagine! I am at the three week mark post-op and trying to stick with my PT, CPM, and keeping my mood up. Views/opinions on post op protocols and long term recommendations seem to be quite varied and still evolving? I was told the microfracture with an ACL may have a better outcome based on the amount of bleeding involved in both? Any one else hear that? And I assume a trochlear notch lesion may have a different outcome that medial or lateral condyles as they bear more weight in the knee joint. Lastly has anyone else began taking any joint supplements. I have started taking Fast Flex from GNC which has EFA, MSM, Glucosamine/Chondroitin, White Willow bark extract, and fish oil. I don't think it can hurt anything and I hope and pray it is enhancing the healing process. I can't wait to start walking normally again let alone running, swimming, biking, etc. Goog luck to all the above!

Billy,

Welcome to the blog. I also take a liquid glucosamine mix product called SynFlex. I noticed you have not blogged on your blog yet. Feel free to blog your recovery workouts. It seemed to help keep me motivated. I am just happy that I am running again right now even if it is only 1-2 miles a day. Pain is still present but I think it is getting better. Best of luck with the recovery.

I had microfracture surgery 12/30, my doctor has been telling me to forget about running but I have beeen running since I was about 13 (I'm now 41). Has anyone else been hearing this advice? I am so glad I found this blog! Thanks. Amy

As far as forgetting about running I think that will be up to you. I did not run for 6 months and just started again in Jan. I did 1 mile a day for first 4 weeks and now I am trying 2 miles a day. The knee still hurts but I am hopeful that this is just muscle weakness and lack of proper knee support from staying off of it for so long. Plenty of professional athletes have played basketball and football after microsurgery so yes it is possible. So do your rehab and strengthen that leg slowly but surely. Then about six months from now give it a go and see what happens. I am taking it one day at a time and remain hopeful that I will run another marathon someday.

Amy,

As far as forgetting about running I think that will be up to you. I did not run for 6 months and just started again in Jan. I did 1 mile a day for first 4 weeks and now I am trying 2 miles a day. The knee still hurts but I am hopeful that this is just muscle weakness and lack of proper knee support from staying off of it for so long. Plenty of professional athletes have played basketball and football after microsurgery so yes it is possible. So do your rehab and strengthen that leg slowly but surely. Then about six months from now give it a go and see what happens. I am taking it one day at a time and remain hopeful that I will run another marathon someday.

I had microfracture (2 drills) on 1/30/09. I can actually walk on my leg without crutches and without limping for about 20 mins or so. Even though it has only been a week and a half. I also was told that I would be on crutches for 6 weeks. But, my leg is recovering great. I've been in excellent shape all my life and had pretty strong legs before the procedure. But, I am nervous that I may be hurting myself more by walking on the leg. Is it typical to be able to walk on the leg without too much pain a week after the surgery?

Biskit,

I would absolutely not walk on the knee or bear any weight for at least 6 weeks like the doctor has said. It is not that you can't do it. It is that you can cause damage to the repair of your cartilage. I could have easily walked within days after surgery. What makes it hard to walk later on is the muscle atrophy that occurs due to no weight bearing for 6 weeks. The key is the no weight bearing allows for the hole in your cartilage to fill in and heal properly. If you bear weight it can damage this process and then you might as well have not had the surgery. So be smart and listen to your doctor on this one.

Thank you Army runner. You are great! I plan to take this rehab one day at a time. Please keep writing it really helps me to read how you are doing. I always wanted to run the NYC marathon and will keep on dreaming. If you have time can you please let me know if you had any swelling in your knee at about 8 weeks after surgery? I had an increase in swelling this week after being progressed to weight bearing as tolerated and swimming .5 mile. Thanks again!

I'm so glad to have found this blog! I tore my acl as a teen (I'm 43 now), and just had it fixed last month. In the process, my orthopedist found some arthritis (no surprise since I've been running for the last 7-8 years) and did a small microfracture procedure along with a partial medial menisectomy. What's really unusual about my case is that he has not limited my weight bearing at all. I'm a physical therapist and questioned him about this, but he assured me that wbing was fine. Interesting, huh? He's a very well-respected surgeon in my area. I'm 5 weeks post-op now and am doing well with rehab, but I still have a limp when I walk. I can swim with a pull-buoy and ride a stationary bike and was able to do 30 minutes of spinning (taking it easy) this past week. My pain was pretty bad for the 1st few weeks, but is gradually improving...now I mainly have tightness, but my range of motion is almost full. I initially hoped to be running by 3 months (going by straight acl protocol), but now think it may take longer! It's great to read about others who have been through similar surgeries! Good Luck!

Amy V,

I did have minor swelling on and off during the first three or four rehab months. I usually took this as a sign to take it easy the next day or two during rehab exercises as I have a tendency to want to push too hard to soon. Just keep at it and you will be running again. I did not run my first mile until 6 months post op.

Tracy,

I'm glad this has been a help for you. After my surgery I did not find a lot of information or others out there who have made it through this recovery. So I started this blog to help motivate myself to keep working hard through the rehab. I truly love to run and doing rehab was probably more difficult than getting myself out the door for a 20 mile run. Sounds strange but true. I am surprised your doctor has allowed weight bearing so soon. However, maybe your micro-fracture damage was in a non-weight bearing surface area. I was cautious and waited to start running until 6 months just to make sure. I really wanted to start running at around 4 months and felt I was ready but I held off for a couple extra months. I am up to 2 miles a day now and have run as fast as a 6:15 mile even. So hope is still alive!

Thanks ArmyRunner! I know what you mean about running...it's hard to find other things that make you feel the same way. I'm vowing to be patient through this process, hoping that in the end, my knee will be stronger and more stable and I'll have lots of years of running ahead of me. I'll look forward to keeping up with your progress!

Armyrunner, Thanks for letting me know about the swelling. My swelling did go away after 1 day of taking it easy and ice. Thanks again. I am checking in on you and am pulling for you. Tomorrow I am 8 weeks postop! Hooray!

