The above video is a bit bland, maybe even worthy of some MSTK3 action, but it does a good job of explaining how the knee works and explaining the function of the meniscus, the cartilage that I tore. In my case, I had what is called a "bucket handle tear," which is where the inner portion of the meniscus tears and then folds over itself, locking the joint in place. When my orthopedic surgeon cut me open, he found that I had two additional tears on the outer rim of my meniscus that were also problematic. I likely damaged the meniscus through training and the continued wear and tear culminated in what I will forever remember as Laptop Day, the day a laptop forced me to tap out.
Here are some pictures that my doctor took during the surgery:
That sushi looking mass on the left is my ACL, and it's going strong. On the right, well, there's the problem. The cartilage is torn and folded over itself.
In this set of my photos, the surgeon has unfolded my meniscus and properly positioned the meniscus. As you can in the photo on the left, the edge of the cartilage is frayed. The photo on the right shows the cartilage after it has been shaved.
Pictured above is a bonus injury that no one expected. This is the tip of my femur, and the photo on the left shows that it's been chipped or damaged in someway. I blame Sit and Be Fit on PBS. Pictured on the right is my femur post-makeover.
And this last set of photos depicts yet another meniscus repair. I hope that everyone enjoyed this journey inside of my body (thank you for the very fast Facebook responses). Does this mean I should bring a camera when I make that special visit to the doctor when I turn 40?
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