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ACL Injuries: Tips and Things to Know - UPDATE PG. 3

Posted on 7/2/15 at 11:51 am
Posted by Freauxzen
Utah
Member since Feb 2006
37233 posts
Posted on 7/2/15 at 11:51 am
Who's dealt with an ACL injury/surgery?

Any tips or pointers from diagnosis through post-op stuff? Just got the bad news today on what I thought was only a minor knee sprain a few weeks back. Soccer injury. Just put my first summer in Utah on hold which sucks terribly. No camping or hiking. And obviously no soccer.

The worst part is that they may have to do a meniscus repair, which apparently adds significant time to immobility during recovery?

I know people come back from these fairly well now, though, so that's a plus.
This post was edited on 8/27/15 at 9:14 am
Posted by LNCHBOX
70448
Member since Jun 2009
84049 posts
Posted on 7/2/15 at 11:53 am to
I went through it in 2008. Did the hamstring graft. Biggest thing is to stay on top your physical therapy after the surgery. First couple of weeks sucked, but it got better quickly.

Hurt mine playing soccer too, I stayed away for about a year from anything besides just passing a ball around just to be safe.
This post was edited on 7/2/15 at 11:54 am
Posted by Freauxzen
Utah
Member since Feb 2006
37233 posts
Posted on 7/2/15 at 11:55 am to
quote:

Did the hamstring graft.


That's probably the direction I'll go. I hear that's a tough choice as well.

quote:

Biggest thing is to stay on top your physical therapy after the surgery.


Yeah I don't want to mess around with this. I'd like to get back to soccer and not have to think about it, so PT is probably critical.

quote:

First couple of weeks sucked, but it got better quickly.



Good to know.

quote:

Hurt mine playing soccer too, I stayed away for about a year from anything besides just passing a ball around just to be safe.


Personal choice?
This post was edited on 7/2/15 at 11:56 am
Posted by Jcorye1
Tom Brady = GoAT
Member since Dec 2007
71326 posts
Posted on 7/2/15 at 11:56 am to
I have a couple of friends that went through it. One wussed out on their PT, the other rocked it out. The one that wussed out has had on and off issues for ~7 years now.
Posted by LNCHBOX
70448
Member since Jun 2009
84049 posts
Posted on 7/2/15 at 11:59 am to
quote:

I hear that's a tough choice as well.


If I recall I was told it was the way to go.

quote:

Personal choice?


Yea, I could have gone back sooner if I remember right. But I was in no rush to really get at it. A guy that played with us tore the same one twice in 8 months. I didn't want to be that guy.
Posted by Freauxzen
Utah
Member since Feb 2006
37233 posts
Posted on 7/2/15 at 11:59 am to
quote:

The one that wussed out has had on and off issues for ~7 years now.




See that's the stuff I don't want. Knee problems can stick around and I was always thankful I never had one.
Posted by hondurantiger
Portland, OR
Member since Feb 2007
2175 posts
Posted on 7/2/15 at 11:59 am to
tore mine playing soccer too.

general tips post op are:
1) immediately after the surgery ice and elevation. Some people use that machine that keeps moving their knee, but I did not.
2) rehab sucks but stick to it. A week or so after your surgery your physical therapist will try and get your range of motion back...and it feels like torture.

3) I used a patellar tendon graft. The pros as I understood where less chance of body rejecting the tissue and it is better choice then your thigh. The cons are that recovery is longer. I still have some pain when I kneel on it.

I still feel like my leg is not as strong as it used to be, but I was fairly old 33 when it happened.

Good luck amigo
This post was edited on 7/2/15 at 12:01 pm
Posted by Wtodd
Tampa, FL
Member since Oct 2013
67482 posts
Posted on 7/2/15 at 12:00 pm to
quote:

The worst part is that they may have to do a meniscus repair, which apparently adds significant time to immobility during recovery?

This isn't the worst part if you're having ACL reconstruction; I had both done. It won't add very much time to rehabbing so don't worry about it.

I had mine done in '93 and it took 9 months until back to normal but I was hitting golf balls 3 weeks after surgery.

Edit:
quote:

I used a patellar tendon graft

Me too
This post was edited on 7/2/15 at 12:01 pm
Posted by Freauxzen
Utah
Member since Feb 2006
37233 posts
Posted on 7/2/15 at 12:01 pm to
quote:

Yea, I could have gone back sooner if I remember right. But I was in no rush to really get at it. A guy that played with us tore the same one twice in 8 months. I didn't want to be that guy.


