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Kahne undergoes fourth knee operation in 15 months, but isn't expected to miss any time.
Everything was going along fine after Kasey Kahne's offseason knee surgeries – he had double knee surgery in the offseason to repair a condition called "Plica syndrome" – until he slipped during post-Daytona workout in February.
"I finished a workout and I slipped off the bench and just my feet kind of gave out," Kahne said Friday.
As it turned out, Kahne re-tore his meniscus and needed to have it repaired – which he did during the recent Easter off-week.
When Kahne slipped after the February workout, his injury hurt so much that he lay on the floor in pain for five minutes before trying to get up.
He knew the recovery time from another surgery would take a while, so he dealt with the pain until the off-week. It particularly bothered him after races, when it would tighten from being in one position for so long.
"You should have seen me at Bristol," he said. "I couldn't even walk for like 10 minutes after the race. It feels better than all that now. It's been only a week – 10 or 11 days – and it already feels better.
"I'm glad I got it fixed. I needed to. I was tired of limping."
Kahne, an avid runner, can only use a bike for now. He said he hopes to return to running in short order.
"Before I (slipped), I was already running four or five miles a day and feeling really good," he said. "I just got to let it heal and not hurt it and it will be fine."
Kasey Kahne will have surgery on both knees to repair a condition called "Plica Syndrome," the driver said Friday morning.
Kahne said he's often in pain after races and walks with a limp for hours afterward, a result of his condition. According to webmd.com, Plica Syndrome is "a fold of tissue in the knee joint. When it gets irritated from overuse, swelling and knee pain can result."
"It hurts all the time," Kahne said. "When I get out of the car, I limp for awhile after the race. Some days it's a lot worse than others, and I just limp around. So I just wanted to get it taken care of."
The surgery is scheduled for early Tuesday morning in Charlotte, Kahne said. The driver said the same doctors who worked with Denny Hamlin are working with Kahne.
Kahne is expected to miss the upcoming Daytona tire test, but expects to be able to test in January and be fully ready for the 2011 season.
The story was first reported by Holly Cain of Fanhouse.
Kasey Kahne Has Surgery To Repair Torn Meniscus; Expected To Be Ready For Daytona Speedweeks
Kasey Kahne underwent outpatient surgery on his left knee Friday, but his Hendrick Motorsports team says he'll be ready for the 2012 NASCAR season and the Daytona 500.
Kahne had an MRI on Thursday after experiencing swelling in his knee, the results of which revealed a torn meniscus. Doctors immediately scheduled a procedure for Friday, which was a partial medial meniscus removal.
Friday's operation was the third separate knee surgery in a little more than a year for Kahne, and the fourth overall.
After the 2010 season, Kahne had surgery in both knees to repair a condition called "plica syndrome," which results in the buildup of tissue.
Then, in April of last year, Kahne required more surgery after tearing the meniscus in his right knee. He was able to race at Richmond the week after his operation, where he finished third.
Friday's surgery was to repair the meniscus in his left knee, so Kahne has now had two surgeries on each knee in the past 15 months.
Hendrick Motorsports says Kahne will be ready for all Daytona Speedweeks activities – which begin on Friday – and it has no plans to have a backup driver on standby.
Feb 10 6:09p by Jeff Gluck - 0 comments