Tracy W-I had my ACL repaired back in 1994. My ACL had held up and is still intact. I remember with my rehab then, I worked hard in rehab, but my knee decided on it's own to loosen up. The hardest part of range of motion/PT to regain was full extension. Hang in there!

I had my microfracture surgery done on 1/21/09. Woke up to it. Wish I woulda found this blog sooner.

I will be off of crutches next Wednesday, maybe a few days sooner. I have rehabbed vigorously and maniacally, really. To anyone---get in the pool EVERY DAY!! Flutter kicks, bicycle pedalling, and kicks to strengthen the quad. I suggest--if you can handle it, to buy ankle weights to put on as well in the pool. I'm at 10 pounds, and that seems pretty good for me. I get a lot of quad twitches in the pool, which is a good thing.

I play baseball, and am 33 y/o, and have to get back by April 26th. Not a big runner, just 30 minutes of cardio 2-3x week.

Has anyone experienced a comeback where they were back in 3 months or so? I have good ROM right now, just can't rid myself of the achy feeling I get. My goal is to be back to at least 90% by the beginning of the season.

Any help, advice, or encouragement is more than welcome.

Thanks,

Fratch

Fratch,

It sounds like you are doing very well with the rehab. I agree the pool if you have access is a great way to cross train and rehab. I still get that achy feeling but not as much as it was a couple months ago. By 3 months I probably could have started to run but the physical therapist and doctor did not feel it was worth the risk. Like you I was very aggressive for the first 3 months of rehab and I think it paid off. I also gained my ROM back very quickly. Maybe since you are not running as much you can start to play baseball again after 3 months. I would really just listen to the doctor and physical therapist and play it by feel. I was cautious as I did not want to lower the chances of a full healing process. Keep up the hard and boring rehab work and it should pay off. Best of luck.

Armyrunner,

Thanks for your encouragement. Sounds kind of corny, but this blog is just what I needed really.

People that haven't gone through this couldn't imagine the mental anguish (at least for me) that rehab gives us every day, just to get back to square one. That, and conjoining with the fact that we're not able to do what we're really passionate about makes the mind very lonely and distant sometimes.

Good to talk to people who are going/have gone through what I am right now. I will definitely give some updates for another comparison.

Also good to hear that you got past that achy feeling after agressive rehab. I'm hoping that I can get back on the diamondsince late August for this.

Thanks again,

Fratch

Amy V,

Glad to hear your ACL is still holding up after almost 15 years. It's really weird for me to have one again after almost 30 years of instability...my knee just feels really tight w/walking, probably because my norm was very loose before. I'm trying to be patient, but it's not easy!

Fratch and ArmyRunner,

It's a good night for me to read that others get that achy feel after working hard. Today I did my rehab, then a spinning class and swimming (still with a pull buoy...can't kick yet because of the acl). I feel my knee tonight, but ice helped a lot.

Keep working hard...remember that in the overall scheme of things, 3,6, or even 12 months isn't that much.

TracyW

I just found this site. My story is the same. Went in for meniscus tear repair on 2/13 and was very surprised to hear afterwards no weight for 6 weeks because he did microfracture surgery. He hadn't mentioned that as a possibility beforehand. I'm still angry about it.

I start PT next Monday. CPM hasn't been mentioned nor spinning. I'm staying off it, tho the crutches are awkward. It sure does adversely affect daily activities.

I'm not a runner - but go to the gym daily and lift and do other cardio. I'm 51 and need to work out. Sitting around all day for the past two weeks hasn't done my butt any good! thanks for the site. It was really helpful to read what everyone else is experiencing and that my situation sounds common.

Barbara,

No need to sit on your duff! I have still maintained a great regimen and I rarely miss a day. What I'd suggest is doing just upper body, and concentrating on one part. Day 1-bi's and tri's 2) shoulders 3) back 4) core & chest.

Check out www.ithinkfit.com. I've gotten with them and have actually LOST 11 lbs in a month and a half with proper diet and this regimen. They KNOW what they're doing.

I almost forgot to tell you--good luck with the rehab. Stick to it---YOU CAN DO THIS!!!

Fratch - thanks for the website. I have done some upper body strength training at home with dumbbells. I need to be consistent and get motivated.

My first day of PT (today) was cancelled due to snow storm. Bummer.

Barbara

Good morning. I received an "unloading" brace when I was postop. Do you wear an "unloading" brace when you run?

p.s. Thanks for any info you can give, sorry to be so short am at work.

Amy V,

I don't think I'll be using any kind of brace when I get back to running. As a P.T., the only unloading braces I've seen are for arthritic patients' comfort. I can't see that they would be of much benefit during running or sports as you're not going to be able to stop the compression forces that go through your knee during these activities. So....let's hope for full healing after microfracture! Hope this helps!

TracyW

Hey, i just had the same surgery done last week. I am still in a lot of pain. How long untill i start to feel some recovery?

and how long was it for you until you could start walking again? Im a 16 year old girl and being on crutches suck.

if you could respond it would help me alot!

thanks!

Dancer,

My doctor had my on six weeks no weight bearing and then it took about another week until I was walking 100% without crutches. I highly recommend you do so light spin bike with no resistance. This really helped with my recovery. I did not start running again until six months after surgery but I am not up to 3 miles a day. I still have some pain but I am hoping that this will go away eventually as the leg continues to strengthen. Be prepared to work hard on physical therapy and yourrecovery should go a much faster overall. Best of luck.

Thank you Armyrunner. I have had 12 knee surgeries so I'm hoping this is the last.

Hi again Army runner,

Have you had much swelling at this point? Did you ever bike with resistance? If so at what point? Hope you are doing well. Amy

Hi Amy V,

I did not have a lot of swelling post surgery or since. A little bit every once in a while but really hardly noticeable.

I did add some resistance gradually but only as the knee could tolerate without pain. It took awhile but the resistance increased gradually.

