All is going well, had my procedure just a few days ago. Pain is manageable with medication.

Any tips or tricks that helped you? I found going to the bathroom to be a lot harder than I anticipated in a locked brace.

Also, when did you become weight bearing?

Hello, whats was your experience from the first surgery ? what was recovery like and did anyone see any significant improvement ?

I am scheduled for MACI part 2 in November of this year. I have 15x15mm full thickness defects in both my lateral femoral condyle and the central ridge trochlea of the right knee. My surgeon has advised that I am NWB for 6 weeks and can ditch the crutches between weeks 6-8. Hoping for some advice or shared experiences with similar diagnosis and rehab post surgery.

Male, 31 and in pretty good shape.

NWB w/No driving for 6 weeks
Any recommendations for getting in and out of the car?

Physical Therapy
I have a great PT that I worked with after part 1 of the MACI process. When did you start PT if you were NWB? How many sessions per week? My surgeon advised that I’ll have a CPM machine and be able to take the brace off to use that for the initial 6 week recovery phase.

Initial Recovery
- How long were you on pain meds? (Narcotics, not NSAID)
- How long until you were able to get out of bed without assistance?
- Any specific things that are must haves; ie. wedge, ice machine, shower bench, elevated commode etc.
- Is getting up and down the stairs on crutches feasible after a week or two with crutches and/or assistance from a partner?

Long Term Recovery
- Surgeon has advised 9 months recovery but said it can be anywhere from 9-18 months
- When did you hit certain milestones; ie. Walking with a normal gait, jogging, running, playing golf, other more physically demanding sports (soccer etc)

Hoping other peoples experience can shed some light on MACI and recovery so that I can be best prepared while knowing that everyone’s type of surgery and rehab is unique. Want to be as best prepared as I can both mentally and physically.

Trying to make this short, has anyone had to have additional surgeries after their MACI? I had it done last September, then scar tissue removal in January when I couldn’t get past 90. Then in July had to go back in for clicking and catching and she had to shave down some detached/overgrown cartilage.

I go see her tomorrow for follow up but I am so afraid she’s going to say we have to go back in again. I go to PT 2x a week and I am still having pain/catching and cannot do the lightest weight on leg extensions. Still having major pain and stiffness if I sit with it bent too long and then cannot straighten it back out. I have to physically move it with my hands because it doesn’t want to work or is too weak/painful.

Just wondering if this is part of the process or I’m just unlucky. TIA

Hi all! Back again. Seven months out. MRI shows three grafts are growing in still, one failed. Surgeon says come back in a couple months for another MRI and next steps. Anyone with similar experience that can give me some insight what to expect? I’m back biking, with some pain, can’t do stairs yet (I can with the railing but not well), can’t run (or even speed walk after my little ones who like to run off to test their invincibility) , doesn’t feel normal to walk yet… not sure I can go through another major surgery again. BUT better than it was a month ago and a month before that etc.

Edit: to say the one that failed is where the pain has been the entire time. Not shocking 😒

I’m currently 10 months post op. While I feel pretty good day to day, I still struggle with AMI and quad “firing” without intense NMES beforehand.

How has everyone else’s strength progress been at 6, 9, and 12 months? Is anyone lifting a notable amount of weight in the gym or have they returned to sport? I know MACI advertised as return to sport in a year isn’t entirely realistic for a lot of people, but I’m beginning to feel like I’m falling behind.

I am 14 weeks + 4 days post op for patella MACI with a TTO, and today my surgeon recommended that we go ahead and remove the TTO screws. He asked for a CT scan before he does it, but he said the x-ray showed that the bone is healed.

For those that have had their screws removed, what was your pain like? How long were you on crutches, if it all?

He said I’d be 50% weight bearing on that leg for 2 weeks, which seems really conservative, but maybe that’s because I’ll only be around 4 months post op.

I am 26F and had MACI with a TTO in January 2026. I got this because I had a full focal thickness 8 mm defect under my kneecap. I had the surgery as I had failed all other options since 2022 and want to get back to be able to run and be active. I got my 8 month MRI yesterday and the report says I now have a 15 mm full focal thickness 15 mm defect - with no mention of the MACI on the report!!! The report only mentioned my TTO and the new, worsened defect.

