how long does it take to recover after an arthroscopic knee surgery

Recovery fro simple knee arthroscopy (meniscal debridement, loose body removal, plica excision) takes ~6 wks; if you rehab diligently you can get back faster (sports in 3-4 weeks). Arthroscopic ligament reconstruction (e.g. ACL), meniscus repairs, or articular cartilage procedures (microfracture, ACI, etc) require longer rehabilitation, often 6-12 months. Talk to your surgeon about your case.

on how active you are and how much was done during surgery. For a routine knee scope I typically allow my patients back to work in 3-4 days if they have a sedentary Job. Otherwise, most people can start getting back to work at 2-3 weeks depending on their Job. Strengthening of the Quadriceps muscle is key as this shuts down with knee surgery of any kind. Most people are near full by 4 weeks.

3-6 weeks usually depending on what was done. Go to PT.

Typically people recover from knee arthroscopy in 4-6 weeks, but some of this depends on what was done. Progressive and gentle range of motion is typically the best way to start with a progressive return to heavire sports and activities.

Although calf pain can occur after knee arthroscopy, the concern is the potential for a deep venous thrombosis otherwise known as a blood clot. You need to contact your surgeon and have him evaluated for the potential of a blood clot. It is not necessarily a clot however you should check this. This is done with an ultrasound.

For meniscus surgeries in an otherwise healthy patient in excellent condition, the arthroscopy does not need too much time to recover from. I have had patients walk out from surgery and never turn back. However, patients are often deconditioned because of the injury. This causes muscle (especially quads) weakness and inhibition that takes longer to recover from.

You can walk the day of surgery. Most people will feel good the first day from the local anesthetic and medicine injected at the time of surgery. The medicines wear off by day two and three. You can still walk but it becomes more sore. By day 3-4 the worst swelling occurs and this is the worst days for some. Usually swelling decreases after this and walking gets better each day after. Keep icing!

some people lay down more scar tissue than others. this can lead to stiffness and slower recovery. "breaking up" scar tissue is trying to stretch it out so it doesn't impede progress. This can take months and may not be complete

If you have a meniscus tear only, once you trim the tear, you many not ever have any future problems. Due to the loss of a portion of your shock absorber, however, you may develop secondary arthritis in the future which means the cartilage on the ends of the bones can start to wear down. This may take years or decades to happen if it happens at all.

Depending on the findings, it could take days to weeks to improve. Most arthroscopic cases allow you to walk immediately. I recommend no running or jumping for 4 weeks.