I ran a 5K today. I had not intent of going fast but the knee felt good and I went with it. It was hilly and at 5000ft and I ran a 19:23 with mile splits of 6:23, 6:20 and 5:57. This really surprised me and hopefully shows that I am well on my way to at least being able to run decent 5 and 10K races in the future.

Do you have to wear a knee brace when you run?

if so what kind?

ArmyRunner,

Way to go on your 5k! It's good to read about your return to running (fast!). I'm 9 wks post-op tomorrow and feeling a little discouraged. My knee still has some pain and feels tight. I guess I thought I would feel more "normal" by this point. Right now it's hard to imagine running. I really miss it, but hopefully with time I'll get back to it.

TracyW

Kneebum,

No knee brace as my physical therapist and knee doc did not recommend one and said it was not necessary.

Thanks TracyW. Don't get too down as I felt the same way between 9-16 weeks. I had those down days when I really just thought learning to walk normal was a challenge let alone thinking about ever being able to run again. As far as the pain and tightness I had and still have some of the same feelings but I can run. It definitely does not feel like my other knee yet and maybe it never will but I can live with that. Kind of a strange tightness/burning feeling in the area of the surgery. My quad on the knee surgery leg is still noticeably smaller than my other quad as well as I still have not made up the loss from muscle atrophy. Just take it one day at a time and set that goal to try and run at 6 months. Until then just try and focus on getting that leg strong again.

ArmyRunner,

Thank you so much for the encouraging words...they definitely help!

TracyW

Wow Army Runner you are awesome! Congrats on your 5k. Keep running and writing, I love to see it!

I went back to the doctor, he says my knee looks ok, I have a little swelling in my the upper outer part of my knee where it meets my quads. He doesn't want me to run for at least 6 more months. Yuck. Amy

I have enjoyed reading this blog since my January 6th microfracture surgery. Six weeks on two crutches, two weeks on one, off loading knee brace (which I already had so he wanted me to use it) weeks 7 through 10. I am no longer using the knee brace. MWF - PT - ecliptic and spin bicycle - leg and toe presses - stair step excersizes; TRS - Swim for one hour - crawl with flutter kick - 50 minutes - water job for 10 minutes. My microfracture area is just under 1 CM. No swelling or pain but can feel it every now and then. 19 stairs in our house from kitchen to master bedroom. A curse on crutches but good to use during rehab. Dr. pleased with progress. I think I am the oldest one around to have microfracture - 64. Jack

Just wanted to give an update on the surgery I previously mentioned. As I suspected microfracture was performed and I did wake up to more. They said they performed a lateral release and found that my knee cap was a little out of the groove. Not too bummed about this because I also suspected this knee to be worse than my Right knee (surgery on that knee 8/08).

Because of the lateral release this past week has been tough with just trying to recover from the actual surgery. Now i'm feeling better and I plan to get back on track with the rehab. I get on the bike tomorrow and Physical therapy starts on Monday to help with some calf cramps. Best of luck to everyone.

Armyrunner or anyone,

9 weeks post-op tomorrow, and Monday the Doc who performed my surgery told me I could resume normal activities!???? That kind of raised my eyebrow a little because I think it's a little too early to be thinking about running a mile or anything. I ran half hearted for about a minute last night, and no pain today.

Any thoughts on from the peanut gallery whether this could be too early? I am in great shape, 6'3' 214 lbs, 9% body fat, etc..And my guess is that I rehabbed harder than 99% of anyone that's had this surgery just to hear the news I heard on Monday, but am very weary of starting too early and reinjuring or aggrevating this again.

Fratch,

Hmmmm, 9 weeks does seem a bit early. I think I would definitely err on the conservative side with running, because of all the pounding/compression on that still-healing fracture site. I'm 10 weeks out tomorrow and am not planning on any running until at least 4 months post-op. I miss it but can really get a good work out now in the pool and spinning. Good Luck!

TracyW

Fratch,

I agree 9 weeks seems way too early from everything I have read and been told. I would stick with pool running and bike for now. I was told and the research I have conducted all pretty much said 4 months minimum before impact events should be done. This is due to the time it takes for the fibrocartilage to form and harden up in place of the missing cartilage. What I was told is the bone marrow blood seeps into the hole in the cartilage where the surgery was performed and essentially creates a scab (fills in the hole). This process takes 4-6 months to fully heal properly and the risk of damaging it by doing impact activities such as running too early are pretty high. I was running 100 mile weeks prior to this injury and was dying to run again but I truly went with the more conservative approach on this one as I wanted to give it every possible chance to heal properly as I prefer not to ever has this surgery again. Good luck.

Best of luck with the recovery Meredith.

Jack B, best of luck with your rehab as well. At 64 you are a bit older than most with this procedure but hopefully it will work for you. It sounds like you are doing the right thing and the rehab is going well so far.

I am at 8 months post surgery and have progressed to 3-4 miles a day and can do so with most pain in the first mile and then after that it lets up, mostly. Progress has been slow but steady. Hopefully this gives others hope that you can return to running following microfracture surgery. I am by no means 100% but I think I am on my way and hope to run pain free again someday.

Yeah I thought that sounded fishy myself too. Maybe he was just getting at "I'm OK to resume what I can--as long as I can handle it"...Ideally I'd like to do that, but still know I'm limited. I'd love to start doing hang cleans and squats again :)

Thanks again for running this blog. Although I'm no where near done, as weeks 9-16--I'm told--are slowly progessing--its always nice to know that other people in our situation understand our plights from this surgery. Thanks again!!!

Today marks 6 weeks since my MF surgery and I have just progressed to using one crutch while walking. I asked my PT when I could do "real" spinning on the bike (actually getting my heart rate up) and she said not yet. When should I expect to be able to do that for some easy cardio?