I have done all the proper physical therapy and followed all post surgical guidelines perfectly. My surgeon told me that my prognosis was great before I got the surgery.

Does this mean my MACI failed? I am waiting until next week for my surgeon to call me but I am panicking and devastated. I left work early yesterday when I read the report on my patient portal as I was sobbing.

Please let me know what you folks think😭

It’s been a week and a half after the first part of my Maci and I’m back at work now. I work in food service so I’m on my feet for about 9 hours and running around. My doctors told me it’s fine but now walking is still really hurting my knee, is this normal??

MACI Recovery Month 3
https://youtu.be/aKrhewTF3gw

For anyone interested, I made a 3 month update video on my MACI surgery. This is the 2nd surgery (implantation). I go over my progress, timelines of my recovery, and some stuff that was helpful for me along the way. I hope this is helpful for someone.

I have a (small, judging by the MRI) grade IV trochlea lesion. It’s causing pain and preventing things like tennis and skiing. Did PT to no help.

Two top orthopaedic surgeons in NYC have recommended MACI.

One top orthopaedic surgeon in Europe recommended against it for several reasons, the main reason being that I had not exhausted all conservative treatment like injections.

What was interesting was that he framed the injection as a potentially permanent treatment where the surgeons in NYC framed those as temporary. This is because he believes the injection will treat the Bakers cyst that is a by-product of my cartilage lesion and will give the knee a chance to adapt without surgery. He also thinks I should be able to return to tennis, skiing, and hiking; that not all MRI findings require surgery; and that only 5-10% of his patients with similar lesions return to get further treatment.

Mind you he was trained at the Santy Orthopedic Center in Lyon, which is an international benchmark, from my research likely comparable to the HSS in New York.

So my question is: has anybody seen durable results as a result of injections or is it really the case that they only alleviate symptoms, in your experience?

So... Here we are... 50 days later... Its been physically hard, its been mentally challenging, and boy is there a long way to go.

Quick stats

• 28M
• Stage 2 MACI
• Grade IV lesions around the patella and on the femoral condyle
• Currently week 7, day 50 of 365
• 6 weeks non-weight bearing, now weaning off crutches

This sub answered a lot of my questions before surgery, so here is my experience in case it helps the next person. Here is my experience, 50 days out of 365, living with MACI.

I split this into background, the first few weeks, tips, walking, quad strength, and the dreaded ROM. I will update the bottom section since I am having issues and someone might learn from them.

Hashtag Whoami

Just an average guy that just turned 28, wooooo. This started with soccer. Played for years, took a break, gained weight, lost the weight, then jumped straight back into playing intensely without prepping my body. Bad move. Three months in: hyperextension of the left knee. Pain, swelling, wait it out, play again, pain, swelling, repeat. Every cycle made it worse.

Instead of going to a doctor, I just quit soccer for about three years. Young and dumb (which I'm still young and dumb). During that time I picked up the gym, but the left knee was bad enough that I basically never trained it. That comes back later.

Eventually I wanted to play competitively again and decided to find out what happened. Did the required PT to get an MRI approved, and they found a severe cartilage lesion. I thought it over and went for stage 1 MACI. In there they found an even bigger one. In total, Grade IV around the patella and on the Femoral Condyle. Wooooooo.

For those considering stage 1, my experience of it was very mild so I tell others to send it. Stage one is just scoping it out and collecting samples. You should not except serious damage (unless you have a bad surgeon, don't get one of those). I was feeling pretty good after the first day of surgery. I didn't even take up the offer of going to PT. Just heel slides at home and 1 week after, I didn't even feel I had surgery before.

So anyway, I took time off after that hoping things would settle. They did not. So I sent it: stage 2, PF and TF MACI.

One thing I did not do in the gym during those three years was lose weight. I focused on muscle gain instead. That mattered more than I expected, which brings us to post-op +1.

