I had arthroscopic surgery on my left knee for two meniscus tears. I also had bone bruising-- and the operative report says something about a femur chondyle fracture.
I was doing good in rehab until I started joggin on the treadmill. My knee bursa filled with fluid that night. I iced it, elevated it, and took aspirin. Two days later, it was OK again.
It has now been 9 weeks since my surgery. I went on vacation and did a lot of climbing up and down stairs. My knee filled with fluid yet again. I have rested it for two weeks, yet it still is achey and full of fluid.
I did call my doctor, but he said I "over-did it." He was totally unconcerned and didn't want to see me until my next appointment which is three weeks away.
Two questions.. is it normal to have this kind of swelling a full 9 weeks after arthroscopy?
And... will I ever be able to run again?
Loren...the bad news is that you had bone bruising and a femoral fracture. I worry about the bone bruising especially because the cartilage sometimes dies and flakes off the bone after a bone bruise. It is for this reason that we sometimes see post ACL knees that just don't seem to get better following surgery.
I think that you are probably suffering from the effects of the bone bruise, you have to be careful not to overload the articular cartilage for a long time...like a year or more...also, I suggest that you take a cartilage supplement like "Move Free" or "Cosamin DS". And, if this edema persists, another MRI would be in order to see if the cartilage has in fact sloughed off the bone.
As for swelling 9 weeks out, it is not common, but also not unexpected after excessive activity, but...if the activity is not excessive, and you still have this kind of edema development, then I would look into it further.
As for running again, if you allow the soft tissues to heal before you pound them, then you should be OK in the long run. BUT, keep in mind that although alive, cartilage is barely alive, and it needs time and gentle motion along with intermittent compression to help it recover (as in walking for example). So don't run for a while, and you will be able to! Run too soon, and you will be compromised.
Good Luck
