Can I go back to BJJ after meniscus removal surgery

I wanted to know if any your guys have had their meniscus removed, and were able to come back to bjj at 100%? I just had mine removed on friday and I'm currently working on the rehab process, however if would be useful to hear some information from people who have experienced this first hand. Thanks guys.

Replies

1. You should be ready to go in like a month...
2. I've had 2 ACL replacements, and a double bucket handle tear of my meniscus... I am still competing at a National level in Judo, and doing BJJ/Sub Grappling tournies for fun. I tweak them once and a while, but if you've been in the sport for a while you should be used to it by now ;)
3. I had 2 meniscal tears at different times - one on each knee. I had arthroscopic surgery to remove the torn part of the meniscus. I got back fully into BJJ within 5 weeks after the last surgery and I'm over 40 years old. You should be back in action pretty quickly. GOod luck. Just get back into walking, jogging, weight trainign etc. slowly and don't overdo it.
4. Recovery after surgery to repair a meniscus takes several weeks longer and post-operative activity is slightly more restricted than when the meniscus is removed. Nevertheless, putting weight on the joint actually fosters recovery. Regardless of the form of surgery, rehabilitation usually includes walking, bending the legs, and doing exercises that stretch and build up the leg muscles. The best results of treatment for meniscal injury are obtained in people who do not show articular cartilage changes and who have an intact anterior cruciate ligament. From answers.com
5. I am a Physical Theraphy Student right now, kind of ironic because i spend half my time learning how to tear peoples joints apart and the other half putting them back together, but if you have an agressive physical therapy program, are in good health overall, you should have no problem making a full recovery. They will probably work on things with you in therapy such as quad strengthening, hamstring lengthening, hip flexibility etc. You should avoid high impact training right away, but if your doctor and therapist agree that you are ready to return to full activity then just listen to your body. If your knee is sore after a wrestling session or whatever, then take some time off of hte high impact knee excercises such as deep knee flexion or pounding on a mat (from a wrestling shot for example) In any case I wish you a speedy recovery and hope you make a full return to the mat ASAP! good luck
6. thanks for the information everyone. I had a protion of my meniscus removed 2 weeks ago and am doing my rehab exercises as prescribed and not rushing back to the academy. I miss it a lot, but since I am 50 now, I want to be able to come back and enjoy this great sport for many more years to come. I hear athletes say "I'm a fast healer" all the time. I want to be "completely healed". Your words of advice are encouraging. I had wanted to make a trip to the Pan Am's before I get TOO old, I don't know if it is in the cards this year, maybe next year......
7. when i tore my miniscus they had me do physical therapy firts to see if it would heal on its own. of course they already did the MRI to determine it was torn. if you go to the doc they will x-ray it then try to set up an MRI to see how bad it is. they will either try to repair it or take it out completely i think it depends on your age. if your old it wont heal properly so they just remove it. when they remove it your chances for arthritis there are really high. if your young they will try to repair it.
8. I had a partial menisectomy on my right knee and a repair on my left. The right knee feels 100%. It's been 15 months or so since the left knee surgery, and while I feel some occasional discomfort it's 99% functional. I still can't sit in seiza, though. I begin to feel a lot of uncomfortable pressure when I get to the last 5 degrees or so of joint flexion. It does continue to improve (slowly) over time and I expect that within another year or so I will regain the complete range of motion under load. (I had a massive bucket-handled lateral meniscus tear that was repaired with permanent plastic anchors in the cartilage, so your experience may be different.)