“Can you bend knee after meniscus repair?”
I am a 37 year old male. I want to know if I can bend knee after meniscus repair?
7 Answers
Yes, once cleared by Surgeon for PT/OT.
Dr. Shanti Balkissoon-Castillo
Podiatrist (Foot and Ankle Specialist) | Primary Podiatric Medicine
Albuquerque, NM
Yes depending on how LONG after it was. Talk to your physician.
First, I have to pose a question. Do you mean repair, where the meniscus is sewn back together (unusual procedure in a 37 year old) or where the meniscus is trimmed to an intact edge. In the case of the former, some limits on motion are common after the surgery, but some bending is always allowed. In the case of the latter, bending is encouraged.
I recommend you not bend your knee past 90 degrees for 6 weeks after the repair.
If you are asking about yourself, chances are you did not have a meniscal repair but had a meniscal debridement (clean up). Repairs are usually reserved for very young patients (younger than 20) because as you age the tissue looses it's blood supply and becomes irreparable. If you in fact had a debridement, yes you can bend your knee and it will not damage anything. If you had a repair, you should not bend your knee until your surgeon tells you that you can.
Yes you can bend your knee after a meniscus repair. Physical therapy regimens typically consist of working over several weeks to regain full range of motion
Eric Busse
Eric Busse
That depends on the type, location, and quality of repair. As well as your surgeon's preference. Given the biomechanics of a knee and the shear force on a posterior meniscus with knee flexion I typically limit flexion 0-90 for 4-6 week after a meniscus repair. After that I encourage ongoing PT to regain as much motion (hopefully full) after this protective phase. The ultimate goal is after that regain as much motion as possible and return to as many activities as possible with resolution of your pre operative pain and symptoms.