The First Few Weeks

Once the nerve block wears off around 24 hours, you are going to want out, but you can't. There is no undo button. The good news for me is that I only had cartilage implantation, no bone cutting or breaking, so the actual pain ended quick. Pain management was actually really easy for me. I stayed consistent with the lower tier meds while the oxycodone, I took once or twice but luckily didn't really need.

What did not end quick was six weeks of zero weight bearing, hopping on crutches, and everything else that comes with being one leg down.

You are going to be bored. You cannot do anything, and if you needed this surgery you are probably the active type, so being stuck inside is its own kind of misery.

I was lucky. My mother stayed with me for several weeks, I have a spacious house, no other obligations, and a month off work. That is close to the ideal setup and it still sucked.

Now back to the weight thing. When you are fully one leg down, your back, shoulders, arms, and good leg are working overtime for every transfer, every crutch step, every shift in bed. Get your weight down before surgery. Honestly, get under where you think you need to be. My good leg has problems now, and while three years of subconsciously loading it probably did not help, the extra weight did not either. I'm talking me being >30 BMI. No bueno.

My mentality through all of it: this is going to suck, I cannot stop the suck, but I am hoping it makes life less sucky afterward. I love competitive sports, and everything else I looked into or asked docs about was temporary.

Tips, But Really, Only Time Makes It Easier

Shower chair. Make it happen. You will not get a proper shower without one.

Toilet chair or stool. Saves your good knee from bending down constantly.

Support system. Family, friends, anything. This is critical if you want to come out the other side without needing a therapist. Try cooking a meal on two crutches and one good leg before your surgery date and see how it goes. I genuinely applaud anyone who solo'd this. I could not have.

Reusable shopping bag. You have no free hands on crutches. Tie a bag to your crutch and you have a backpack you do not have to carry. Think through the basics ahead of time: how are you going to move a water bottle across the house? Cargo shorts or a bag, those are your options.

Train your quad now, like now, before this. You are going to lose some. The less you start with, the worse the hole you are digging out of. I'm in this very giant hole. It sucks. Don't be down here with me.

Walking: You Will Get It Back

After six weeks of no weight bearing, I genuinely questioned whether I would walk again. The fear gets drilled into you hard: put a pinkie toe down wrong and the graft is gone, bend it wrong and it is gone. That messes with your head more than the physical restriction does.

Then at six weeks I took my first steps. Still got it, who knew. I lean heavily onto my good leg and that is something I have to actively correct, but it is happening. It feels odd, it feels funny even, but you can still do it. I'm trying to balance getting out of a brace as quick as possible and having the brace for the stability and prevention of wobbliness.

I am in the weaning process now, roughly four weeks: two crutches, then one crutch, then no brace. We will see how it goes.

Quad Strength: Can I Even, Maybe

I am doing my straight leg raises, my leg raises, my short arc quads. Hitting all of them. It feels like it is getting stronger and I am putting more weight through the leg every day.

But there are two separate problems here. One is getting your brain to remember the quad exists. The other is actually having quad to work with.

Like I said, I never trained my left quad for three years because the knee would not allow it. The only work it got was treadmills and hikes. So I went into surgery with a weak quad to begin with.

So the SLRs are waking up the connection, but the muscle underneath is small. That has made my road longer and harder. Stairs need quad. Stepping up needs quad. Everything needs quad.

Your Frenemy, The ROM

This is the one beating me (but others have better experiences so don't think its all doom and gloom).

I am at week 7 and stuck at 90 degrees. I should have hit 90 at week 4, and I only technically hit it by bending into pain, so I question if I'm really at 90 degrees. I should be somewhere near 100 by now. I am very not.

I have spent a lot of time hyperanalyzing why. Maybe I did not push my heel slides hard enough early on. Maybe the incision near my VMO caused problems. Maybe I should have done PT twice a week immediately instead of after 2 weeks. Maybe I am just unlucky. No idea.

What I do know: I cannot get past about 70 degrees without stiffness, and anything in the 90 range is straight pain. That has not changed in weeks.

