Post-operative meniscus rehabilitation considerations

  Recently, I found some questions when I was communicating with some patients, so I organized the conversation with them, and I hope it will be helpful to other patients as well.  Patient: Doctor (I have three stitches in the medial posterior horn of my meniscus) I am now eleven weeks old, according to the rehabilitation plan you gave me one hundred and twenty degrees in March, but the professor said last time that I should reach one hundred and thirty-five degrees, and I have three stitches in my medial plate this month. I’m worried that the professor will say I don’t have enough degrees to help me bend! Now it has been three months since the surgery, you can get to 135, but not first to squat deep.  Patient: Doctor, you told me last time that a three month MRI review would show how well the meniscus was healing. This time the MRI was done, the professor just said it looks good at the moment, asked when it will grow well, the professor answered a little vague, said everyone’s situation is different, I remember in other people’s website when he answered the question said that three months to be able to heal, seven months to grow stable, you think how we can grow well then about when to grow well ah?  Doctor: Thank you for your message, I haven’t seen your message because I haven’t been on the internet for the past few days. I thought of a very important concept, or a realization, that is, the purpose of meniscal suture is to make the meniscus have a more complete structure, so as to reduce the stress on the cartilage surface and thus avoid some damage. However, if the meniscus is in a good position after repair and there is no strangulation when moving, there is no problem even if it is not completely healed, the so-called three months to heal and seven months to grow stable is theoretical.  Longitudinal fractures with injuries in the red zone should preferably be sutured in the acute phase. Therefore, the significance of the MRI is to see the position of the meniscus and other conditions in the joint. It is difficult to judge whether the meniscus is completely healed, because even if it is completely healed, there will be some hyperplastic tissue, which will affect the judgment.  Patient: Thank you, I understand a lot after reading your answer. I have a question to ask you, I am three months old now, can I sleep without wearing a stent? (I often sleep without a brace after one and a half months.) Another thing is that I have to do more things now, so I usually walk around a little more.  Doctor: You can stop wearing a brace at three months. It is difficult to quantify how much you walk every day, but it is mainly your own feeling.  Patient: I have started squatting, now I have two questions 1, when squatting the operated leg subconsciously dare not use any force, so more force are on the good leg; 2, when squatting can not fully grasp the accuracy, such as the same width as the shoulder, we can only do about the same width, and slowly squatting when feeling the operated leg a little more slowly, this will not have any effect, right?  Doctor: When tying the horse stance, try to carry the same weight on both lower limbs, so as to play a role, otherwise the normal side will also be painful, as for the said equal width with the two shoulders is also about, will not have too much impact Patient: Doctor, I have been operated for three and a half months, feel the degree of bending to the back is very difficult to advance, this is normal, right? Is it okay to walk up and down the slope now? There is also some stumbling when walking is not related, right?  Doctor: I don’t know what angle you are referring to when you say it’s difficult to go to the back. Generally speaking, it’s okay to be around 135 degrees within a year, and you can go up and down stairs more than 3 months after the surgery, but you should try to do it as little as possible.