[Fiend]

I found the question "Will my knee cope with this fall / awkward movement??" was not a question I was willing to ask because if the answer is wrong then it could be a disasterous set-back. Thus erring very much on the side of caution (unlike, say, a conventional tendon injury, which you can test with incremental loading and see when it hurts, the idea of testing support and stress on a ligament during dynamic movement / falling seems considerably riskier).

Which I did start doing was introducing stability-testing and dynamic movements in a very controlled way in the gym: Very light running on a machine (initially holding the rails), bulgarian squats, careful normal weight squats, box jumps, etc. At the same time I started with very small controlled jump offs indoors. You sound much further ahead on that (dropping at head height) so maybe try to find a controlled way to do the next level. Maybe some sideways (inwards for MCL) kicks against a theraband tied to something?? Some wobble boarding?? Walking over increasingly rough ground??

[tommytwotone]

Thought I'd pop up here and, as part of "bad knee club" post my own update.

Finally got to a knee specialist yesterday.

Cause:

Controlled drop off V0 after downclimbing (to be safe!), awkward landing landing straight-legged and probably "corkscrew" style twist of left leg, all while wearing Dragons for first time in ages as the problem I'd done had a crux where I needed to dial in on a small hold.

Next Steps:

• Got home, went to bed, next day had to be helped out of bed and dressed by my better half
• A+E X-Ray, not broken, sent on my way
• Physio referral, got told soft tissue, do you exercises and it'll get better
• Improvement over next 3-4 weeks
• One night while watching TV, bent my leg to move heel towards me and something "went", and back to not being able to move
• Booked knee specialist appointment
• Improvement over next 2 weeks
• Sat at desk with leg underneath me, moved my foot back, something "went", back to terrible pain and can't straighten it
• Worked out a weird leg / foot twist where I could "pop" it back in / out and then it'd be fine

Exercise-wise, have got so bored that I've been deadhanging, and the other day decided to potter up a few V0s to see how it went. Generally fine but found that certain rockovers or weird "corkscrew" positions of the left leg just weren't feasible.

Where we are now:

Specialist reckons meniscus tear - don't want to dredge up an old thread but there's a good one if you use the search which rings a lot of bells.

He wasn't happy when I told him I'd been climbing on it!

Awaiting call on an MRI scan, which I assume will give a more detailed idea of if it's that, and how bad it is, and then what has to happen next.

[Andy W]

Thought I'd pop up here and, as part of "bad knee club" post my own update.

Finally got to a knee specialist yesterday.

Cause:

Controlled drop off V0 after downclimbing (to be safe!), awkward landing landing straight-legged and probably "corkscrew" style twist of left leg, all while wearing Dragons for first time in ages as the problem I'd done had a crux where I needed to dial in on a small hold.

Next Steps:

• Got home, went to bed, next day had to be helped out of bed and dressed by my better half
• A+E X-Ray, not broken, sent on my way
• Physio referral, got told soft tissue, do you exercises and it'll get better
• Improvement over next 3-4 weeks
• One night while watching TV, bent my leg to move heel towards me and something "went", and back to not being able to move
• Booked knee specialist appointment
• Improvement over next 2 weeks
• Sat at desk with leg underneath me, moved my foot back, something "went", back to terrible pain and can't straighten it
• Worked out a weird leg / foot twist where I could "pop" it back in / out and then it'd be fine

Exercise-wise, have got so bored that I've been deadhanging, and the other day decided to potter up a few V0s to see how it went. Generally fine but found that certain rockovers or weird "corkscrew" positions of the left leg just weren't feasible.

Where we are now:

Specialist reckons meniscus tear - don't want to dredge up an old thread but there's a good one if you use the search which rings a lot of bells.

He wasn't happy when I told him I'd been climbing on it!

Awaiting call on an MRI scan, which I assume will give a more detailed idea of if it's that, and how bad it is, and then what has to happen next.

Oh dear! goof luck with treatment. that sounds like my experience, sitting on a chair pulling up my knee, caused a reoccurrence of sever pain, after earlier injuries. Scan revealed torn meniscus. Tried non surgical stuff, still climbed albeit nervously, snowboarded a bit until I twisted it again, more immense pain. Back to the surgeon who operated and took out 3/4 of my meniscus. That was in March and its ok now, trusting it more and climbing fine. Although it does make strange rice crispy type noises when I bend it. I can look forward to a new knee now when I get osteoarthritis 

[Wellsy]

Meniscus tear sounds grim my friend. I'm sorry to hear that, and I hope it heels up soon and doesn't need anything too invasive. It is a massive shitter though.

[tommytwotone]

Cheers both.

Maybe I'm being optimistic, but the fact I can do day-to-day stuff now without that much discomfort (i.e. up and down stairs, and can kind of bend / kneel down if I really, really have to), I'm kind of hoping that means it isn't too severe - as in if it was a serious tear I'd still be hobbling about being helped to get dressed.

The "sticking" / "going" - not really sure how to describe it - is annoying and painful, but thankfully only randomly happens, and I at least know the trick to "click it back".

Just been to local gym for first time - at least now I have a legitimate reason to skip leg day and just work on my beach muscles all the time!

[Andy W]

If its any consolation, I lived with the clicking in and out bit for quite a few years, I didn't realise it was a meniscus problem though. Only when it got really bad and I experienced the 'sitting and pulling knee back' pain did I get it diagnosed, from then till surgery wasn't long at all.

[SA Chris]

My knee has snapped and cracked since my teens (seems running and stomping in army boots isn't good for you). I avoided doing any running until I was in my late 40s, for fear of making it worse, but it hasn't made any difference (yet....).