Barbara,

At around six weeks I was not putting any real resistance on the spin bike but I was able to do about 6 minute mile pace with no resistance. So nothing real fast but I would do about 2 hours so it felt like I was getting a workout in at least. Around 8 weeks I stated to go a lot faster on the bike with still very little resistance. I remember doing a 5K on the bike in sub 12:00. This was when I started to really get some cardio work but just left resistance low for me it seemed he speed di not bother the knee as long as the resistance was low. Best of luck and just go by feel and gradually work things back up again.

Barbara,

I'm with ArmyRunner. Start easy and work your way back. I'm almost 11 weeks out and have been spinning for several weeks, but am just now feeling like I'm getting close to where I was. I can use a fair amt. of resistance in sitting but still have to be careful when "out of the saddle". Listen to your knee (and your P.T.!). Best of luck!

Thanks for the advice. I'll resist the resistance! and focus on speed and time for now.

I had this surgery March 19th. and yes- the crutches are the hardest part of the whole experience. I live in a house with allot of stairs. I only hope this is a success don't think I want to go through this again. I am amazed that the Dr. reccomended spinning for 4-6 hours per day..wow. MY pt is mostly range of motion thigh strengthening and hamstring stretching and leg lifts..

Army Runner,

Surgery Jan 6th; 101 days post op. I have had a several occasions (once off crutches) in which I experienced "bone pain" (sharp pain) in the microfracture area after walking for a while. I ice ASP, take Advil and get off my feet. Leg feels fine the next day. Is this something you or anyone else experienced during recovery as your fibrocartilage firms up? Jack B

Tomorrow is 12 weeks post-op. I'm up to 21 minutes on the elliptical..did my first DB's squats last night with no pain.

Can't run too comfortably yet, but hopefully not too far around the corner. I can't stress enough to everyone that rehab is the key to this. I've had an absolutely pain free rehab.

ArmyRunner,

Congrats on the 5k. I follow this site but as a beginning runner I'm hesitant to comment sometimes. Too many people with to many extremes way to approach things. I appreciate that fact that your approach to helping others is sincere, humble and filled with compassion. I hope you continue to recover as pain-free as possible.

Desi

I had mircofracture patella and lateral femoral condyle/ surgery jan6 2009,

i have no pain and had full ROM a week after surgery. i was nonweight bearing for 6wks and on cpm for 6 weeks 8 hours a day. My first game of softball is tommorow. do you think it is too early. i hav no pain and the games are only 1 hour. i am not going to run at full speed.

Jack B,

Yes, I had several times when I felt some sharper pains and was very worried. In fact I still get this every once in awhile during a run if I land wrong or something. However, it does not seem to last.

Desi,

Thanks for the kind words. Don't be afraid to blog as a beginning runner. In fact your words of support above made a difference in my day. Thanks!

Slugger,

If you do not have any pain and are able to truly limit yourself from going too hard then you may be ok with returning to softball. However, I would be careful with any exlosive sprinting or anything that involves sudden turning or twisting motion. I hope all went well for the first game. Best of luck with the recovery and softball.

Hi All!

I'm now 3 1/2 months out from acl/microfracture surgery (1/14/09). Still no running...don't feel ready yet, but I was able to do a 23 mile ride on my road bike Sat! Nothing crazy, but I felt strong after all my rehab. It was great to work out outside again, even if it's not running---yet! Keep working hard!

TracyW

Tracy W,

You are awesome! I rode a few miles this past weekend and my knee bothered me, was just looking to see when it is ok to cycle. What kind of guidance did you get from your doctor about cycling? I am out of PT, s/p microfracture from 12/30/08 so I am kind of on my own. Right now I am letting pain/swelling be my guide, had some discomfort and swelling after the ride I think I'll wait a few more weeks before re-trying the cycling.

Anyone with any insight about cycling s/p microfracture I would love to hear it.

Hi again everyone! I have been off of crutches for 3 weeks now. I have to say the recovery with this knee has been extremely different than the other knee. The issue now is that I it still feels like there is something in my knee. I hate to say it, but I do. I notice when I go up for down stairs or on uneven surfaces I have to shake my leg out or massage it (this is what triggered the surgery-loose bodies). They only made two incisions on the front of my knee and the issue is in the inside/back of my knee. I go in next week for a f/u appt and i'm really really hoping they have some good things to say. Anyone else notice this type of thing after surgery for removal of loose bodies????

AmyV,

I think you're absolutely right about letting pain/swelling be your guide. I had been doing a LOT of spinning and knew my knee felt pretty good on the bike. My biggest concern was the unclipping, but I was careful with it. If that't a problem for you once you start back, you could always try some cages. My doctor hadn't really given me any guidance, but cycling really should be safe since there's no impact...just take it easy at first! Good Luck!

Meredith,

I sometimes get a "catching" sensation, and occasionally even a pop in my knee. It's not painful, and it does seem to be getting less frequent. Hopefully they got everything out that they were supposed to and you just need a bit more time.

TracyW

Update. Sixteen wks, 1 day post op. Dr. apt. this AM. He was pleased with my leg strength and what I am able to accomplish in workouts. He has cleared me to start swinging a golf club with the goal of starting to play and walking 18 holes in June. No sharp pains since my last note; feeling very positive.

I can't stress the benefit of swimming (crawl and flutter kick) OR water jogging with a water belt (non-swimmers) enough. Zero impact with good resistance. And, you can make it a hard workout!

Good Army PT Test results Army Runner!!

Thanks Jack B. It's good to see things are going well for you as well. Good luck with the return to golf in June. Tiger Woods had the same surgery and he seems to be coming back ok.

By the sounds of it im not the first to wake up in the recovery room to be told youve had a microfracture. I am one week post op. Suprising enough ive not had hardly any bruising and swelling has virtually gone back to the same as my good knee.I woke up with a full leg brace on, stopping me from straighteneing my leg which i guess might cause damage to new cartlidge growth. Ive been told no weight bearing for another week or two then go on too partial weight bearing but to keep the leg brace on. & days in and yes its real depressing knowing normal sporting activities could be many months away.Ive already had one session of physio and are due for more. Im keeping my fingers crossed for evryone else in the same position, and of course for myself. I just hope things will return to normal..... P.S VERY HELPFULL BLOG

Just been back for my two week post op check. Had even better news now and have been told ive got to wear my full leg brace which stops me knee from extending fully for at least another 4 weeks.......I thought I would be having it removed but no such luck. Those days of sport are getting further away rather than nearer. Ive not even started physio or walking with any pressure on my foot yet!!! Has anyone else had this aswell and if yes how long will it be before I walk? Cus the Dr cant seem to say.....