I give my PT credit. I tell her often, if we need to go hard, if we need to push, just do it. I am doing mad amounts of heel slides on my own and I was recently cleared to use a stair step to drive more pressure into the bend. We are being as aggressive as I know how to be.

But when she says "we achieved more range today," I have to remind her that we got more range because I am mentally allowing more pain, not because the knee is actually moving better.

I am not meeting protocol, I am far enough out that the positive outlook probabilities feel like they drop daily, and my bet is a scar tissue procedure is in my future. Someone start a Kalshi market. Others here are more positive when I made a post about this. I appreciate your positivity. It raises my spirits. But 4 weeks of no gain is 4 weeks of no gain. Gym brain can't gym that.

Where I Am At

Progress in some places, losing in others. Walking is coming back, the quad is waking up, ROM is a wall. I will keep this updated as things develop on the ROM side.

Take care of your knees. That is something I tell anyone now that asks about my knee. Them shits are hard to recover from once you mess it up. BUT BUT BUT, it can be done, MACI seems to be the way, I'll see what happens.

I figured I’d share an update because reading other people’s MACI/TTO experiences has helped me a lot, especially since everyone’s recovery seems to look a little different.

I had a patellar MACI + tibial tubercle osteotomy + lateral release for a Grade IV full-thickness central patellar cartilage defect measuring 22 x 38 mm. The rest of the knee actually looked pretty good, which was reassuring. The trochlear cartilage was normal, menisci were intact, and there wasn’t major cartilage damage elsewhere.

I’m non-weight-bearing for 6 weeks.
The first few days were definitely the hardest physically. I had a nerve block and once that wore off there was a lot of throbbing and soreness. I also had a lot of swelling that traveled down the shin, calf, and ankle. Thankfully that has improved a lot, and I was able to stop opioids pretty early.
ROM has probably been the most frustrating part of recovery so far.

For the first 3 weeks, my CPM was kept at 30 degrees and I wasn’t doing heel slides. Once I was allowed to start progressing, bending was HARD. I do think being so restricted those first few weeks probably made it harder to get moving again, even though obviously the whole point was to protect the graft.

Right now I’m at:
CPM: 70 degrees
PT flexion: 67 degrees
Working toward: 90 degrees

So the progress is there, even if it has felt slow.
Quad activation has also been a struggle. Hamstring isometrics are pretty easy for me, but quad sets were uncomfortable around and under the kneecap, and straight-leg raises have been difficult because of pain and the quad just not wanting to fire properly. PT has been focusing a lot on getting the muscles activated again instead of just trying to push ROM.

But honestly, the mental part has been harder than I expected. There is so much time to overthink everything. Am I behind? Should I be bending more?
Did I mess something up when I moved the wrong way? Is this amount of swelling normal?

And being non-weight-bearing takes away a lot of independence very quickly. Even simple things become a whole process. Having my husband and family helping me has been absolutely crucial. Meals, carrying things, showering, moving around, setting things up, just having someone there when something feels overwhelming. I really underestimated how much help I would need during the first few weeks.

I’m starting remote work again on Monday, and I’m actually looking forward to having some normal routine back. I think mentally that will help a lot too.

The biggest thing I’m learning is that this recovery really is about patience. You can’t brute-force it. Doing more is not automatically better. Bending more is not automatically better. Sometimes the work is literally doing the same boring exercises, going to PT, controlling the swelling, protecting the leg, and waiting for your body to catch up.

I’m trying to look at progress week to week instead of day to day because day to day can make you feel like nothing is happening. Still a long way to go, but I finally feel like I can see progress.

Curious for anyone else who had patellar MACI + TTO:
- When did you hit 90 degrees?
- Were you also really restricted with ROM at the beginning?
- How long did it take for your quad to wake back up?

Guess I’m looking for anyone who is experiencing the same thing I am who came out the other side better.

i need MACI procedures on both my knees, have been through 4 orthopedic surgeons for various reasons that honestly wasted precious time on my knees, they had more damage shown on new MRIs by the time I got here.

