Under The Knife... Again!

Yep, I'm headed back into surgery. I had a check up with my doctor on Monday and he wasn't happy about the clicking in my knee. Or the fact that my quad is slowly turning back into mush.
Late last week, I had tried jogging again (only made it 5 minutes!) and then did my usual strength routine. Later that evening I was stretching my leg out on the couch and I heard a "pop". No pain, I must have just broken through some scar tissue. In fact, I think my knee gained a little extension after that.

I didn't lift again for a couple days and was back in the gym on Saturday. It was there that I noticed my knee swelling a little more and I couldn't push nearly as hard on the leg press with my left compared to my right. The two used to be nearly equal.

All this I brought up to my doc and it took literally 2 minutes for him to tell me that he wants to do surgery (Again!). Actually part of me was relieved to hear this because I've felt like I've plateaued in my recovery. I'm not happy at all with the state of my knee the way it is. It feels like something is pinching inside there when I bend it. I think that this is the reason why it has been so painful getting back this last bit of motion.

So what is it? Most likely, a piece of free-floating scar tissue or a cyclops lesions. I've heard that cyclops lesions often form if you don't get back your extension right away and scar tissue forms between the two condyles of the femur. With full extension, the ACL sits in that space preventing them from occuring. Apparently, it occurs in about 10-15% of cases. Sometimes being problematic (as in my case).

So what is the cure? Physical therapy is one option although I am so far along that it is unlikely to help. Something is irritating my knee that has to come out. Surgery (or a arthroscopic resection) is the other that I know of.

Granted, we still don't know for sure what is going on with my knee. It could be a number of things but scar tissue is the most likely culprit. Tomorrow I go in for an MRI (have to remember not to request rock music since they want me to sit still) and next week, my doctor will see me and we'll follow through with surgery if this does not magically resolve by then.

I also have a script for physical therapy which I plan on starting the day after surgery.