Hi, Adam, sorry to hear of the not so good news, but it will be for the better in the long run... no pun attached, I havnt had any injury this bad, but I did have compartement syndrome in both legs on the front of my shins, I had small surgery on them to release the pressure, as I couldnt feel my leg in that area any more very painful too, I couldnt walk upstairs the week before the surgery. long story short, it took approx 2-3 weeks to start walking again with no pain and approx 5 months to start running again, although this was more because it was an over-use injury so the more I rested the smaller the muscle would get!

Tough times for you at the moment, as you cant see the end of the tunnell but it will come, and you will get there, it's patience, determination and grit, but you will get there.

Jack B, great I can keep pretty damn fit with swimming alone I dont tend to do water jogging, as I just dont get outta breathe too much with it, so swimming legs crawl is great to teach you rythm with breathing, and fantastic for cardio, something that maybe adam can look at when his brace is off, as swimming is non weight bearing?

all the best injury is a curse to any athlete....but a true mind strengthener

Sounds strange to me but Ive now been told to do no physio untill my first six weeks are up. But been told to partial weight bear next week which will be 3 weeks post op, and then full weight bearing 6 weeks post op.

Do most people walk fairly normal again once off crutches after 6 weeks?

Adam,

I did not walk anywhere close to normal after coming off crutches at 6 weeks. In fact I could not even walk at first. I had to transition from 2 crutches to one crutch and then ultimately a slow hobble for small walks at a time. It was embarrassing and a truly humbling experience. It took a couple of months before I was walking somewhat normal without a noticeable limp. Even now my left quad is still somewhat smaller than my right quad from the muscle atrophy and it has been 10 months since the surgery and I have been running again for 4 months. Unfortunately this is a long and painful process but the good news is I ran 43 miles this week with limited amounts of pain. So returning to an active lifestyle and even running again are possible.

4 months out from ACL/microfracture. I tried a little jog on the treadmill this past weekend...not good. My knee hurt right away. I stopped immediately. I'm a bit bummed, but I guess I'll keep at the strengthening, cycling/spinning/swimming and try again in a month or 2. I'm thinking of doing a relay triathlon as the swimmer, just to be around the competition again!

ArmyRunner, I keep thinking about that 6 month goal! Glad your running is going well.

Keep up the good work Ted. Best wishes in all that you do!

Just read the long trail of emails on this subject! Know little on the subject but would like to learn of the experiences of other runners. Avid runner for 20+ years (age 56) and want to continue for a long time.

I had meniscus (torn / 20% removed) and Microfrature surgery (april 27/09)as well. Physio 3 days later with no pain however weight bearing does cause pain.

Post opt happened May 18 and doc states swimmimg/ cycling/ and "gliding sports" should be the prognosis for my future.

I know cases of this nature are very specific to the person, but would like to know of other expe's!!

Adam, Yes..swimming is non weight bearing. I was told only to use a flutter kick/crawl or water jog. I also use a kick board and flutter kick 15 minutes with minimal knee bend. I also use "short workout fins" to increase water resistance.

Chris, I too will not be able to participate in impact sports. I have gone to the track and walked 4 miles at a 15:30 avg. pace. It felt like I would increase my impact if I tried for a sub 15:00.

I am 64 and will be 65 in November, Swimming MWF; Warm-up and weights TRS. I take Sunday off. I have experienced minor pain this week probably because of the golf driving range last Monday. Also, I still ice ten minutes after I get home from each workout.

3 Weeks post op and now have been told to start partial weight bearing but still locked at 30o in the brace.

It does not feel as if it is my leg that im walking on, ive never experienced anything like it before. Over the next three weeks the angle on the brace is going to be opened up more and I have to try and get to full weight bearing by 6 weeks post op.

The swelling now does not seem to be reducing much day by day. But at least the bruising has started to come out which I see as a good thing as it usually means healing.

Just had my 4 week post op check up. I still have my full leg brace on but there is no angle set now so this enables me to totally straighten my leg now if possible.

Ive been told to start weight bearing as much as possible depending on pain, in the next two weeks I have to get to full weight bearing so I can get this brace off and give those horrible crutches back to the hospital!!!!!

CANT WAIT FOR THAT DAY TO COME....

Bending the knee myself is very hard and I need to exercise every day at least 4 times daily.

Hello,

I came across your blog mainly because I was interested in the possibility of microfracture. i'm not even sure if I'm a candidate. I'm 25 and had a meniscus repair in 2005 and a procedure where they poked my meniscus with holes hoping it would reheal in 2003. evidently neither worked and I was told I had arthritis after my second marathon in 2007. I quit running for good and switched to biking as I'm young and have significant knee pain and somewhat limited range of motion.

I'm glad to see you got back to running. Just checking in to see what microfracture is all about. I'd love to run again even if it isn't at the same level or length. I think I'd be quite good at tri's and it would be a good balance.

Even if running wasn't possible I was curious if microfracture would be possible in the future when I'm getting more pain with walking and stuff. I want to postpone a replacement as long as possible. I know this isn't ure situation but I'm glad I found your blog.

Hi. My name is craig. And I had microfracture surgery.

Last week (exactly on week ago) I had it done on my left knee.

Armyrunner, thanks for this blog. Doesn't look like you've posted in a while. Any news on your recovery? Looks like your just over a year into it.

I am 1 week down on a 6 week adventure in crutching. this sucks, do doubt. Especially when it feels like I could walk on it fine, although I won't. I have caught myself 3 times accidentally using the leg for a step.

