I smashed my kneecap into rocks in a bad fall about three months ago --I fell into a ravine while mt biking and most of the impact went to my knee and lower leg. MRI shows cartilage damage ("patellofemoral syndrome" is my Dx), but no damage to major ligaments, tendons, meniscus.

After about 2 months of PT and a cortisone shot, I still suffer significant pain and swelling, even with very restricted physical activity. Worst of all, I am still off my bike. I'm going nuts with the reduced activity, even though I've added swimming to get some cardio. I really, really, really miss the riding.

Since I've kind of plateaued in my recovery, my orthopedist suggests exploratory arthroscopy to "clean things up" (eg, remove any debris, smooth cartilage if necessary) and look for any damage not visible on the MRI.

Anyone have any experience with this type of procedure? How long did it take to recover and how impaired were you after the surgery (crutches?). I'm thinking hard about having the procedure, and would love to hear any anecdotes/info/advice.