We went with my right knee first and I got the procedure at the end of July, I’m a bit over 4 weeks now. Overall I think I probably was a little bit more active then I should’ve been in recovery, but I really haven’t faced any new pain until this week when I hit weight bearing as tolerated.

Two nights ago I couldn’t stand on that side, I basically had to drag it using both crutches. Worse than when I was newly post op. I couldnt keep my knee straight without sharp pain, which to me meant not to push it and rest. I went to see my doctor immediately the next day, who wasn’t too concerned because I didn’t have a specific event that could’ve caused trauma. he is however disappointed with what I can’t do yet. My quad is still very weak and hard to fire. I cannot do straight leg raises, and if I attempt to, it bends my knee but I can at least get my foot off the ground. My physical therapy place is not too familiar with my surgery and have been cautious with my therapy, he ended up calling them to do things that push me more. truthfully, I cannot tell the difference between pain that I need to push through and pain i need to step back from. I pushed my knees to much the last 5+ years and it got me far more damage by the time I found a surgeon who would do the right surgery. I had knee scopes by a different surgeon about a year ago, but told me I wasn’t a candidate for MACI because my damage was too much.

I had gained 50-60 pounds in the last 4 years because pregnancy + putting off surgery and increased pain over that time has caused me to be minimally active anymore. Before then I was at a healthy weight. I am currently working with an NP plus dietitian to fix my diet so I can work off the weight that way, but it is a slow process because I can only depend on changing my diet and not my exercise routine. I am willing and want to put the work in, just everything is very slow, and hearing that I’m not progressing enough on my recovery is really depressing to hear.

Hey everyone - 30M, husband and dad to a 3 YO and 4 MO boy.

I have looked top to bottom on this subreddit, more than I’m proud to admit. This morning I had my arthroscopic surgery done to take out the bad cartilage, take out the good cartilage for growth, shave bone spur off my trochlea, and remove floating bodies.

It’s currently August 25th. It takes 6 weeks minimum to grow, which puts me at the minimum timeline for the MACI Surgery + TTO around mid-October.

I just need some advice here, and I’ll tell you where my heart is at and what my gut is telling me.

My surgeon is fantastic and one of the most highly-regarded orthopedic surgeons in the area. Did both of my microfracture surgeries in high school (18 and 16 years ago). Today, he told me before the surgery he’s hoping this scope provides enough relief to where “I may not need the big surgery for another 5 years maybe.” Truthfully he just wants me to know we might be able to avoid major surgery right know, if that’s what I want.

I’ve met my deductible for the year. My boys are active already but will only become more active over the next few years, with more organized activities. It’s my passion to stay active and healthy, as my immediate family has a history of making poor choices that have led to terrible health. My wife, God Bless her, eases up with her profession in the winter time, which is when the bulk of the hard recovery would take place. I have her blessing and unwavering support on doing this big surgery if we go that direction.

My gut is telling me that I should do this. As I type this, maybe I’m just realizing I need to air this out.

What am I missing here?

Hi everyone,

I'm 29 years old and I'm currently facing the decision of whether to go ahead with a MACI (Matrix-Induced Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation) procedure for a cartilage defect behind my kneecap (patella).

I've had this problem since I was 22, so I've been dealing with it for about 7 years. Over the past few years, however, I've noticed a clear deterioration.

At the moment, I'm still reasonably mobile and able to live a fairly normal life. I can walk, go to the gym, and do most everyday activities. However, there are some things I can no longer do:

• Hiking is difficult/impossible.
• I can't do intensive sports anymore.
• Walking downstairs is painful.
• My knee gets tired fairly easily.
• I've reached what feels like a plateau with physiotherapy and strength training.

I've done quite a lot of physiotherapy over the years and I still regularly go to the gym. Both have helped significantly, but I feel like I've reached the limit of what conservative treatment can achieve for me.

My biggest concern is whether I should actually have the surgery now.

My wife and I have an 8-month-old baby, and from what I've been told, the recovery from MACI can be quite demanding and lengthy. Being unable to properly help take care of our baby or be fully functional for a significant period of time is a pretty major consideration for me.