Anyway, I'm hopefull this works. I play soccer and run (and visa-versa) and plan on doing both within 4 months.

Hi,

Ok I know this sounds extremely stupid but I am dying to know if anyone has done anything similar.

I got my microfracture surgery (unexpected...just expecting scope) on 9/14/2009. I didn't know i had MF surgery until I went back to the 1 week post op so I was putting weight on it the whole first week....well, gimping around was more like it. Went back after 1 week and was told had to spend next 6 weeks on crutches. I could not do it. I was hurting myself more on crutches than off. I played soccer at the 4 week mark...turf, over 30 womens nothing too overboard. It did feel funny though. I had been swimming/biking. I played again this past weekend (5 week mark) and I feel fine. Maybe a little achy. I iced it afterwards. I go to my first PT appt tomorrow and see the doc again on Wed and I am kind of worried they will be able to tell i've been playing. I have full ROM and my muscles have hardly atrophied. But I have to admit after reading all this, I feel like a moron and probably did more damage than I know. Has anyone else done this?

I am 36. Played Division 1 soccer in college, have played basically non stop since then along with a brief stint of triathlons. Never had a serious injury before which probably explains why I am such an idiot. Thanks.

Yah, I did last year in 2008. Same leg. I initially had a meniscus fixed and they microfractured a portion of my knee then. I was not told to cructh though and the doc at that time said to just let pain be my guide. Something always hurts so I just played. (besides, my knee did feel better after about a month so I started playing again. After about 3 weeks I started to develop a bakers cyst in the back of that left knee. It's cause by inflamation and fluid build-up, which in tern is the body's reaction to an injury. They put me in anouth MRI and had noticed that my area of damage had gotten bigger.. in addition to another meniscus tear. So, this time I am re-habing they way I am supposed to.

1.5 weeks left of these damn crutches. Good luck.

Ugh. Thanks for the info. I do not want to ever ever have to do this again. I guess I am just going to have to write off this season and hope for the best in the spring. Just frustrating...knee feels great right now (1 month mark).

kayyyyy21.

Interested to read your post.

By way of background my story is much the same as many on here; ie went in for meniscus tidy up and awoke to be told Id needed microfracture surgery.

(Historically I ruptured my ACL completely about 10 years ago aged 36 at football(soccer) and stopped playing that and other sports( squash) although kept reasonably fit and active until I played my first game of soccer in 10 years and the knee went again)

My surgeon here in Scotland is very well respected and I've no reason to doubt anything hes done.

Contrary to the apparent advice most on here have been given (USA based it seems) I was advised to weight bear as much as possible after the op as the surgeon advises his experience is that weight bearing encourages growth of the replacement meniscus.

No brace or CPM machine at all.

I was on two crutches for about a month and a single for a month after that.

Im now 4 months post op and still have pain with almost very step. Its not "show stopping" pain unless I catch or twist my knee.

I cant walk upstairs a step at a time I need to put my strong leg on the upper step and shuffle up with my "bad" leg. I still limp.

Both my surgeon and physio seem unconcerned with my progress and are now stressing muscle work - spin - to rebuild the muscles particularly the quad.

Ive no pain in the knee itself when spinning but the muscle fatigue is really noticeable and I notice the patella is painful post exercise - probably a problem with tracking.

I instinctively feel I'm at least 2 months away from being pain free with any regularity and another while before I can get through the days without thinking about the knee 24/7 and having to concentrate on every basic walking task.

I dont know whether to be depressed or buoyed by the other stories on here about the length of time the rehab from microfracture surgery takes but I'm naturally fairly positive so I'll go for the latter.

I can tell you I've had some real low days in the last few months but Ill never take my health for granted again (I hope!)and Im making enpough progress to feel there is some light at the end of the tunnel.

Just wanted to provide an update here. so, it's been almost two months since my microfracture "repair". Off the crutches (I have some aluminum jewelry for sale if your interested) finally. I stuck with them though for the 6 weeks. I have since started doing hot yoga to get my quad to fire better. It's working pretty well. It really did not atrophy very much. I was doing basic PT stuff while on crutches and continually flexing it whenever I thought about it. I also bought a schwin airdyne bicycle (which I might be interested in selling now) to help with the recovery. The airdyne is a great stationary bike. It's one of those fan-type air pushers. The joint seems to be healing and although I can make it hurt if I want by bouncing on it (which I try not to do), I can tell it is getting more and more solid. I am extremely encouraged about the fact that it feels better in some areas than it did prior to the MF surgery. My goal is to start getting back to easy running by xmas. My PT guy says that even if it doesn't hurt at all, that might be too early. He keeps saying 6 months. My goal is to be playing in 6 months. I will see what my surgeon says when I see him again in two weeks. Overall, I'm happy that I did this. I feel very sure that I've bought myself at least 20 years of playing on this knee.

I too had microfracture surgery although I knew going in that I was missing a 4mm x 9mm piece of articular cartilage I knew nothing of microfracture procedure. I was told I will get in there and look around I may be placing some holes in the bone to help your body build a new cartilage. This was told to me after starting anesthesia with no idea of recovery. However, I do believe it was the best route for my healing but was angered when reading of the future. I am a very busy active person. I have two jobs that requiring a lot of walking. So I appreciate this site for encouragement and REAL results. I am 5 days post-op with virtually no instructions except RICE and NWB. I have almost no pain and haven't. Knee started feeling stiff so I began doing research as to what I should be doing to recover. Thanks.

I am thinking about getting an exercise bike for rehabilitation from microfracture surgery but not sure what is best. Should I get a recumbent one or a regular vertical seated bike?

I would get whatever type of stationary bike will motivate you to use it. I do not believe that it really matters. My PT guy said that it didn't. I asked the same question. Good luck to you.

