Had A Knee Scope? Read This!

If you ever had your knee scoped to remove or repair a meniscus tear, you may not want to stop exercising your leg. In fact, there are certain muscles you need to keep strong in order to potentially limit future problems with your knee. Read more to find out what you need to keep doing....

Knee arthroscopy in the U.S. is one of the most commonly performed orthopedic surgeries. This is despite the fact that research has  shown that arthroscopy should not be the first line of treatment for degenerative meniscus tears in people over 45 years old. Many times this is done on an older adult with the idea that it is better than having a knee replacement and will prolong the time until one is needed-in effect, trying to "but some time." Unfortunately, there is a lot of research showing that having a knee scope can make a person more susceptible to progressive arthritis and degenerative changes down the road. So, is there a way to limit these negative consequences?

A recent study that was published looked at the association between thigh strength and osteoarthritic changes in the knee 15 years after having arthroscopy performed. What hey found was that thigh strength (or lack of) is correlated with more arthritic changes. In effect, if your thigh muscle is weak, you may be more likely to develop arthritis in your knee in the future. The authors concluded that strong thigh muscles can help preserve joint integrity in middle-aged subjects at risk of knee OA. 

So, if you had your knee scoped, it is imperative that you continue to strengthen your thigh-even after your formal rehab is completed. There are many ways to do this, but a knee extension machine (shown to the right) is probably the most direct way to strengthen the thigh and can be used in most fitness centers. 

Other ways to keep the thigh strong, if you do not have access to this machine, is to get heavy ankle weights and do knee straightening exercises from a seated position. Also, squats, lunges, step ups onto a step can also be used, but may not be as specific for strengthening the thigh muscle.

The key message here is that to minimize your risk of future, more serious knee problems, after a knee scope, you need to keep working to improve thigh strength. If you do not know where to start or how to do it at home or at the gym, please reach out to me, and I would be happy to assist you. 

Thanks for reading,
​Bob