
Originally Posted by
TrailRunAZ
So, not sure if anyone cares or if anything helpful in this post, but I thought I would throw it out there if nothing else for support as I move forward.
Late Dec I was running on a treadmill (which I hate and have advocated against for years) because it was simply more convenient than hitting a trail late in the day. After 30 min couldn't walk that well and knee ballooned up. After 6 wks of rehab, Ortho pulling fluid off repeatedly, steroid injection and MRI, opted for a scope. It's the 3rd scoop on that knee. MRI showed no cartilage tears but huge Baker's cyst in back of knee dissecting (splitting open) with fluid pushing into upper calf.
Scope revealed huge tears x 2 in cartilage, they dissected out the Baker's cyst, and discovered 1.5cm x 2cm area of denuded bone (no cartilage) on condyle.
Recovery was horrific, pain 6-7/10 with every step up until 3 wks ago, with rehab. Steroid injection post op x 2 wks got relief x 4 days. PRP x 3 at 2 wk intervals did nothing. Limped like Quasimodo since surgery, couldn't walk long enough to grocery shop without severe pain stopping me. Watched my legs wither til I could wear skinny jeans with no leg days, ever.
Ancillaries utilized to help healing included GH, TB500 and NPP. Nada.
Considered consult for partial knee replacement 1 month ago but decided to try stem cell instead. Incredibly expensive, but it worked, or seems to be. Shortly after injection (they used blood pulled from bone marrow in my hip, so that was fun) knee pain subsided to 1-2/10 and has remained at bay since. Biggest issue is loss of full extension and loss of muscle tone in leg/hips due to length of injury and deconditioning. But 3 wks out and going strong.
I have been doing spin bike for a week every couple of days and all good. I have permission to do vertical leg press with empty sled weight and escalate weights as tolerated. No other weight bearing or loading exercises permitted. I can use leg extension machine only to hold weight with extended knee (in static hold), and hamstring curls. Rehab includes Russian stim with quad contractions x 10 minutes every 10 s, and acupuncture needles for knee with electrical stim, along with ROM and strengthening exercises.
Heading out to try elliptical now. Hope it is tolerated as that will load quad a little and help in that area.
Just wanted to share in the event anyone is at any stage with a knee injury. Happy to have avoided partial knee replacement (shudder) at this time.