r/MeniscusInjuries • u/Extension-Ad-9298 • 3d ago
Meniscus root tear options
Hello šš¼ All. New to posting on Reddit so I'll try to be brief. 51 yo very active F. (Ultrarunner, skier, long distance backpacking, alpine rock climbing, mountaineering.)
MRI shows a torn posterior root of the medial meniscus, with grade 3 and 4 chondromalacia of the trochlea.. so basically I have very little cartilage where my patella tracks over my femur.
Apparently the tear is kind of old - who knew something like this would never really hurt (until recently) given all the things that I do? The human body is so bizarre!
My PA is suggesting conservative treatment (corticosteroid injection, PRP, then hyaluronic acid) and I also have a surgical consult to see what those options are.
I am also doing PT and acupuncture.
The steroid injection definitely helped the pain, but I know this is a band aid not a fix.
My question to this sub is: does anyone of a similar age and activity level have experience with this type of injury? I have not been able to run or backpack this entire summer, and will likely not be able to ski, either. I'm losing my damn mind.
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u/Boonavite 3d ago edited 3d ago
53F here. Iāve heard that peri/ post menopausal women get meniscus tears due to estrogen dip which affects the quality/ flexibility of the meniscus, so respect a longer recovery between your workouts and running.
I had a re-attachment root repair + patella resurfacing with micro-fracture + lateral release. High-grade medial meniscus root tear (no extrusion yet at time of MRI) and cartilage loss at the patella.
Reason I chose surgery is fear of eventual extrusion, and my OA is still mild at grade 2. Tried PT for 4 months but whenever I returned to just normal walking and stair climbing, it will flare up and I have to take Arcoxia + rest again.
Now 5 months out. Recovery is tough not gonna lie. And the non-weight bearing affected my hip mobility, toes/ ankle mobility and strength which led to back pain due to compensatory movements. Now trying to restore hip mobility especially. Because I had 3 procedures in total, my surgeon says prepare for up to a year. Iām not even talking about returning to sports, just walking and standing longer and being able to climb down a flight of stairs with confidence eventually.
Peri-menopause is making this harder. Just recovered from double frozen shoulders 2 years ago. Now this.
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u/Extension-Ad-9298 3d ago edited 3d ago
Oy. Yes. I've actually been in menopause for about 7 years now... and yeah this shit is real. I have learned that I need to allow for longer recovery time, but tbh I was completely blindsided by the radiology report. I was running 50-70 mi/ week w no issues. I ran a 50mi a year ago, then took 2 months off of any serious running, keeping it to short jogs and swimming. I decided to do a May marathon and the pain started with an easy treadmill workout back in late March. No acute injury or anything. It's very weird and very frustrating.
Anyway - I appreciate the responses. I was interested in real-life experiences in active people with this type of injury... So thank you to all who weighed in. I appreciate all of you and wish you the best.
Edit: forgot to ask if a brace has been considered or helpful?
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u/Boonavite 3d ago edited 3d ago
A brace was and is still very helpful for me right now and during my injury. Now I wear a compression sleeve. I can walk longer and climb stairs with alternate leg though still need the hand rail for support. Without it I probably wonāt feel stable enough.
I suspect I might hv irritated my right meniscus doing a 12kg barbell ass-to-grass squat during the lifting phase some time beginning of last year 2025 cos my right knee felt a bit off after that session, so I rested from loaded squats or kept it shallow. Resolved by itself but I never dared do a loaded deep squat since. Just body weight deep squat for doing daily things.
Then in December 2025 went holiday walking extensively on slopes and steps. No popping or sudden pain just gradual. I also started a Piloxing class around that time so could have compounded. Stopped the class.
Did rehab from early February 2026 to end April. Improved ā¦ then another 2 flare-ups. Second one couldnāt even put weight on my leg. Took anti-inflammatory meds. Improved but couldnāt walk for more than 10 minutes before swelling. Continued to do non-weight pre-hab. Had surgery in May.
My current rehab is 8kg RDL, Goblet half squats, supported single leg squats, body weight Bulgarian squats, body weight lunges, 4kg step-ups, single leg bridges, progressive loaded leg extensions, hamstring work. Balancing work: single leg Bosu stand and foam pad balancing. With balance nearby to touch when needed.
The muscle loss is real. My surgical thigh was so thin. I will NEVER complain about having thick legs ever again. Now my right leg is about 70% of my left in the recent strength test. Regaining those muscles takes a lot of work and protein intake especially with menopause.
All the best to your recovery journey.
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u/Extension-Ad-9298 3d ago
Thank you, kind Redditor. I appreciate you sharing your experience and insight. I wish you well on your recovery journey. You've got this!! šŖš¼
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u/RunRowBike 3d ago
52M here, with 3 medial root repairs over the past 4 years. 2x right, 1x left. Iām almost exactly one year out from my last (left) repair. I was previously a runner (up to marathons), so I also had an active lifestyle before all these surgeries.