Update on my kneee: I have been using the eliptical and doing hot yoga since my last post. Seen my surgeon last week. We discussed of my intention to begin running at the 1st of the year with the focus of playing in the spring. He felt that was reasonable and doable. I am stoked about that. I can still make this knee hurt if I pound on it though. His advice is to run/walk the treadmill for a few weeks and gradually increase as knee allows until my next appointment with him in Feb. If I feel pain, then back off. My range of motion is pretty good, due to the yoga. 2010 is going to be a great year.

I just had my knee surgery Dec 17,2009.

I had pain onoccassion and could not do

any leg exercises w/out pain.I thought I was only going to have a knee cleaning,but came out of surgery and learned I had this microfracture surgery.Now I am told it will be 3-4 weeks before I can put weight on my knee.No pain because I am on crutches and am afraid I will mess up the rehab if I try to put weight on my knee too soon.Thanks for the blog so I can listen to others describe their rehab process.

I love the snow, and we are having one of the biggest snows in 7yrs, and I can only watch from the window.Figures,2 days after my surgery and my dogs don't understand why I cannot take them for walks in the snow.and according to others on this blog, I have about 30-40 more days before I can walk them again.

hi ted, although i didn't have nearly as serious of injury as you, i completely empathise with the frustration of being limited by your body when your mind wants to go. how does your knee feel now that it's been almost 6 months?

Armyrunner (and others on this blog),

My name is Alex. I am a 31 year old recent former professional football player. I want to thank you all for your last year of blogging since the blog was started by 'Armyrunner'. I have read through every comment on the blog. I had "surprise" microfracture (lateral femoral - 2cm area with nine microfracture holes performed) while in surgery for what was planned to be a simple meniscus scope on Dec.17th 2009. I have had some very similar experiences to many of you that have posted here... very little post surgery swelling, very fast range of motion (to full 120 degrees on CPM within first few days of surgery). I am now nearly 3 weeks post-surgery and have felt very little pain, maintained use of CPM and have great range of motion, have remained non-weight bearing and done only some basic straight leg sit-ups, one-leg push ups and striaght leg raises as therapy/rehab excercices on my own so far. I am scheduled to have my first therapy/rehab session this week. I was reccomended by my surgeon to simply rest and use cpm, electric stem machine and do some light quad "flexing" and straight leg raises through the first few weeks coinciding with the holidays. Those easy instructions have gone well so far in first 18 days but today I had a mis-hap with my cruthches on the stairs and essentially had to take a majority weight bearing "step" on my bad leg to keep from falling. There was some pain at the point of quick weight bearing that was mostly an "ache" type pain but no extreme pain or "knife" like pain. I got a little immidiate puffy swelling but no major swelling and bending the leg through range of maotion had a soreness or ache type pain in the few minutes after the incident. I am very concerned about the possibility of knocking the "clot" off in this mishap. Has anyone had any similar experience, insight or comments for me. I was previously content to just enjoy reading the experiences and shared support of this board but this incident today prompted me to register and post this comment in hopes of getting some feedback. In addition to any experience or comment on my weight bearing stairs incident I am also wondering opinions on the timeline that I have been advised and taken in my first 3 weeks. It sounds as if many of you began doing rehab work and forms of therapy beyond just the CPM before you reached the 3 week point that I am at and just now being advised to go into my 1st therapy session. I am also being advised that since I have already achieved such quick range of motion to the CPMs max range of 120 degrees and since I am moving into therapy sessions now I no longer need the CPM machine. Many of you have noted using the CPM for 6+ weeks and through the entire non-weight bearing stage... I wonder if this is only necessary in the case wear full range of motion is slower to be achieved. I was very fortunate and blessed to be under team medical care for any injuries but have since retired and navigating the uncharted territory of not having the benefit of a team of doctors and a 24/7 dedicated medical training staff and the annoyances and limitations of individual health insurance and rushed doctors. Any comments, thought and feedback that any of you could provide would be greatly appreciated. Armyrunner, I tried to figure out how to send you a private message directly and/or email you but was unable to do so. You are technically a rival as I played in college as a Wyoming Cowboy but I was hoping that 2 fellow Mountain West Conference allegiance athletes could share some microfracture 'notes'. I am very inspired by your story, blog comments and recovery back to successfull high performance athletic activity and hoping to achieve similar results that you have had. PLEASE reply or even email me directly at aenglish87@verizon.net. I would GREATLY appreciate it.

-Alex

CBrewer, I would love to hear from you too and anyone else with similar experiences or insights for me.

I went to Dr. today. She thinks I should be without crutches at 6 weeks. I have tried to slow down just because of what I have read on here.

I didn't do anything the first 4 weeks. No one really told me to do so. I found this sight and started some short recumbant bike sessions of about 2, 3 or 4 miles until I went to therapy first therapy session at 4 weeks. They are mostly having me do a lot of exercises to strengthen my quads and hamstring. I have never had any pain. I went the 4 weeks with NO weight bearing not even my toe; a couple of minor mishaps with crutches. My ROM was 115 first visit and now after 5 visits is at 135. My biggest problem is my opposite hip is hurting from standing with all my weight on one leg for so long. My Dr. wrote a prescription for them to treat it as well. I am up to 7 miles on my bike and just trying to be patient til I can drive and be crutch free. Thanks for all the blogs!

Tomorrow will be my 9th week after having micro fracture knee surgery. As did most of you, I went in for a basic chrondroplasty/cartilage clean-up and left with a micro fracture drilling...

I really don't know how to describe my recovery process thus far. I haven’t really thought about it until stumbling upon this blog. I guess I've mentally tried to block it out. My life is centered on fitness and being active. As a full time trainer and fitness instructor I’m feeling pain from this surgery more than just physically. Leading and helping others with vigorous workouts have been my source of income for the past 2 years. No income in a dwindling economy hurts. The brunt of my pain however is mental anguish. Working out is not only my job but my #1 hobby and source of sanity! Whenever I was going through a personal plight and hard time...my workouts played a major role in getting me through. I've busied myself with academics...I will have enough credits to obtain my undergrad come May. I really don't know what I would have done without my college courses as pre-surgery fitness was my life. I realized that learning and deep thinking has become my new release and freedom (if that makes any sense). I guess its freedom of the body vs. freedom of the mind type of thing. One needs a balance of both though, and reading this blog has made me realize what I already sub-consciously knew...that I NEED my workouts & and my life back.

