u/Funny_Western_5132

Hi everyone,

I’ve been dealing with medial knee pain for months (which I thought was my meniscus) and after a MRI, I got these conclusions:

* Pronounced mucoid degeneration of the ACL, without rupture.
* Mild mucoid degeneration of the PCL.
* Insertional tendinopathy of the semimembranosus muscle.
* No meniscal tear or significant femorotibial/patellofemoral chondropathy.
* Limited joint effusion.

Has anyone dealt with this ACL mucoid degeneration? Is this a bad thing? I read online it’s rare (often in older people, but I’m ‘only’ 31) and that it’s irreversible. My main activities are (ultra) trail running & mountaineering. I’m afraid of the word “irreversible”… does this mean I’m always at a risk of a possible rupture?

Any advices or experiences are highly appreciated 🙏

Hi everyone,

I’ve been dealing with medial knee pain for months and after a MRI, I got these conclusions:

* Pronounced mucoid degeneration of the ACL, without rupture.
* Mild mucoid degeneration of the PCL.
* Insertional tendinopathy of the semimembranosus muscle.
* No meniscal tear or significant femorotibial/patellofemoral chondropathy.
* Limited joint effusion.

Has anyone dealt with this ACL mucoid degeneration? Is this a bad thing? I read online it’s rare (often in older people, but I’m ‘only’ 31) and that it’s irreversible. My main activities are (ultra) trail running & mountaineering. I’m afraid of the word “irreversible”… does this mean I’m always at a risk of a possible rupture?

Any advices or experiences are highly appreciated 🙏

Hi everyone,

I’ve been dealing with medial knee pain for months and after a MRI, I got these conclusions:

* Pronounced mucoid degeneration of the ACL, without rupture.
* Mild mucoid degeneration of the PCL.
* Insertional tendinopathy of the semimembranosus muscle.
* No meniscal tear or significant femorotibial/patellofemoral chondropathy.
* Limited joint effusion.

Has anyone dealt with this ACL mucoid degeneration? Is this a bad thing? I read online it’s rare (often in older people, but I’m ‘only’ 31) and that it’s irreversible. My main activities are (ultra) trail running & mountaineering. I’m afraid of the word “irreversible”… does this mean I’m always at a risk of a possible rupture?

Any advices or experiences are highly appreciated 🙏

Hi,

I hope this is the right place to ask for advice on sleeping bags for long alpine routes.

I honestly don’t know much about sleeping bags because I’ve mostly done things in summer and stayed in huts.

Now I’m planning some longer alpine days/trips in September–October, where I might be sleeping in shelters/bivouacs, so I want something warm enough (minimum -5 Celsius degrees) without going completely overkill.
I’ve been searching online and I’m currently deciding between:

Deuter Astro Pro 800 SL — comfort limit around -16°C / 3°F (1350g)
Deuter Astro Pro 600 SL — comfort limit around -12°C / 10°F (1150g)

Pricing is almost the same (I’ve found the Astro Pro 800 SL with a big discount).

I’m also open for other suggestions (other brands or other models) than these two.

I also want to mention that I’m looking for a maximum 175cm length sleeping bag (I’m a woman).

Any advice is much appreciated!

Hi everyone,

I’ve seen 2 different orthopedic doctors now (and a general doctor speciliazed in sports injuries), and none of them can really explain my symptoms.

My symptoms are:

• Pain mainly on the inside of the knee and around the popliteus
• A recurring “locking” feeling. The knee isn’t completely locked, but it feels stuck and I can’t move my leg normally. Sometimes I have to kind of sweep/drag my leg over the floor until it loosens up (by a "crack")
• A feeling of instability, especially when going downhill
• A pulling sensation in the knee, sometimes radiating down towards my foot
• Pain starting only after few km's of running

I’ve already had an MRI and tried different treatments (traumeel, HA, cortisone), but nothing has really explained the mechanical symptoms...

My main activities are trail running, climbing & mountaineering.

The second orthopedic doctor planned a SPECT CT scan and a triple phase bone scan (it was the first time I've heard of this, and I honestly still don't understand what this can show additional that a MRI can't).

I’m kind of losing my hope for any improvement (or answers to begin with. I don't know to who I should go: another orthopedic doctor? a good PT?...