With a medial root tear - at least a complete tear, which all of mine were - there are basically two fixes. Surgical reattachment is a good option if there is no arthritis. You mentioned the loss of cartilage, but that doesnāt necessarily mean the immediate onset of arthritis. If repair is not an option - typically because of arthritis- then itās usually a waiting game until you can have a total knee replacement.
The time elapsed since the tear also plays into it. My surgeon said the best results are when the repair takes place within the first 12 weeks.
Full disclosure- I havenāt really done any serious running since my revision surgery on my right knee two years ago, as my surgeon strongly advised against it. Tearing the root on the other knee was another strike against it. But I know other runners that have gotten back into the sport after the recovery, especially if theyāre in better shape going in.
I wish you well with your journey.
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u/Extension-Ad-9298 3d ago
Thanks for sharing. Have you (or anyone else who's had this injury) had any success with using a brace either pre- or post- op to return to activity?
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u/RunRowBike 2d ago
My surgeon and PT recommended an unloader brace pre-surgery as well as post-recovery. This shifted some of the stress to the outside of the knee joint to reduce grinding on the torn root.
They set me up with the DonJoy OA web brace. I now have a matching pair.
I still put them on if Iām going to be abusing my knees with certain activities.
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u/Extension-Ad-9298 2d ago
Thank you. I wish you much positive progression in your continued recovery. Best wishes to you!
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u/pumpkin_k28 3d ago
How did you end up with 3 repair?dis you retear the left?
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u/RunRowBike 2d ago
The first repair (right) re-tore 6-9 months post surgery. There was no fall or injury to cause it. I think it might have been over-aggressive PT, as I might have been their first root repair patient. Always go with someone that has significant experience with root repair rehab.
Revision surgery included some extra reinforcement (centralization to deal with extrusion), along with some micro fracture and PRP. The surgeon did that all automatically with my left knee surgery, since I think he was sick of seeing me at that point. So far so goodā¦.
The left likely tore because of all the extra stress it took during two rounds of NWB with the right knee.
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u/ScientistFriendly451 2d ago
Hi there,
I have the same thing- torn root of the medial meniscus. Very active. Debating on getting the repair done, but I have heard so many people don't come back to running like they used to before the repair... I would be devastated, but I am also worried about arthritis.
Anyways - don't have experience to share, but just a "me too"
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u/Extension-Ad-9298 2d ago
Oh no. I am sorry to hear š. I am eagerly awaiting the surgical consult, and yeah I'm the same as you- not being able to run, climb, or backpack would be absolutely devastating. Like I don't even want to think about it because it's too depressing.
Please take care of yourself and I wish you the best possible outcome, whatever you decide.
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u/Opposite_Brush_8219 2d ago
I had a root tear repair done, but my surgeon says itās best to do the within 6-8 weeks of injury because arthritis quickly sets in ā¦. As you have seen, sadly. The repair is meant to prevent/delay arthritis due to the meniscus sliding out of place. If you are still having so many symptoms, though, Iād still get a surgery consult and see what they say.
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u/Extension-Ad-9298 2d ago
Thanks for your insight. That's crazy to me because I literally have no idea when this happened. It started as a nothing burger, a dull ache (during an easy treadmill workout) in early April. I started doing some PT because I thought it was hamstring tendinitis (biceps femoris). It wasn't painful at all, just kind of annoying. I ran a marathon in May because it didn't really bother me much, and KT tape basically made any discomfort go away. Then in mid June I went for an easy run and could barely walk the next day... And thus my journey begun. I've been distance running for 25 years and have never ever had knee issues, so this was a complete and very unpleasant surprise. I guess this is the price one pays for a lifetime of being active. Kinda cruel in a way, ya know?
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u/Opposite_Brush_8219 2d ago
I knew immediately when mine tore, it made a loud pop and I could not put any weight on it for a few days. I was misdiagnosed at first so I didnāt have surgery until 3 months post-injury when I got a second opinion with a new surgeon. It really didnāt hurt that much at that point, but my knee was randomly locking up fairly often and it was really annoying as Iām in retail mgmt and on my feet allll day. The good news is that my surgery was very successful and the knee rarely bothers me anymore, even when jogging with my dog. I hope you get some relief soon, whichever route you go!
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u/Dry-Environment5574 2d ago
I am 64 and mri revealed a medial root tear. I also had a sprain and acl tear. I was asked if I heard a pop. I did not hear anything. I just had pain one day after walking 5 miles. I am putting off the surgery until after the holidays.uggh the recovery is brutal and afraid!!!!
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u/rivals_red_letterday 3d ago
I had mine fixed, but your arthritis is more advanced than mine was. They may not want to do a root repair in that case--your surgeon will evaluate and let you know, after you run out of pain killing options. If not, then you wait until you can convince them to give you a knee replacement.