I had it in 2005 during training for the Disney Marathon. I had the tear for many years and during a bad decision on a treadmill, I heard a megapop and my knee "heated" and had mild swelling. That was in August or September.
I had the MRI in late sept I think and then went to the surgeo on a Monday and had the surgery on a Wednesday in October. (my dates for the above may be off, but the surgery is correct).
Surgery was 10/26, first PT was that Monday.
I gotta say--it didn't seem like I would ever make it to the marathon...which ID didn't. But I did do the half marathon at the beginnign of January.
When the dressing was removed 24 hours after the surgery, my leg was a blob of jello. I couldn't get a single muscle fiber to twitch. The next day, my leg was stiff and got stuck in a crooked position and I was afraid to do anything.
So my first PT day--on Monday--they spent the time straightening my leg.
Then I Did the bike and could not do a full revolation. It was insane. so I teeterd forward and inch and then backward.
But as I got my range of motion back it all got easier.
My only setback in recovery was when I FORGOT about the knee and then went down on the knee to kneel next to my daughter in December.
That hurt. I had just began to jog and we tabled the jogging for a week so my knee could get over that trauma.
In the end, the PT felt he could only greenlight me for a 13.1 mile event. I ran-walked it and did finish on-time despite the fact that less than 3 months earlier, I coudln't put weight on the leg post surgery.
Oh--and when I woke up from surgery--I could feel the instant relief of that stabbing pain that I had for roughly about 15-18 years. And on more popping. (well during recovery it pops a little, but I don't get the painful pops of the past anymore.)
As for shave or repair, it depends on where in the mensicus the injury is. IF there are blood vessels, they can repair it. If there are not, they have to shave it. Mine was shaved as it was in an area with no blood vessels.
If they REPAIR it--the initial recovery time is longer as you stay bandaged for a week or two as opposed to just 24 hours with a shave.
*IF his insurance covers it--I highly recommend this thing that looks like an ice chest with a bunch of tubes that attaches to a bladder that can be wrapped around the knee for a continuous flow of ice cold soothing. Much better than having to freeze and refreeze ice packs.
*Do the PT, it can only help. I have no idea why my leg got so weak. But the PT said that my leg just didnt' like the trauma of the surgery.
*For some folks, the stronger the leg is prior to surgery--especially in the quadriceps, the easier the recovery time. I have heard of people actually doing strength training prior to the surgery. I was running, but not doing strength training. Still I was surprised at the complete disappearance of strenght in my leg.
*Some folks don't need all the PT. But since I Was training for the marathon, they were trying to get me back to wear I was.
*I would redo the surgery again if I had to--I felt it was completely worth it.
*The MRI is not a complete diagnosis, doc won't know fully what he is dealing with until he goes in.
*My tear was a complex tear--so instead of a single line, the line split--so my tear would look like a squiggly "Y".
I feel great today--no issues and 4 years later, not a hint of that stabbing pain or popping that I had for all those years.
Prior to that, I thought it was odd to have old lady knee since middle school. Now I don't feel like an old lady when it comes to my knee.
Wouldn't have it any other way. Oh sure, I'm sure I'll complain about the weather every now and then with winter coming but then I just need to remind myself of all the other awesome times of the year.
