The meniscus is the layer of cartilage that sits between the bones in your knee joint. It acts as a shock absorber so that your bones don't crunch together when you move --- particularly during heavy-impact activities such as running and jumping. Once injured, your meniscus is slow to heal due to the lack of blood supply to this area, says Patient UK. For this reason, high-impact activities like running should be avoided until you have fully recovered.
Meniscus Injury
The most common meniscus injury is a tear. This can occur if you suddenly and forcefully twist your knee while bearing weight on that leg, or through gradual wear and tear, says Patient UK. If you experience only a minor tear, or your injury is caused by degeneration, you may not experience any symptoms. However, in more severe cases, a meniscus tear causes pain that worsens when you straighten your leg, swelling in the first couple of days after the injury and a clicking noise or sticking sensation when you walk.
Treatment
According to Patient UK, minor meniscus tears often don't require any treatment beyond the initial application of the RICE method --- that is, rest, ice, compression and elevation. If your symptoms are very mild and intermittent, you may find the injury will heal itself within six weeks. If this is the case, your physiotherapist will probably recommend exercises to strengthen the muscles around your knee to ensure it is supported. In more serious cases, surgery is needed to stitch the torn meniscus back together. London Knee Clinic says this treatment is about 90 percent effective. But because the sutures are extremely delicate and the pressure on your knee is so great, it recommends a slow return to normal activity, waiting up to three months before performing intense activities like running.
Rehabilitation
London Knee Clinic recommends keeping your knee in a hinged brace, locked at about 60 degrees, for the first six weeks after surgery for a serious meniscus tear. It also advises using crutches to ensure weight bearing on the injured leg is kept to a maximum of about 25 per-cent. After six weeks, you can dispense with the brace and crutches, and start rehabilitation to first restore range of motion, then muscle strength and, finally, balance and stability.
Running Precautions
During the first 12 weeks of recovery, London Knee Clinic advises against performing any exercises that place significant pressure on the knee. This includes running, but also deep squats, skipping and jumping. One of the reasons for this careful return to intense activities is that it is difficult to gauge recovery from meniscus surgery. The best way is to gently test how the knee copes under ever-increasing pressure. Going too hard, too soon can result in the stitches failing, and re-suturing is often not possible. If, after three months, you can perform strengthening and mobility exercises without any symptoms recurring, you can start light jogging --- gradually increasing the duration and intensity as you confirm your knee's recovery status.
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