Matthew said:
Wow, lots of pain, but damn it went quick. I went under completely and was supposed to have my Meniscus trimmed based on MRI results, however, when the doctor went in, he found that the torn pieces showing in the MRI were actual Plica and not Menisci, so, he removed the problematic pieces.
However, I'm a bit unsure in laymans terms what Plica is exatly. I'm on 500MG of Darvoset and my understanding of what I'm reading on Google is a bit unclear. I understand that the Plica is formed at birth etc etc, I just am not too clear on what could have caused it, how the recovery from that as opposed to Meniscus will change, etc, and because when I was at the hospital I was a bit too drugged up from anesthesia for the doctor to explain, I have to use the net or wait till my follow up to truly understand.
Anyone have this done or anything? It's a b**** cause its both of my knees not just one lol.
As has been mentioned by others a plica is a normal, vestigial (read: redundant, and unnecessary in adulthood) remnant of soft tissue left over within the joint compartment.
Think of your knee as a hinge joining 2 pieces of wood together. In order for the joint to stay lubricated it is bathed in fluid/oil called synovial fluid. So that the fluid doesn't leak all over the place the joint itself is surrounded by the joint capsule...something like a plastic bag.
At birth when the joint capsule is formed it doesn't look the way it does as an adult. It generally has more tissue and it is attached at more places than it is now. As an embryo develops in the womb, much of the extra tissue and extra connections are reabsorbed by the body. Sometimes some of the extra tissue gets left behind. The plica is a case in point.
The problem with the plica is that it happens to stretch across the joint capsule right at the spot where the femur and tibia (read: thigh bone and shin bone) come together. Depending on the size of the plica, some of the tissue can get pinched in the joint. Since the joint capsule has nerve endings that sense pain, when the tissue is pinched between the bones it hurts like a mo'fo'. A plica is a common cause of knee pain in young people. About 1 in 4 people has one, although not all of these people have problems. It is not preventable and is not brought on by any action of your own. It is just a roll of the genetic dice.
When we take it out it is like taking a pebble out of a shoe. When you step on the pebble it hurts, when you take it out you feel better. Same principle in general.
Soft tissues don't like to be cut, especially those rich in nerve endings. The plica is soft tissue. You can expect it to hurt for several days, but it should quickly become bearable. It will probably ache for about 6 weeks overall...the length of time it takes soft tissues to heal. Your knee will also swell with activity for about the same time, perhaps a bit longer. That is normal too.
I have had two meniscal repairs and a partial menisectomy on my left knee, and a partial menisectomy on my right knee. I can empathize about the pain. The first 2-3 nights are the worst. It gets better after that. Ice definitely helps, as does a tensor at night. However, you shouldn't need the pain killers for very long.
After my second meniscal repair, we were short-staffed at our hospital. I was not allowed to take off any time other than the day of my surgery. I had to be on-call the following day. Since I had to operate and see patients in emerg, I couldn't take any narcotics for pain. My leg was locked straight in a brace and I was hobbling around on crutches. I remember standing up at the operating table thinking that my knee was being stabbed by a flaming knife all day long.
It does get better, believe me. Of course, having both knees done at the same time sucks, but apart from the plica, you can walk comfortably with a meniscal trimming (partial menisectomy) the same day.
R
