I've had acl reconstructive and arthroscopic surgery on the same knee. You therapy is important as stated. The worst is trying to bend your knee until it feels that it will POP....but trust the doctor. Try to get one of those muscle stimulators to put on your quad to strengthen the muscle when you're not using. Do NOT put it on your junk...trust me.
If you get to my level down the road, you will be able to predict cold weather and rainstorms by aching patterns in your knee. But you must make it through the rehab first.
So far, I'm realizing the importance of physical therapy. My therapist has given me a list of exercises to do with my leg twice a day. I'm doing them like 7 times a day. So far, I'm 1½ weeks out of surgery, and I'm already at my week 4 results in PT. Other than my 1st session, they really aren't hurting me with anything in PT. At this point, I'm in less pain than I was before the surgery. Partial credit goes to already having strong legs. My legs are like a RB's legs, and have always been very strong. Apparently that helps make up some difference when it comes to knees.
I never would have thought this, but according to my therapist, recovery from a re-attached meniscus is harder than recovering from an ACL tear. Of course, the surgery for an ACL tear is much more complicated due to location. With a re-attachment, you have to be so careful not to shear it back off the bone.
Apparently for my re-attachment, they used 4 sutures and 4 bio absorbable screws. These are screws that they screw into your bone to help hold the meniscus in place while it re-attaches. I have never heard of these in my life. It's amazing the technology we have in medicine nowadays. Lesson learned, though. I'm going to take care of my knees from now on. I will definitely make a more conscious effort to not come down hard on, and twist my legs when coming out of fire trucks in the future.
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