Ever have a knee scoped??

[Duck on Wheels]

Not sure if it is relevant, but I have had my knee scoped without any actual surgery happening in the process. They just wanted to go in an look. I had an epidural, rather than general anasthetic and could watch on the tv-screen while the doctor showed me the inside of my knee. I thought it was pretty cool! but then I am a biologists.....Basically, they were going in with the scope to diagnose the problem. Turns out I had torn my acl. I was out of the hospital the following day, and off the crutches in a few days. I did get some PT to get mobility back in my knee and rebuild the muscles in that leg. And I was back doing figure skating just a month or two later. I never did get around to getting the reconstructive surgery and I've not been too bothered with that knee, but then I'm not training for IM either so I don't know how much it would be affected.

Not only back on skates, but that was your landing leg (think speed + impact + torque) and a month after getting back on skates you landed an axel and a double salkow in competition and won your category -- only time you ever landed both of those in the same session. That was, what 12 years ago? In TE context, you could mention that you completed the ALC6 last summer, every last mile of it and lots of training in advance, though not at competition speed. But it does show that one can ride a bike without an acl in one knee, long as you've taken the time and effort to build up the surrounding muscles.

[JmcG]

I had my knee scoped a few years ago. The surgery went really well, and I started on PT right away - going twice a week for the first month or so. One of the first things the therapist had me do was to get on the stationary bike, pedaling backwards at first until I had the strength to push forwards.

I had a setback, though not in my knee, but in my quad muscle. It "fell asleep" and we had to use electric stimulant on it to remind it that it needed to wake up (which was much much more painful than the surgery ever could have been!). In that time, because my muscle wasn't working, I developed tendonitis right below my kneecap b/c the kneecap was rubbing that tendon b/c my quad wasn't pulling it up. So therefore, I was in PT much longer than I should have been! But, I was back running by December, even with the quad issues, and did a half IM that next May.

So my advice would be to get the surgery done soon! And, find a PT that understands where he wants to be by January - one that works with athletes and can get him to that point. I think he can do it, especially if he's done an IM before (has he?) - or at least has a good training base before the surgery.

Good luck to him!

[sundial]

I belong to the Gimpy Knee Club and had my knee scoped 5 times. I had surgery on Tuesday and by Wednesday I was in PT. My scopes are primarily for "spring cleaning" to trim flaps, scrape arthritis, and smooth the bone spurs. I was on a bike the first week of the surgery. Depending on the outcome of the scope, your hubby could be back in the saddle sooner than later.