Working in sports medicine, I see patients every day who want to return to playing sports or exercising. In fact, that desire is often why we perform surgery to treat some injuries. In this Ask Dr. Geier video, I discuss whether a common injury is one where the patient would be better off not returning to his preferred form of exercise. Should a jogger run after meniscus surgery?

John asks:
Hi Dr Geier, I’m a 42-year-old male. I’ve just had part of my medial meniscus removed. I was a very active marathon runner (30-40 miles per week). Would you advise stopping running all together, or would it be acceptable to lower my weekly mileage and just run 5k and 10k races?

The meniscus is a shock absorber in the knee. An active person with a meniscus tear often needs surgery to return to what he or she wants to do. We do know that trimming out the torn portion of the meniscus can lead to degenerative changes in the knee years after the surgery.

In this video, I discuss whether a meniscus tear should lead a patient to give up running or other impact sports and exercise. Is it a bad idea to run after meniscus surgery?

Partial meniscectomy, one type of meniscus surgery
The inner part of meniscus that was torn has been removed.

Also read:
Ask Dr. Geier – Should you wear a knee brace after meniscus surgery?
Ask Dr. Geier: Exercises after arthroscopic knee surgery

Recommended Products and Resources
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