Microfracture: 21 Week Update

This week marks the 21st week since my surgery. In real months, it is about 4 1/2 months. That is a long time, but I still have a decent road to recovery in front of me.

I feel like I am back on track again. For a while, I felt like I was just having setbacks and pain. I stopped using weights for a while because tendinitis was flaring up and had to do a lot of nothing for a while.

Now, I am doing more again and I feel like I am making progress. I am on the bike a lot more, walking further for longer and I am staring to use weights more. When I push myself in rehab, I do feel sore and some pain, but it is not a sharp pain. All of that feels like good progress to me.

Up front, Dr. Behr told me that this procedure carries a 6-month average recovery.  I will be at 6 months in the end of January.  With all of the time and effort so far, I feel like I should be doing more.  In reality, I have come a long way and I am doing pretty well.  I am anxious to be even more active, but I am progressing.  It is all to easy to get ahead of myself.  So, I need to keep my goals in view and time in check.  It may take me 7 months to get to the point where I’ve got muscle back.  I am not 16 anymore, so it will take time.  I will say that I feel like I am now starting to actually build up some muscle.

It is a long path and I am on it.  I just need to stay on it so that I can get through the recovery.

With that, I think it is time to take it easy for the holidays.

Merry Christmas everyone!

  6 comments for “Microfracture: 21 Week Update

  1. I second the elliptical machine. I just got a gym membership (first in my life) and tried the machine.
    Aside from being boring, it seems to be very good for rehab.
    Isn’t it funny how yard/house work seems to really work your knees?

  2. Up to 10 miles/week running now, with some elliptical and started on the crossrobics machine yesterday ( it’s kind of an aerobic weight workout ). In general it still hurts to pound but seems to get better later into the runs with not much pain after. Did a 2 1/4 mile run yesterday at 7.0mph and it’s a little throbby today and a bit swollen, but not too bad. I’ve ceased the weight workouts as the popping was just too nerve racking.

    Other then running not much else seems to bother it. Did 4 hours of hard yard work New Years day with no problems.

    So the plan is to continue and decide at month 6 whether to purse the OATS procedure or not. The insideous thing about this surgery is you just don’t know what’s going on in there and the fact it can fail at any time.

    Good to see everyone else making progress. Steve is correct – this is a long road we’re on and unfortunately that road cuts right across Kansas – not some beautiful scenic road in the Rockies. Stay on it everyone.

    Jim

  3. Hi all. Just a little feedback that I am getting from my PT. He said the most common “mistake” / incident he sees– with this surgery/ recovery is that people push themselves too much at the beginning. Flare-ups are the result. I think everyone that has written has experienced this. Although this isn’t going to damage my knee further.. it will slow down the heal time. He told me (two sessions ago) that it could easily be a year before I am back in my normal activities (tennis/ skiing)…. but my #1 goal is to just walk. (and I mean… walk without a hobble, limp, cane, etc). I am now using one crutch with an occasional cane… but not ready for full cane yet (which only helps with balance…. .not any weight bearing features). I am sure all of you know this… but just sharing what I am learning. I use the knee more… i get pain. I scale back a bit, use ice, and after a day… I go at it again.
    I did get on the treadmill for the first time at PT this week. I am almost at 15 weeks Post surgery.
    Anyways… mojo to all… and thanks for the support, etc. I feel stronger every day.. and reading (from Jim) that pain is just something we push thru gives me encouragement. anwyays. Happy New Year.
    Julie

  4. Hi All,

    Happy New Year!

    Well, last week was 6 weeeks since the microfracture and my physio told me to dump the crutches and made me walk without them. Seemed a bit drastic and soon but she’s the boss. It was quite scary as I thought it would hurt. It didn’t really though, just felt a bit weird and the bottom of my foot felt odd! She wanted to take the crutches off me but I told her I wanted to keep them to walk outside with – but I haven’t bothered with them! It’s so good to be able to carry a cup of tea without spilling it whilst hopping along!

    The next day my leg felt like I’d run a marathon – I could hardly get out of bed!! Tight muscles were killing me! OK once I got going though – but the knee feels a bit stiff initially in the mornings. I’m still taking glucosamine and cod liver oil tablets and trying to sit with an ice pack on my knee for a while every evening. I’ve got more exercises to do – just got to try to fit them in now.

    Some good news on the clicking front – it doesn’t seem to do it quite as much as it did – when it does though it’s a bit unnerving.

    Jim, how’s your clicking going?

    Pleased to hear that everyone seems to be progressing. Looking forward to reading the updates. Keep ’em coming!!

    Lisa.

  5. Good to see you’re doing well Steve. i’m now 16 weeks post surgery and am starting to become alot more active. Total of 7 miles running last week – slow ( 9 – 10 minutes/mile ) with walking breaks but it’s progress. i’m subscribing to the philosophy that a little pain is ok and even necesary to get the muscles going again. Most of my pain, i think, is muscular and tendon-related. Also started some very light weight workouts. On the whole – even though the running is not completely comfortable, it doesn’t get worse and actually gets better towards the end. No swelling or pain after. Do you think perhaps a little more activity might actually be beneficial. My PT thinks so. Good luck to everyone recovering out there – keep moving forward.

    Jim

  6. Thanks for your update. I have been looking for someone to compare my recovery with. I had a microfracture surgery almost 6 months ago with several set backs because of overdoing my workouts. I feel like I am about half way recovered and need to embrace the less is more motto. I still get swelling after workouts, and I cannot walk down the stairs yet, but I feel a little more hopeful after reading about your experience. I thought maybe I was way abnormal in my recovery, but is seems that this surgery takes forever to recover from. Thanks again, Brien

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