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Knee problems

I am flying at the moment I am beating all the people who I have spent the last few years trying to chase. Training was going smashing. That was until last weekend when I tweaked my knee. I have an old cartilage injury which I was supposted to get operated on last year but could not find enough time to get it done. I tried to run on it yesterday and gave up as it was too sore.



I dont want to loose all my fitness. Anyone got any experience with cartilage knee problems.



If I do go for the op will I be fit enough for the 70.3 in June or should I resign myself to the fact that I will return to fatness and grumpyness!

Comments

  • SetantaSetanta Posts: 42
    First of all that is most unfortunate, worst time of the year to do damage. Hard training done racing season just around the corner. You will need both the operation and plenty of rest. If you do go for the operation I would say to leave the Half Ironman for 12 months, concentrate on a few Olympic distance events late in the year and for some great weightless training or should I say recouperation buy a floatation belt. Damn boring but to recover you need to keep weight off the leg.

    Good luck and hope all goes well for you.

    Joe



  • athoyleathoyle Posts: 21
    as a junior orthopaedic surgeon i come across people with similar problems to yours very regularly. I would advise you strongly to have the op, as cartilage or meniscal problems rarely heal themselves, therefore without the op you may continue to have problems or worse develop early onset degenerative joint disease.

    So in the short term it may be inconvenient but long term very beneficial.



    We advise all of our patients with soft tissue injuries to continue non-weight bearing exercises such as swimming. Unfortunately without examining your knee it is difficult to give you accurate advise on what to or not to do.



    Hope this is of some help.



    Andy
  • AlgarniAlgarni Posts: 46
    Sorry to hear about your injury.



    I feel these views are correct. Look after yourself now and then you will be able to hurt yourself for a lot longer after you recover.



    Again I feel for you and hope that you recover quickly and well.



    Good Luck.



  • Thanks guys

    But this is not what I want to hear. I want you to tell me that if I put my head in the sand and keep training while eating lots of Voltarol it will all be ok!

    Sadly I know you are all right. I will phone the doc tomorrow and get put on the waiting list for the op. So knowing the lenght of the lists I should manage the entire summer season![:)]
  • SamutriSamutri Posts: 143
    I had a knee op a few years back to sort out some cartillage damage from all the running I was doing. You will probably find that you will recover much quicker than your doctor suggests - typically their experience is with 'joe public' rather than with finely honed athletes such as us [:D].

    Get the op, rest up and get back into it gently, you'll be back out there before you know it!! Good luck.

    PS, if you can, get BUPA or something similar for next time - I was seen by a specialist within 24 hrs of going to my GP and had the op 6 days later. Also covers you for physio. Can be pricey but look for deals or see if your work will provide.
  • Thanks Samutri

    I must get the BUPA stuff organised. I keep telling myself that i need to get organised when I am injured and need it, and when I am fine i think that the money can be spent on something else!

    I spoke to my sister who is a doc and she said to try to get organised for after the Ironman 70.3. DO the race and then get repaired after the race.

    The main problem is that before the injury it would have been the first year where I might actually have been able to compete rather than just survive!

    Thanks for the advice. I will phone the bupa rep on Monday.
  • Hi there,



    I tore my cartlidge a year ago, I had already entered into IM UK so carried on with selective training. More bike than running, and lots of swimming with the Pull Bouy. When I saw my specialist and told him I was going to do Sherborne, he told me that it will probably be sore, take some Ibruporfen prior to the run and you should be ok.



    I did all this, completed IM and also had the op in Nov just gone at Dorchester. The result was pretty saw for about 3 weeks, very tight behind the knee but now in Mar it feels 90% back to normal.



    Do the race mate, you just never know whats around the corner. Take the pain killers, and then take some time out. Good luck
  • JulieMacJulieMac Posts: 30
    Hmm I think every ones experiance is different! I had a big crash on my push bike at the end of 2004 both my knees got hammered but seemed to recover ok with rest etc about 3 months after I started to get an over use injury to my right knee saw a physio was given strenghting exercises etc it didn't get better went to the GP was put on a referal list and waited, I carryed on biking and swimming but it just wasn't getting better so I ended up having to give up the bike[:(] My MRI showed that I had a meniscal tear and behold there was a light at the end of the tunnel but (and I only had the arthroscopy 2 weeks ago thats how long the NHS took for me!!!!) after having it looked at I've been told theres no tear only a big patch of knackered cartilage and I really shouldn't pursue impact sports but I'll show them! Having to cut back or give up training is the toughest thing to do I don't know about you but I was definatly dependent on it and was in compleet denial, now I'm on the other side and am just hoping I can build back up and carry on.

  • pigletpiglet Posts: 86
    Hi Middle of the pack

    How are you doing? Did you have the op yet? I feel for you- I had two ops last year one in Jan on both knees and then another last Oct to sort out the left knee which didn't respond. I have wanted to do tris for years and these knees have been a real pain (literally). I hope to be able to run in 6 months - in the meantime I am looking at entering smaller distance tris with the aim to get experience in the swim/ bike and transitions and will have to walk the run section.

    I hope you will have a faster recovery than mine- my problem is tendons not cartilage, I don't which heal faster, but all the best.

    I found swimming to be great in recovery- I used two pull buoys to keep my knee absolutely straight and concentrated on the arms. It prevents the loss of cardio fitness anyway.

    Take care[:D]
  • Thanks for all the info folks.

    I have managed to put my head in the sand and carry on training. Even did some hill running a couple of weeks ago. (it was there and just crying out to be run up!) But I think my wife is getting fed up listening to me complaining about them so a really must get organised and get on the waiting list. Seemingly in Scotland you shouldnt wait more than six months for the op. That should see me through the summer season, just as long as i can keep a steady flow of Voltorol from the local dealer!



    It seems that it actually feels better if I have run on it. I look like an old crip fro the first ten minutes of a run then the endorphins kick in and it feels better.



    Thing is if it wasnt for the knee I would have no excuse for being crap![:D]
  • kim1964kim1964 Posts: 5
    Arthroscopy is daycase surgery now. recovery is usually very quick, you should at least be back in the pool or on the bike within a month. running probably takes longer. NHS waiting times are now supposed to be within 18weeks in Scotland!!. Beware BUPA may not cover you for a injury that occured prior to taking out a policy.
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