Gotcha. Maybe good advice. I was playing twice a week and doing long mountain hikes every weekend up until that happened. And I really want to get back to that, but reinjuringit is of absolutely no interest to me. If I played, I'd probably look to get a good knee brace at the very least.
Posted by hondurantiger
Portland, OR
Member since Feb 2007
2175 posts
Posted on 7/2/15 at 12:02 pm to
quote:

he worst part is that they may have to do a meniscus repair, which apparently adds significant time to immobility during recovery?


yeah I would agree that this is not very accurate.

I had some meniscus repair too...I think that the idea is since they are in there anyway...they will clean it up. If all you had was meniscus, you might not even have to have surgery
Posted by Tigerfan19
Member since Mar 2004
2118 posts
Posted on 7/2/15 at 12:03 pm to
Tore ACL and MCL in March 2014. Developed patella tend in my post op. Still go to PT as of today. Had more problems with my patella than the actual acl in the end. Listen to your pt, bend that fricker as soon as you can and continue to, stretching is key. I worked my arse off post op and pushed it which they think is why I developed the patella issue. Returned to softball, basketball and tennis 12 months after. Returned to golf about 6 months after surgery. Everyone recovers different, every surgery is different. I did the cadaver graph fwiw.
Posted by terd ferguson
Darren Wilson Fan Club President
Member since Aug 2007
108728 posts
Posted on 7/2/15 at 12:03 pm to
I had mine in 1997. I went with the cadaver ligament... did the PT religiously. I also felt uncomfortable on crutches so I never really used them. I just sort of hobbled around with my brace but I healed quickly.

I still have issues with mine from time to time... feels sore/tight sometimes due to weather changes.
Posted by Freauxzen
Utah
Member since Feb 2006
37233 posts
Posted on 7/2/15 at 12:03 pm to
quote:

tore mine playing soccer too.


3 of us in this thread alone. Geeze.

quote:

1) immediately after the surgery ice and elevation. Some people use that machine that keeps moving their knee, but I did not.
2) rehab sucks but stick to it. A week or so after your surgery your physical therapist will try and get your range of motion back...and it feels like torture.


Good stuff.

quote:

I still feel like my leg is not as strong as it used to be, but I was fairly old 33 when it happened.


That's me. 33.
Posted by Wtodd
Tampa, FL
Member since Oct 2013
67482 posts
Posted on 7/2/15 at 12:05 pm to
quote:

feels sore/tight sometimes due to weather changes.

Amazing how many people think this is bullshite but I agree with you 100%.
Posted by Tigerfan19
Member since Mar 2004
2118 posts
Posted on 7/2/15 at 12:06 pm to
Make sure that when you get back to bending your knee that you roll your muscles. It breaks up all of the scar tissue that will build up and is very important. I used the customer brace for a few months, when i switched pt's they let me try a more flexible knee brace which is way better for me to play sports with. Good luck with the rehab its brutal just take it one day at a time.
Posted by Freauxzen
Utah
Member since Feb 2006
37233 posts
Posted on 7/2/15 at 12:07 pm to
quote:

yeah I would agree that this is not very accurate.

I had some meniscus repair too...I think that the idea is since they are in there anyway...they will clean it up. If all you had was meniscus, you might not even have to have surgery


I've only seen the urgent care physician first, then an orthopedic surgeon who diagnosed it today. He only mentioned this in brief. official MRI next week, but he said 80-90% likely that it's a tear/rupture. He used both words which freaked me out a bit.
Posted by Wtodd
Tampa, FL
Member since Oct 2013
67482 posts
Posted on 7/2/15 at 12:07 pm to
quote:

That's me. 33.

I had mine done at 33.

quote:

and it feels like torture


No torture is when they work that needle under the kneecap to drain fluid.
Posted by terd ferguson
Darren Wilson Fan Club President
Member since Aug 2007
108728 posts
Posted on 7/2/15 at 12:07 pm to
quote:

Amazing how many people think this is bullshite


They can think whatever they want... but I can definitely feel a tightness in my knee with certain changes in weather. It's not painful... just tight.
Posted by hondurantiger
Portland, OR
Member since Feb 2007
2175 posts
Posted on 7/2/15 at 12:08 pm to

I think that somewhere around your early 30's your body says...yeah you know all that crap I did for you when you were 18....I am done.
Posted by terd ferguson
Darren Wilson Fan Club President
Member since Aug 2007
108728 posts
Posted on 7/2/15 at 12:09 pm to
quote:

No torture is when they work that needle under the kneecap to drain fluid.


I was 17 when I had my knee surgery. My mom was in the room when they took out that needle. She didn't make it very long... had to leave before she puked.
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