Anyone else busted their ACL

oneilldo said:
How did your appointment go with the OS, is the recovery still on track.
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Yup went very well - i'm now ab le to hop side to side and forwards and backwards! He only wants to see me once more in about 2/3 months time! So he's very pleased as am I! Even managed to play a bit of lightbeaqch footie this weekend !! Just a little stiff today but no pain!!

At least I should be able to squat and do some deadlifts in the gym now!!!

Hows recovery your end??
 
Thats good to know, I can't wait to walk without crutches. I am at three weeks tomorrow. Am on both crutches out the house but only one in the house. The muscle wastage is fairly profound though. I was on one crutch until about a week prior to my operation so that cant have helped things.

My physio recommended that I get down the gym a few times and do 10 mins on the stationary bike before she sees me next. She also told me to use one crutch indoors and two outside. It took me over 5 minutes to do a single rotation on the bike, I can't tell you how relieved I was when it finally went round and I could cycle. I have since bought a cheap execercise bike which I am going on a few times a day for 10 mins a go, it still takes a few minutes to do the first rotation though. It seems to help loads in terms of my quad strength though. Next physio is this wednesday and I am still off work.
 
I have my first visit to the OS tomorrow pre op so hopefully he will say that everything is in order. The strength is slowly coming back and I can now do a few step ups and I am walking without crutches in the house but with one out the house.
The physio is fairly impressed as well with progress.
I can now balance on one leg. My leg does feel very stiff in the morning and I do a bit of cycling to loosen it up.

I have started doing open chain hamstring excercises at the physio last week and the first time I did one I cold only get to about 10 degress, it was so poor that I couldnt stop laughing. My hamstring did feel a tad tight and painful though and after looking at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2213495095992504423&hl=en‏ I can understand why.

Apple corer to the hamstring technique.
 
oneilldo said:
I have my first visit to the OS tomorrow pre op so hopefully he will say that everything is in order. The strength is slowly coming back and I can now do a few step ups and I am walking without crutches in the house but with one out the house.
The physio is fairly impressed as well with progress.
I can now balance on one leg. My leg does feel very stiff in the morning and I do a bit of cycling to loosen it up.

I have started doing open chain hamstring excercises at the physio last week and the first time I did one I cold only get to about 10 degress, it was so poor that I couldnt stop laughing. My hamstring did feel a tad tight and painful though and after looking at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2213495095992504423&hl=en‏ I can understand why.

Apple corer to the hamstring technique.
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So how's things going mate! OS happy with you?

Made my debut on the football pitch last week albeit in goal and seemed to come through ok ! A little stupid as it's too early but it's 5 a side so no contact with outfield players. Found the movement very good and twisting about seemed ok so all in all it seems to be good! I actually think it was good for the knee to get some more real world movement!

I'm also running about 2 miles 2/3 times a week and want to get to a comfortable 10 before I play outfield again!

I'm hoping I might be able to resume defensive duties sometime in August.

I've also noticed a stange but really positive outcome from all the physio work and this is going to sound really stupid. Before my injury the soles of my shoes used to get wern down at the back but on the outer side, now the wear is almost even (what I would call normal) so I'm wondering if I've somehow sorted out some sort of imbalance!! Weird!!
 
The OS said its going ok,I need to work on the balance and was still on one crutch at the time.My quad was very eak at the time (and still is a bit). He got me to do (well try a static leg raise), the physios hadtold me to avoiddoing these after my op. Well after staring at my legfor a minute or so and then tensing around the knee and leading from the ankle I managed to raise it quickly by about 1 inch. It was such relief though.

Since then (~2 weeks ago - I am at 6 weeks post op today)it has got a fair bit better,I can do static leg lifts and can almost walk up stairs normally. I am fully off crutches but walk with a bit of a limp at the moment and my hamstring gets severly stiff so I am stretching regually. However I do find myself forgetting about it from time to time which must mean I am on the mend.

I wouldn't push the footy too much until your physio and OS is happy as you dont want a set back at this late stage. I am glad it went ok though - there is hope for me yet. The running sounds good as well - I cant wait to do some form of sport as I am tearing my hair out.

What you mention about the balance and improvements post op is entirely possible. Before the op I couldn't do one legged squats but can now (only on good leg at moment) so I think strength and balance could be improvedobviously depending on what training you did before. I didnt do any specific footy training but played 3 times a week.
Someone on kneeguru who ran 10k fairly regually said his time has come down a fair wack since due to the strengthing work.

