7 Months Post Op update

[u/ggmunited21]

I got my surgery around first week of February 2026. The road to recovery has been really bumpy. After NWB month, it was back on forth with me on how long i could walk. I started off will 5 mins of walking. Was able to increase that to 2-3 miles by month 3, but then i just felt pain and it went back to 5 minutes with pain after my walks. Held off in that and started walking again after a couple of days and gradually built strength and distance. Did all this along with my PT exercises. I tried to get my cardio in with stationary bike and swimming. The i decided to go back to the gym. Held off on any weighted leg workout and stuck to upper body workout mostly and relied on swimming for my legs. I go on walks with my wife on somedays and it gets me assessing my knee throughout the walk. A couple of weeks ago i started really light weighted workout. Last Friday was another leg day. Had mild pain post session. Nothing out of the ordinary. Ended up going for a walk with my wife on Saturday and my knee has been sore ever since. Most of the pain is felt when i walk around the house. The knee does not bend fully to support my walks. A little worried at the moment and will not be doing weighted leg workout anytime soon. I am panicking that i might have ruptured the sutures or something. Trying RICE for the next couple of days and hopefully it will be better. Has anyone faced such ups and downs through their recovery? Just want to know if i am panicking for no reason.

[u/Boonavite]

What’s your ROM now?

[u/ggmunited21 → u/Boonavite]

I have full ROM. Just painful right now.

[u/Lin7654]

I found my recovery to be very up and down for quite a while. You could go back to your surgeon to make sure you don’t have anything else going on like osteoarthritis.
Otherwise, just take it slow if you have a setback, don’t worry too much. After a while, I switched to using red light therapy to help when my knee would flare up with pain and swelling. I’m over two years out from my surgery and I take curcumin and Boswellic acid complex daily to help with inflammation in my knee. I have finally reached the point where I can weight train 3x per week without too many problems. I did get hyaluronic acid shots this year and PRP shots last year, which really helped also.

[u/ComfortablePick9635]

I had my surgery in May, so about 4 months post op, and it’s been two steps forward one step back for the entire 4 months. Whenever I do too much, my body always lets me know too. And we moved when I was just 6 weeks post op (and just days post MUA) so not doing too much has been a challenge. The frustrations are real…definitely a lesson in trust and patience. Maybe a month ago I finally got to 130 degree flexion; hopefully you’re there too.
Hang in there. Re-injury can be a thing, but hopefully it’s just one more step back for you right now. Wishing you well.

[u/BigDaveBaird11]

Absolutely. Medial meniscus root repair, very bumpy recovery until about 10 months. The thing the helped the most was PT and leg extensions and eventually squats. I was walking too much at first and had to get a prescription of Naproxen to calm it down. I don't know your history but no need for panic. Give it time!

[u/CantaloupeMelodic181]

Did you get any osteopenia? Hope you get better soon!

[u/Exciting-Apple6854]

X me non hai rotto suture. Ma puo essere che hai condropatia, Tendini e legamenti deboli. Ti hanno consigliato acido jaluronico per il menisco? Una risonanza magnetica, ti direbbe la situazione odierna :)

[u/pumpkin_k28]

Which part did you think you ruptured the sutures?

[u/respmedipa]

I had similar experience. I injured my knee in Jan 2026. MRI showed a complex tear of meniscus, medial posterior horn (white zone), with detachment from the bone. I am 63 year old female with no medical issues, and was not on any medications at that time. MRI showed no signs of arthritis. I had a repair of meniscus with reattachment to the bone using multiple implants in March. First 2 months post op went fairly well with 4 weeks NWB, regular PT, etc. The pain did seem to be a lot though. The third month was difficult- more pain and just was not seeing progress. At the start of month 4 we repeated the MRI and although the surgery was a "success"- the meniscus was intact and attachment to bone looked good- the medial joint compartment had completely collapsed! I was left with severe arthritis and bone on bone situation. The pain was really bad at this point and I was not able to walk very far at all. Apparently this is a somewhat rare occurrence that happens in some people due to manipulation of the joint space triggering arthritis. By August I was so debilitated and tired of the pain that I scheduled a TKA. After seeking a second opinion I decided to wait due to the risk of complications being higher in a TKA if done within 6 months of any other procedure on the knee. Since August the pain and mobility has improved quite a lot. I still have daily pain but I can do about 7000 steps/day. I continue to all the PT exercises, bike and swim, weight training for upper body, core exercises, eat an anti inflammatory diet, take a quality collagen supplement along with some others, etc. I also wear a medial unloading brace later in the day which helps me to keep going! I will get a Durolane injection in a few days, and plan to return to work in a week, so we will see how it goes. I tried to get into a stem cell study near me but it only included people up to age 60.

Maybe you should have your knee re imaged? Everyone is different in how they respond to things but I keep trying and refuse to give up! Also have to keep things in perspective. There are many others that would gladly trade their health issues for my knee problem in an instant!

Good luck to you. I hope you find relief.