Did anyone experience similar symptoms, or can advice me on what I should do further?

Much appreciated, thanks

What kind of symptoms were you having? Did the MRI show the injury? I’ve read that some meniscus injuries can be missed on MRI. And how did you manage to recover and start running again?

Thanks for any input!

Hi everyone,

Can anyone recommend me a doctor specialized in sports injuries (not orthopedic)? I don’t care where; I’m willing to travel a bit for someone really good.

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I’ve been dealing with a knee issue since May and honestly, I have no idea what to do anymore.
It’s been a roller coaster of doctors, injections and an MRI, but I still don’t really have an explanation for what’s going on.

It started with what I call “pseudo-locking”. I can still bend and move my knee, so it’s not actually locked, but it feels awkward and restricted, almost like something isn’t moving properly. Then it pops, and afterwards my knee feels smoother and more free again. This has been happening since May and I still get it regularly.

At first, the pain was mostly around the popliteus and the outside of my knee. My doctor thought it was IT band syndrome and gave me a Traumeel injection because I didn’t want cortisone at the time.

A few weeks later, I was still having the same problem, so I got an HA injection and had an MRI.
The MRI didn’t really show anything significant. It mentioned a minimal Baker’s cyst and IT band syndrome. But by that point, I didn’t even have pain on the outside of my knee anymore, so the ITBS diagnosis seemed a bit weird to me. My doctor also didn’t really say much about the Baker’s cyst.

The pain and pseudo-locking continued, but the pain started moving more towards the inside of my knee.
So I went to an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in knees and hips. He didn’t really know what was causing it either, but he was very sure it wasn’t my meniscus. He thought it was my pes anserine tendon and gave me a cortisone injection there.
I never actually said I had pain specifically around the pes anserine area. The pain felt more like it was inside the knee itself. But at that point I was honestly just tired of being in pain, so I accepted the cortisone injection.
I felt better for a few days, but then the same symptoms came back.

I went back to my original doctor and asked for another HA injection because I felt like it had helped me before.
Things were actually pretty good for a while, but for the past week the same problem has come back. I still get the weird locking feeling, then it pops and feels better again. The pain is mostly on the inside of my knee and sometimes underneath the kneecap.

Running is also painful after a few km, especially downhill.
So now I’m kind of lost. I’ve seen two doctors, had an MRI and tried different injections, but nobody seems to know what is actually causing this.

Has anyone with a meniscus problem experienced something similar? Especially the feeling of the knee “locking” and then popping and feeling better afterwards? How did you eventually get diagnosed? Can an MRI miss a meniscus issue? Should I get a second MRI (first one was mid June)?

Really appreciate any advice

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone can recommend me a guide who’s a woman in the area of Chamonix.
I had bad experience with a male guide last year (sexual harassment) and it killed my interest for the mountains since then. I know there are plenty of good and decent male guides out of there, but I want to avoid happening that ever again.

Thanks in advance!

Hi,

I’m looking for a physical therapist who has experience in endurance sports. Most PT’s, unfortunately, are very general in their advices and exercises and are not suited for higher level of sports.
Can anyone recommend me a good PT who’s more specialized?

Thanks!

Hi,

Does anyone know what can be the possible reason for knee locking (or more pseudo locking, like a feeling it has to pop to move smoothly) that has nothing to do with meniscus issues or ligament? I had a MRI done and everything was intact. Yet I keep having this issue last weeks. It’s an uncomfortable feeling. It feels really stuck sometimes. The two doctors I went to don’t know either what’s going on.

Thanks

Hi everyone,

I'm dealing with knee pain since few weeks. I have cartilage wear in my right knee and in my right hip, mostly due to my sports. I had a MRI few weeks ago and it confirmed a little bakers cyste in that knee. I'm having really uncomfortable feeling in my popliteus from time to time and I don't know if its due to this bakers cyste. My doctor said that I shouldn't be worried about it and it will go away naturally... but here we are few weeks after.

I was wondering if anyone has experience with this bakers cyste; how did it feel for you? What were the symptoms? Did you also have pseudo locking from time to time? Did you let it be drained and is it true that it always comes back?

Thanks a lot for any input!