I have another operation on my elbow tomorrow (trapped ulnar nerve) so hopefully this won't stop me doing my leg excercises.
 
Damn, all these ops. Hope the elbow surgery went well today oneilldo.

I'm currently bricking it as I've got my very first ever operation tomorrow morning. It's only a knee arthroscopy to repair a ligament but reading this thread has put my mind at rest a bit. I've not been going heavy in the gym for 6 months now and I can't use my left leg to even climb stairs so am desparate for the fix, it's just the general anaesthetic and the whole 'operation' thing thats freaking me out.

:(
 
yeah my elbow op went well (am typing thiswith one hand). the surgeon said that my ulnar nerve was one of the most compressed he had seen. he could see a severe lack of blood to it and he had to cut out some muscle. Apparantly I had an extra muscle near my triceps (some people do) so he cut that out and freed up the other tissue. Hopefully these damn pins and needles will soon go after 7mths and I swear I can feel sensation coming back (it can take a few mths and maybe up to two years if the nerve is damaged. It was soso much better than my knee op though. Being able to get up and walk around to clear your head after a general really helped.

What are you having done, is it a cruciate ligament reconstruction? Feel free to ask any questions as I am 6 weeks post op so I'll offer all the advice I can. My first op was my cruciate ligament reconstruction so nothing like jumping in at the deep end.

Its bad when I wqs back at the same hospital within 6 weeks. I had the same anesthetist and he recognised me.Also saw my physio for my leg today and the portar recognised me. Hopefully no more ops for a while otherwise I'll be on first name terms.

Try to relax, the general is good and the canular rarely hurts,I found it more annoying after the op as they left it in for a coupe of hours. Dont hesitate to ask for pain killers following the op and take them regually for the first week afterwards even if you aren't expericing bad pain.
 
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My X-Ray and MRI were clear but I've got a pronounced clicking of the left knee and a sharp pain under the kneecap. When I front load it, walking up stairs for example, it can cause pain and sometimes give way. It's at the point now that the extra load is apparant on the other leg as I'm constantly not relying on my left.

This is mostly a diagnostic but the surgeon did say he would clean it all up and repair any damage found within the confines of the procedure.

As for the canular, I'd expect that to hurt anyway. Most blood tests hurt although my recent check with the nurse I hardly noticed it.
 
Hope it all goes ok, get yourself over to kneeguru as well as i am sure some other people would have had this exact problem as well. You'll probably need to ice it afterwards and only do the excercises permitted by your surgeon and physio. If they trim the miniuscus (covering for the bone) then sometimes you arent supposed to unneccesaraly weight bear for a week or so. Iceand elevate as well when back home. I am assuming its day surgery?
 
Cheers oneilldo. Well, the fear of the operation was worse than the op itself. I attended the hospital at 8am this morning, entered theatre at 12pm and was home by 4pm. It was the anaesthetic that I feared the most but as soon as he injected me, within a few seconds I was out. No creeping up the arm sensation or anything, didn't feel a thing. Next thing I knew I'm sat bolt upright in the recovery room begging for a sandwich and a cuppa tea. No tiredness, no sickness, knee is sore and feels heavy but that's to be expected.

All in all, fantastic, not what I was expecting at all.

I see the consultant again in 3 weeks to discuss what was done to me as I still don't know. I hobbled on crutches for a pee, ate and drank well and stats were good so they sent me home. :D

Edit:

file004.jpg


They splashed so much Iodine on, it even covers me nuts. :o
 
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Glad to hear it went ok. I know what you mean regarding the iodine (my elbow is orange at the moment). Have you got painkillers?Did they give you any excercise or any specific things not to do? If not then I would speak to his receptionist and get the consultant to ring you as its important that you only do what excercises they say depending on the op.
 
oneilldo said:
Have you got painkillers?
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They gave me some tablets which are very strong painkillers and anti-inflammatory, in fact they're pretty cool, feeling a little high right now! :)

oneilldo said:
Did they give you any excercise or any specific things not to do?
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I saw a physio who gave me a specific exercise sheet and a time-frame to work to so I know what needs doing. I'm told I can squat my own bodyweight in no less than 6 weeks and should be able to load up with serious weight in around 10 weeks. :D
 
pabloB said:
Hi there,

Last September I took a quite a harsh tackle during a football match, I fell backwards and landed on my neck - basically my right leg went with me my me left stayed planted on the ground - my L knee swelled up like a ballon and eventually I had to see a specialist where it was discovered i had damaged my Anterior Cruciate ligament. Worse was to follow following an MRI and an Arthroscopy it was discovered I had a full blown rupture.

