Knee injuries

Ive been off my bike now for 3 weeks now due to a knee injury. It has turned out to be cartilige damage on my kneecap. It's way too painfull to ride my bike at all at the minute and it's driving me mad not training. Has anyone had a similar experience? It just doesn't seem to be getting better

Haaving the same trouble myself , i have what i can only discribe as a round burning sensation in my left knee from a fall at halloween "not drink related" and it just does'nt want to go away. Would'nt mind but normaly this time of the year its my right knee thats giving me jip as its with my thigh is held together with 26 screws and a plate and the cold / damp play's havoc with it. Ibruprofen is the only thing that does for me to relieve pain and swelling.

Knee cartilage is one of the slowest healing injuries you can get. There is virtually zero blood flow there, and it's possible that the injury would never fully recover.

That might sound a bit doom and gloom, but it is what I was told recently. I had a stage 2 tear of my medial ligament from football, and a stage 3 (cartilage damage) would have meant surgery if I wanted to play again.

It took 8 weeks of intensive phyio and real effort on my part to get the strength back in my knee to even begin football training. I'm back playing now but still get the odd twinge 5 months later. I was told it would be a full year before it was 100% back to before the injury.

Who diagnosed you and what treatment did they recommend?

I missed all last season after having key hole surgery to remove some cartilage.My knee had swelled up to maybe 5x its normal size,after 6 weeks of seeing the GP and getting nowhere I insisted on seeing a specialist(it probably helps that my girlfriend works on the local orthapedic ward)anyway he recommended surgery and its now fine, infact I had the op early march and was back on the turbo by the end of march.
Could probably have raced but the doc recommended not to cos of the extra abuse racing brings,still it got me back into mtb's again and my knee can even take riding a singlespeed

Had a similar problem. After weeks of treatment. I put on thermal knee support from boots. Worked a treat. Within 5 mins of cycling pain gone. Never had the problems return either. Haven't used the support for years either.

Thanks for that mate. I talked to my coach again today and Im gonna get a scan done to see what the damage is. It's reassuring to hear your op went smoothly. I'd hate to miss this year after missing last year to a virus!

Did you have the op done privatly or on the NHS?

About 11 years ago I had the same swollen knee problems and like you the specialist diagnosed a torn cartilage and I had keyhole- arthroscopy. I have never had any trouble since, the operation was on a day Pat. basis and within about 2-3 months I was cycling again.

Key is to get it seen/diagnosed by a specialist- I worked in a hospital so was able to pull a few strings.

Good luck mate.

I had mine done on the NHS,I only had to wait 5 months for it and it was over winter so I wasn't too bothered plus after 6 weeks of rest and anti-inflamitorys I did some training anyway,just long steady winter miles.Ensure you keep your knees well wrapped up though,the surgeon warned me that with the mileage I do and for how long I've done it for there was a good chance the knee would be shot,but after the op he told me it was in very good condition,in winter I always keep my knees covered and always use embrocation in early season events,the knee has no protection,ie fat,to keep it warm yet some nutters still only wear shorts in winter,apart from when racing it has to be over 20 degrees for me to be in shorts!