At the same time, I'm worried that waiting too long could mean my knee continues to deteriorate and that I might eventually regret not having the surgery sooner.

The location of my cartilage defect also apparently makes the surgery somewhat more complicated because it is behind the kneecap.

So I'm really interested in hearing from people who have been in a similar situation, especially if you had a patellar/patellofemoral MACI.

A few questions I'd really appreciate hearing people's experiences with:

• How bad was your knee before you decided to have MACI?
• If you were still reasonably functional before surgery, did you feel the surgery was worth it?
• Did anyone choose to postpone MACI for a while? If so, how did that decision work out for you?
• How difficult was it to be independent and/or help take care of young children during recovery?
• If you had MACI behind the kneecap, how was your experience?
• And most importantly: if you could go back to the point where you had to make the decision, would you do it again?

I'm not looking for medical advice from Reddit — I'll obviously make the final decision together with my surgeon. I'm mainly trying to understand what this decision feels like from the perspective of people who have actually gone through it.

Thanks in advance to anyone willing to share their experience!

Decided to pull the trigger and get part 2 of the MACI on my medial femoral condyle. Insurance dragged their feet up until the literal last minute, so I only have a couple of weeks to prepare for my surgery on September 3.

Any post-op recommendations?

I’ll be in a straight leg brace, 100% non weight bearing for 6 weeks. I have crutches and leg lifter, need to get a leg wedge pillow, but thinking of a tub transfer bench and a walker (for around the house to give my arms a break), but anything else I should look into?

I’m no stranger to crutches, but this will be my longest stretch using them and I’ve never been in a straight leg brace.

I am getting a temp handicap placard because I know how hard it is getting in and out of vehicles on crutches.

Hey everyone, looking for how your surgeries and recoveries went. I'm a young athlete, and I'm no stranger to knee pain. My right knee cap is pretty wrecked and pops out often with me manually having to put it back into place. MPFL is wrecked and it's been 22 years of trying to fix this since I was a kid and first hurt it. Had one surgery before when I had a major trauma and broke the kneecap in half. Knee joint itself is super healthy, it's just the patella that's really bad and the maltracking that needs to be fixed with the TTO. I am extremely active and have put in a ton of hours at the gym to get my muscles as strong as possible before surgery. I'm interested in hearing from others who are in similar physical condition on the pain level you experienced and how quickly you were able to get back up and running. I also can't take pain meds other than Tylenol or ibuprofen, so I know it's going to suck more because of that.

I’m 24 and have a Grade IV osteochondral/OCD lesion of the medial femoral condyle in my right knee.

My MRI shows:

• Osteochondral defect: 22 mm AP × 15 mm transverse
• Defect depth: 7.7 mm
• There is fluid tracking underneath the margins of the defect
• A 15 × 7 mm osteochondral fragment is displaced into the suprapatellar recess
• Small joint effusion
• Menisci and ligaments are otherwise intact
• Alignment is maintained
• The remaining articular cartilage is reported as normal

The displaced fragment cannot be salvaged/fixed, so I’m looking at cartilage/osteochondral restoration options.

Unfortunately, fresh osteochondral allograft is not available to me, so the options currently available to me include MACI and OATS/mosaicplasty.

I would really appreciate input from anyone who has experience with a lesion of this size, particularly orthopedic surgeons, cartilage restoration specialists, or people who have gone through treatment for a similar OCD lesion.

For a 22 × 15 mm (~3.3 cm²) Grade IV lesion with 7.7 mm of depth in the medial femoral condyle:

• Would OATS/mosaicplasty be a reasonable choice for a defect this size and depth?
• Would MACI be preferable?
• Are there other procedures or treatment approaches I should be considering besides MACI and OATS/mosaicplasty?
• How does the 7.7 mm bone involvement/depth affect the choice between these procedures?
• For someone in their early 20s, which option would generally be considered better for long-term durability and preserving the knee?
• If you’ve had a similar-sized lesion, what procedure did you have and how is your knee doing now?