Hi,

I’m having persistent on and off groin pain. There is some cartilage wear. Im considering a HA injection. I have done this before in my knees too and it always helped, but the hip is something else.

Did anyone do this? How did it go?

Thanks!

Hi,

I'm wondering if anyone here has experience with patellar tracking disorder.

For the past few weeks I've been dealing with knee pain, stiffness, and a feeling that my kneecap isn't moving normally. Sometimes my knee feels like it wants to lock or catch, and it often feels "off" rather than just painful. I've had an MRI, which didn't show a meniscus tear or any major structural damage. Just some IT band issues. My orthopedic doctor couldn't give me any answer to why I'm feeling this sense of locking, especially since it's not a common symptom of IT band issues. He gave me also a cortisone injection in the pes anserine, although the symptoms are really in the knee...

I've been reading myself what it could be, and I landed on patellar tracking disorder. The symptoms are very similar to mine and it's often linked to IT band issues as well.

I would like to know what helped for you with dealing with this maltracking. I do strenght training, although have done very little last months and could explain my injuries. That side (right) is already my weaker side and most of my injuries are on that side. Would HA injection help too? It's not harmful, just expensive if it doesn't work.

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

Hi,

I'm wondering if anyone here has experience with patellar tracking disorder.

For the past few weeks I've been dealing with knee pain, stiffness, and a feeling that my kneecap isn't moving normally. Sometimes my knee feels like it wants to lock or catch, and it often feels "off" rather than just painful. I've had an MRI, which didn't show a meniscus tear or any major structural damage. Just some IT band issues. My orthopedic doctor couldn't give me any answer to why I'm feeling this sense of locking, especially since it's not a common symptom of IT band issues. He gave me also a cortisone injection in the pes anserine, although the symptoms are really in the knee...

I've been reading myself what it could be, and I landed on patellar tracking disorder. The symptoms are very similar to mine and it's often linked to IT band issues as well.

I would like to know what helped for you with dealing with this maltracking. I do strenght training, although have done very little last months and could explain my injuries. That side (right) is already my weaker side and most of my injuries are on that side. Would HA injection help too? It's not harmful, just expensive if it doesn't work.

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

I went to an orthopedic surgeon because I have ongoing knee pain, locking, and symptoms that don’t make sense. Not only affecting my sports activities, but also my daily life.

Instead, I got a shrug.

The MRI didn’t show a meniscus tear, so apparently that’s where the conversation ended. Never mind that my knee literally locks. Never mind that some days I’m feeling feverish. Never mind the stabbing pain. Never mind the feeling of instability in that knee. He couldn’t explain it, didn’t seem interested in figuring it out, and didn’t tell me what the next step should be. Apparently, no meniscus tear = everything is great and f*k off.

How is that acceptable?

I’m so tired of paying specialists just to be dismissed.

And it’s NOT the first time. I’ve had the same experiences with other kind of doctors. Even when I was so anemic and HAD TO BEG for an iron infusion because pills were not working for me.

Sorry. I just really needed to get this off my chest.

Very important that the doctor treats athletes and has knowledge of sports injuries
Thanks!

Hi all,

I’ve been dealing with a knee issue that I can’t quite make sense of.

Pain is mainly on the inside and back of my knee. The inside feels like a dull pulling/aching, and the back can get sharper. Downhill running makes it way worse (can go up to like 8/10), but flat running is usually pretty tolerable (\~2/10).

In the mornings it sometimes feels kind of “stuck” or pseudo-locked, but I can still move it. After a bit of movement or a crack sensation it usually feels better.

Recently I’ve also had some upper calf/inner lower leg tightness on the same side, and I’ve had posterior tibial tendon issues in that leg in the past (which had settled before this started).

I had an MRI and it came back with:

small Baker’s cyst
IT band syndrome
no obvious meniscus tear mentioned

What confuses me is that IT band issues are usually on the outside of the knee, but my pain is clearly medial/posterior. And I’ve read small Baker’s cysts can be incidental.

I was wondering how reliable MRI is for a medial meniscus tear. Is it actually possible to miss small or subtle ones even if the report says nothing?

I’m going to get a second opinion next week, but the pain lately is quite unbearable. Almost feeling it in my toes of that leg.

Appreciate any input!