u/gonzola101

Quick background: MACI on July 9th, 2026 (combined patellofemoral + tibiofemoral, left knee, 4 weeks post op at time of writing). No CPM machine: my surgeon's team has moved away from them and had me doing heel slides instead as the main ROM driver.

I was aggressive with heel slides early (weeks 0-2.5) but obviously limited by how fresh everything was. Now at week 4, doing 5 sets of 15, 3x/day, with PT pushing me. I try to push into the 5/10 pain range per rep (not standard, PT wanted us to get aggressive on getting range going, I may have mistranslated their intention lol).

Current ROM: 70° with PT assist. Manual/protocol target for week 4 is 90°.

One wrinkle: my surgeon had to cut close to my VMO for one of the lesions, and that's about where I'm feeling the stiffness/pain that seems to be capping my bending. Can't tell if that's just a slower recovery day-to-day thing I'm failing at or if a VMO-adjacent incision is a known ROM delay.

Questions for the sub if you'd be so kind to share thoughts:

1. Anyone else have their incision near the VMO? Did it noticeably slow your bending progress compared to a more standard incision placement?

2. For those who didn't get a CPM, how'd your ROM timeline compare to the "standard" protocol numbers? Did you stay on target?

3. Is skipping the CPM machine now common?

Trying to figure out if I'm just having a rough patch or if I should be pushing harder, or not doing heel slides enough.

I'm going to call up my surgeon and go meet him tomorrow but the office is closed right now.

Wondering if others understand this new feeling I'm having.

I'm 2 weeks and a few days in post surgery (PF + TF).

I'm doing my heel slides and usually I feel lots of stiffness (even feeling the stiffness in my upper sometimes).

I repeat heel slides slowly until it resolves itself. Today, my latest heel slide, I'm doing that and I hear a pop or a snap.

Right after, I take a pause then try another heel slide. I now feel something rubbing on the underneath of my skin. Rubbing against my skin. Or that's the sensation I'm feeling. I'm completely uncertain as it's a unique feeling to me so I can't tell if it's at a different part of the knee like under my patella.

Anyone experienced this before or had this and knows it's a complication?

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#UPDATE: Info from doctor for others to learn.

Leaving this here so if others have a similar situation and feeling in the knee. My doctor's office explained to me that during surgery and from the swelling+movement, the tendons, ligaments, and tissue are potentially in different places maybe even from their original location. The shifting and moving and heel slides pressure them into natural movement positions and so the popping and sensation in the moment is probably them moving to their position.

If function doesn't change and pain isn't associated with it, most likely nothing to be concerned about.

But this is not medical advice specific to you, it's only specific to me. If you have a concern, call your doctor!

27M, MACI for PF and TF lesions in 1 surgery, NWB for 6 weeks. 2 weeks down, 4 to go.

Here's the lesson I learned too late: don't go into this overweight like I did.

This isn't just hard on the surgical knee, it's hard on your whole body, and weight makes every part of it worse. Your good knee is now doing double duty. Your shoulders, elbows, and wrists take your full body weight every time you crutch, every time you want to get up, or just adjust on the couch. Your hips and back are bracing constantly. The heavier you are, the more force goes through all of that, every single day, for six weeks straight.

If you've got any lead time before your surgery date, use it to get to a healthier weight, under 30 BMI if you can manage it. It won't just help your surgical knee, it'll make the entire recovery more survivable. And you will walk away without having new joint problems.

28M, had MACI surgery for combined PF + TF and luckily no TTO.

Surgery day (Day 0) was fine, felt optimistic. Day 1 was a different story. Nerve block wore off and the oxycodone they sent me home with wasn't touching the pain. Rough day, wasn't expecting that big of a cliff.

My restrictions are full extension, non-weight-bearing for several weeks because of the combined PF + TF lesions. This feels like a much longer road than what I typically see discussed here.

For those who've done PF + TF in the same surgery:

- How long were you actually kept at full extension / non-weight-bearing brace? Feels like I'm immobilized for weeks.

- With those restrictions, what does PT even look like early on? Is it just quad sets until you're cleared to bear weight, or is there more happening? I can't link upw hat I'm supposed to do in PT with these restrictions.

- Did the overall timeline end up feeling noticeably longer?

Trying to get a realistic sense of what's ahead. Appreciate any insight.

Hello folks! I'm getting ready for my MACI PF multi lesion surgery this week.

Something that's got me thinking is that the recovery procedure has a lot of hydrotherapy during the 2-6 week window.

Should I try hard to find a hydrotherapy PT office to go to?

Are y'all just fine with skipping that part of the recovery procedure or does your PT modify it for land-based recovery?