What does recovery look like after knee arthroscopy surgery?

Knee arthroscopy is the quick one: a camera and small instruments through two small incisions to trim a torn meniscus, smooth rough cartilage, remove a loose piece, or clean out scar tissue. You walk on the knee right away, move it right away, and there are no restrictions afterward. The knee is sore for a couple of weeks, most people feel pretty good at three to four weeks and really good at two to three months, and it keeps improving for up to six months. The roadmap below walks through each stage. If you have already had surgery, enter your surgery date and it will show you which stage you are in and what comes next.

This page is for a knee scope without a repair: a meniscus trim, a cartilage cleanup, a loose body, or scar tissue removal. If your meniscus was repaired with stitches, follow the meniscus repair roadmap instead, since a repair is protected for the first six weeks. The roadmap also answers the practical questions: crutches, sleeping, showering, driving, work, and when you can run and play again.