21 Jul 2010 - Microfracture

On May29th,while playing tennis, I felt a pull in the back of my left knee.  Felt like a muscle pull.  I continued to play but had to stretch it out.  That weekend I did a 9 mile hike and my left leg gave me some issue while coming back down the trail.  I played tennis again the next Monday and Thursday but  found it difficult and had to really stretch to be able to play.  I did another 7 mile hike and my leg was sore.   I stopped playing tennis for a couple weeks.  Went to the Dr. when my left knee was double the size of my right.  After an xray, I had a steroid injection in my knee cap.  I started  playing tennis again but after a few times my left leg continued to hurt.

On Jul 20th, I had an MRI.  What I thought was a muscle issue was now a torn cartilage.  On Jul 21, I had "microfracture" surgery and will be in a "peg leg" position for 6 weeks.  Then another 6 weeks of PT.  Then ski season.

Discription of: Microfracture is a surgical procedure aimed at cartilage regeneration. The arthroscopic technique involves clearing damaged tissue from the knee joint and creating tiny holes ("microfractures") in the bone area where the cartilage is defective. The underlying bone marrow seeps out through the holes and becomes part of a blood clot that forms over the area. The marrow contains stem cells, which have the ability to form replacement cartilage between the bare-bone surfaces of the knee. Appropriate rehabilitation of the knee after surgery is critical to the success of the operation. Continuous Passive Motion (CPM), where the knee is moved gently by a machine for 5-8 hours a day for several weeks, keeping weight off of the joint for a period of 6-8 weeks, and strict adherence to an aggressive physical therapy program following surgery all appear to enhance the success of the procedure.