Community Chat

[RainCityWoman]

I have friends who have had synvisc injections with not much relief, but I haven't heard of this new one. I tore a meniscus, and at the time had PT and cortisone shots. The first one was instant relief and lasted a few months. However with any later ones, the effects diminished. I did not have surgery. I am now bone on bone and nothing much helps but my orthopod told me that my arthritis caused most of the buildup of calcium on my knee and that fixing the meniscus would not have stopped the eventual bone on bone condition. I now use pain patches, Tylenol, heat, ice and Tommy Copper knee sleeve. I chose NOT to have surgery for various reasons. I had a friend who tore her meniscus, and she opted for stem cell replacement, which she said worked as she grew a new meniscus. Howevver, that is not covered by insurance, and she had to pay $7,000 out of pocket for it. Kind of strange that insurance would rather pay for a very expensive knee replacement surgery instead.

[Shelbelle]

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@RainCityWoman wrote:

I have friends who have had synvisc injections with not much relief, but I haven't heard of this new one. I tore a meniscus, and at the time had PT and cortisone shots. The first one was instant relief and lasted a few months. However with any later ones, the effects diminished. I did not have surgery. I am now bone on bone and nothing much helps but my orthopod told me that my arthritis caused most of the buildup of calcium on my knee and that fixing the meniscus would not have stopped the eventual bone on bone condition. I now use pain patches, Tylenol, heat, ice and Tommy Copper knee sleeve. I chose NOT to have surgery for various reasons. I had a friend who tore her meniscus, and she opted for stem cell replacement, which she said worked as she grew a new meniscus. Howevver, that is not covered by insurance, and she had to pay $7,000 out of pocket for it. Kind of strange that insurance would rather pay for a very expensive knee replacement surgery instead.

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I can understand why someone would skip a replacement surgery, but not a very simple surgery like meniscus that insurance pays for. One of my docs advised me against the stem cell which only very specific docs do, closest one to me was an hour away, still very experimental. 

[Shelbelle]

I had a cort shot prior to the meniscus surgery, it did nothing

[RainCityWoman]

Stem Cell replacement worked for my friend. I was not a candidate since I have no meniscus. I didn't have the meniscus surgery and had PT instead, which worked for quite a few years. However, I have lots of arthritis, and eventually the calcium built up on my knee until it was bone on bone. My orthopod told me that would have happened whether I had the meniscus surgery or not. So I am living with bone on bone pain and use tylenol, braces, topical ointments, and Salanpas patches.

[Shelbelle]

Since my meniscus surgery I still live with arthritis, but trying my hardest to keep it from becoming bone on bone, my doc says at this point I am not a candidate for replacement, I take no meds for pain, not even OTC, just get the gel shots, take supps and try to keep weight down and exercise.