Truth is, I haven’t been terribly diligent with my recovery. I had the surgery at the worst time (I guess there is never a good time). It was right before the holidays and at the start of my fathers political run for a higher office. I had so many events and parties to attend where crutches and a brace just didn't work. I could have made them work, but I chose not too many times. There were at least half a dozen times where I made the stupid mistake of being lax with my instruments of recovery. I never hit the gym or walked a distance without the crutches while I was on them, but I did move short distances and stand up without them which I completely regret and am embarrassed to admit. After 5 weeks on crutches my doctor told me to let them go and use my unloading brace at all times. The first 2 weeks I never took the damn brace off. I even slept in it! After 2 weeks however I grew impatient and stubborn and became risky with it. Over the past couple weeks I have been going out on a Friday night or allowing myself one full day without the brace. It's like a "treat" to me not wearing it, and makes me feel in a sense "normal again".

The reality is that I’m not close to being fully recovered yet and need the brace. The doctor mandates it for a reason... I'm really hoping that my more than "slip-up'" don't undo the good of the surgery. I see my doctor in 3 weeks for my 3rd follow up. Until then I will be in the brace ALL the time. My physical therapist is aware of my negligence and doesn't seem to be too concerned yet..I'm jut so disappointed in myself for not taking the rehab time more seriously.

I'm also starting to become more aware of how much I need the physical aspect of my life back. If any one has any words of encouragement/personal stories please do share :)

-KK

it's been almost 5 months since micro-fracture surg. My doc knows that I want to be back to playing soccer by spring. In December he felt that was doable. I'd been pretty diligent about doing yoga 3 times a week and elliptical and stationary bike (which I sold!) up to that point. I started running on the treadmill just before christmas. I found that run/walking just wasn't my style and ran for 35 minutes (about 3.5 miles. Felt so good, I did it the next day for 4 miles, and realized that my knee was sore afterwards. So, I backed off, did yoga for a week but was still really stoked about the runs. Currently, I run 3 times a week and do yoga 3 times a week. My quads are firing great and my legs feel strong. My knee, although I can still make it hurt, it requires quite a pounding to feel it. Around xmas time, when I would begin to run, it would hurt a little for about 3 minutes then feel fine. Now, I can just jump on it and run and it feels fine. I run up stairs again. I go a little easier coming down though, but nobody can notice except me. I think I'm ready to run outside. I see the doc for that clearance on Tuesday. He will probably have me do some easy running on the grass. I'm sure that I will start there, and just go back to my normal outdoor runs. I can feel this thing get exponentially better on a weekly basis now. It is starting to heal. Be patient everyone. find other ways to get your sweat on. Try rowing. That is an awesome workout. It's good to challenge the mind with the physical mundane-ness of a physically challenging activity that's approaches the point of suffering, ha ha! No really, it is. I really think I'll be back training with my son by March 1, and back to playing by mid-April.

Alex, sorry it took so long to get back to this blog. Did you play american football or Soccer? Anyways, I hope your knee is recovering well. I never had a CPM machine. I just didn't want to atrophy at all so I kept stretching, moving and flexing as much as possible. I'll say it again, the yoga really help keep the rest of my body in shape and feeling "ready" to train. About mid-January I ran, then lifted, then did yoga, all in the same day. It was a little stupid, but, oh well. I did notice a little swelling that lasted for about a day. Just a little. I took it as a sign and went back to being patient again. I was a little worried then, but not any more.

kk.

Youre looking for words of encouragemnt and I can empathise completely with that. Unexpected microfracture surgery is no fun , thats for sure.

I posted here on 29 10 2009, 4 months after my op and I can assure you that while I still have some issues and pain , particularly walking upstairs , overall I'm much happier now than then.

In essence, I'd say you have you just have to be as positive as you can - your progress might feel slow but as long as youre careful and dont suffer any relapse while your internal scar (or new meniscus tissue ) is maturing the worst is definitely behind you.

Also remember that every one and every procedure is different and you probably need to be guided intuitively about how your knee feels. The older you are and the more frequently youve damaged your knee previously the more likely it is to be compromised long term but , even if that is the case, there's plenty you can do to stay fit.

Overall , Id say staying positive is probably the hardest but most important thing. I try to focus on how far I've come since the op rather than anything else.

All the best with your recovery.

Pjjcm

Im gettting this surgery done in two weeks. Anyone have any advice? Will I be able to drive? Will I still be able to workout upper body?

njboss

see my post of feb 07 for general advice.

Im based in the UK. I could drive a day or so after my op because it was my left knee and I drive an automatic so no gear change - other wise it would have been impossible I think. Incidentally you might want to check with your insurers before driving.

On upper body training I dont see why not but at least immediately after the op you'll be on double crutches which will be very restricting.I'd check with your surgeon. Good luck.

Pjjcm

Thanks. It is my right knee im having done so wondering if after about two weeks will I be able to drive. Any other advice anyone can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I had the same procedure 6 weeks ago. Actually walked out of the facility and was not required to use crutches. I have had no problems, but I am definitely taking it slow. I can walk briskly or ride a bike in very low gear. No impact is the rule. Full range of motion with some compression at the top end. Pre-surgery -- i was a wreck, and had been for 2 years, but continued to run through it. Even did Marine Corps Marathon last year. But glad I had it checked out. I starte PT 2 weeks after surgery. I have a great therapist who is focusing on strengthening the obscure muscles in our hips and elsewhere that we typically ignore in our running. Hope to come back stronger, but I am in no hurry after waiting so long to have it addressed. Best to all, and thanks for posting so much. I also feel your sense of frustration and cabin-fever!!