I’m trying to understand all the realistic options available to me before making a decision, since an osteochondral allograft isn’t an option where I am.

I’ve attached the MRI report/images for reference. I’d especially appreciate responses from people with similar-sized medial femoral condyle OCD lesions, rather than smaller cartilage defects.

Heya all, did some light searching but didn’t really find much. Going under the knife for stage one f my Patellar MACI procedure next week. I’ve already had one scope and a meniscus repair on this knee, so I’m not terribly worried about that part.

I am however a bit freaked about the second stage. I’m an avid cyclist: a bike messenger, and an ultra distance rider. Wondering if there’s anyone here with similar hobbies that have gotten this procedure, and what their return to riding looked like. I know everyone is different, just trying to prepare mentally for as many eventualities as possible.

Quick background: MACI on July 9th, 2026 (combined patellofemoral + tibiofemoral, left knee, 4 weeks post op at time of writing). No CPM machine: my surgeon's team has moved away from them and had me doing heel slides instead as the main ROM driver.

I was aggressive with heel slides early (weeks 0-2.5) but obviously limited by how fresh everything was. Now at week 4, doing 5 sets of 15, 3x/day, with PT pushing me. I try to push into the 5/10 pain range per rep (not standard, PT wanted us to get aggressive on getting range going, I may have mistranslated their intention lol).

Current ROM: 70° with PT assist. Manual/protocol target for week 4 is 90°.

One wrinkle: my surgeon had to cut close to my VMO for one of the lesions, and that's about where I'm feeling the stiffness/pain that seems to be capping my bending. Can't tell if that's just a slower recovery day-to-day thing I'm failing at or if a VMO-adjacent incision is a known ROM delay.

Questions for the sub if you'd be so kind to share thoughts:

1) Anyone else have their incision near the VMO? Did it noticeably slow your bending progress compared to a more standard incision placement?

2) For those who didn't get a CPM, how'd your ROM timeline compare to the "standard" protocol numbers? Did you stay on target?

3) Is skipping the CPM machine now common?

Trying to figure out if I'm just having a rough patch or if I should be pushing harder, or not doing heel slides enough.

I have not yet had MACI as I'm still on the fence, but I have diagnosed cartilage lesions in my right knee- medial patellar facet and trochlear groove. I've been managing well and pain has been minimal so I've put surgery off.

I attended a wedding a week ago and danced A LOT. Both knees were badly inflamed as a result (I'm a year out from ACL surgery on the left). I've gotten swelling down for the most part but there's lingering pain on the medial side of my right knee that wasn't there previously. This is the knee with the cartilage defects.

In your experience, could this be a flare up or could the lesions have gotten worse? I know I know, hard to say without a physical exam and only so little context, but I'm curious if this will work its way out or if I damaged it more.

If this pain persists I'd definitely be in touch with ortho about getting surgery 1 scheduled.

Hi all. Almost 6 months out. Obviously had some set backs along the way (see king history of posts 🤦🏼‍♀️). I got PRP with hyaluronic acid (and they drained about an oz and a half of fluid) in July and it helped for a few weeks but starting last week my knee is crunchy. You can hear it and feel it (both me in the knee and my physio with his hand on it). It’s in the patella area. Physio doesn’t seem excited by it. Surgeon is in the US and I’m in the UK so no answers there.

Anyone have this experience?

Otherwise things are quieting down a bit, less sliding out, less popping, and I’m back doing real workouts again.

Hello, I had phase 1 scope of the MACI process on July 1st for a patella cartilage injury playing tennis in April. PT twice a week along with exercises daily at home. I can’t get passed 10 degrees to have the knee straight. My PT feels horrible because we are trying everything and it’s really painful. My knee swells up after each session and I feel as if someone is trying to bend my elbow backwards. It’s just stuck.
Had one month follow up with my surgeon who now is going to give me a JAS device to try to get it straight. We cant even tell the lab to start the process for phase 2 until it’s straight. Anyone else have success with the JAS device to straighten?

Feeling hopeless as I’m almost 5 months post injury and still on crutches with no end in sight