Last week I saw an orthopedist for the first time in several years. My tibiae exhibit bowing and torsion, and if I'm not careful I put abnormal stress on my knees. Given my newfound interest in cycling, I thought it was better to see someone sooner rather than later, especially since my right knee hurt at the end of the STP.
My plan was to follow up that appointment by seeing a local physical therapist who's also a bike fit specialist, so that I could have an expert tune my pedal system setup and advise me on exercises to help keep my legs' musculature balanced.
The doctor approved of my cycling and seconded my thoughts regarding physical therapy. He didn't see any reason to get x-rays or routine orthopedic check-ups, but he did warn me to be very conscious of any pain and he was adamant about moderation in my activities. I'm not a hardcore cyclist - I average around 14 mph, 18 on the flats, and usually ride once a week for 60 miles - but apparently that was still enough to worry him a little.
He told me that if I decide to get more serious about the sport, I should consider a tibial osteotomy, though he wouldn't recommend unless I insisted on pushing the envelope.
A tibial osteotomy is essentially a procedure in which your lower leg is deliberately broken and realigned so that your biomechanics are more normal than they were before.
I read up a bunch on the procedure, and I'm going to revisit the issue next summer. Right now I'm not serious enough about my athletics to opt in for surgery when there's no clear risk associated with avoiding it. But if I'm still into cycling next year and can't see myself taking it easy, I'll consider it.
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