I'm scheduled to have an op on the 31st of this month whereby they'll graft some of my Patella tendon and a small part of bone and the ligament will be recontructed.

Has anyone suffered a similar injury - I'm aiming to be back on the football pitch in August as I understand the physio work after is especially hard, considering muscle wastage. I was also embarking on a weights programme - basically trying to improve myself and obviously this is now shot to bits.

Just wondering what the post op situation is going to be like and the follow up physio.

Cheers

Paul
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I've had exact same injury an operation. I now have abotu 1" gap missing from the centre of my patella. And all my bottom half of my left leg is nerved damaged. (feels v weired when i touch it)

Whilst i'm playing football now (about 2 years after op) My knee will never be the same again, nor my confidance in it. It still aches and i have pain killers for this (especially in the winter)

The knee still gives way (i think i may have damaged the ligament whilst rehabilitating it)

Its a long road to recovery, and unless you are very lucky, have a good surgeon and fantastic physio (go private the nhs are very bad) your knee will never be the same again. Don't rush after the op, keep up your personal physio going and this will give you the best chance of the best recovery.

If you want to talk more let me know.
 
Jay,

Can you have an MRI/athroscopy to confirm if the new ligament is damaged? If your knee regually gives way it could cause further damage in the joint to the minuscus etc?
Have you tried posting/looking on kneeguru as their might be some extra specific knee excercises that you can do to reduce the pain or frequency in which your knee gives way.

I am 6 1/2 weeks post op following hamstring graft, still walking with a bit of a limp and the ROM isn't there yet. I had quite severe muscle wastage.
Did you have it done under the NHS?
 
oneilldo said:
Jay,

Can you have an MRI/athroscopy to confirm if the new ligament is damaged? If your knee regually gives way it could cause further damage in the joint to the minuscus etc?
Have you tried posting/looking on kneeguru as their might be some extra specific knee excercises that you can do to reduce the pain or frequency in which your knee gives way.

I am 6 1/2 weeks post op following hamstring graft, still walking with a bit of a limp and the ROM isn't there yet. I had quite severe muscle wastage.
Did you have it done under the NHS?
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I've not had another MRI since the Operation, so i'm unsure what the exact damage is. There is a deffinate problem with it though (however not as bad as pre-op)


I'm going to have a look on Knee Guru now (i've not seen it before)

My left leg had some severe muscle wasteage like you.

My exact op was graph from patella and hamstring to repair ACL some other damage that had been done. Did you get a full leg brace? I had some terminator style brace that helped a lot during first 2 months or so.

I had mine done at Sheffield Northern General NHS, no complaints about stay in hospital etc.. just the Physio both in Sheffield and back in Liverpool were very dire. I always had a trainee student who just handed be exercises to do at home. I wasted so many morning travelling to physio just to pick up paper. (This was two hospitals in two cities)

If it were to happen again i woul have NHS op, but private physio.

Here are some pics post op.

knee2.jpg


knee1.jpg
 
I have got a brace with metal hinges as my OS said to get this pre op for the main reason that I needed to fly to spain a couple of weeks after my initial injury so it would help with stabilisation at the joint. After the op the OS said to not wear the brace as its not part of his rehab protocol.

If I was you I would push for another MRI to find out the damage. The problem is that if your knee keeps giving way you can damage the miniscus etc which will lead to more severe problems in the future. Have a look on kneeguru and see what they think.
 
I'm off in tomorrow for reconstruction of both the ACL and PCL.

MCL is also a grade 3 tear but that will apparently not require surgery.

Surgeon said he expects me to be back playing football in between 6-9 months.

Hope hes right, gives me a target to go for anyway.:rolleyes:

How did you guys find the physio after the op as its supposed to be quite gruelling.
 
scamartist said:
I'm off in tomorrow for reconstruction of both the ACL and PCL.

MCL is also a grade 3 tear but that will apparently not require surgery.

Surgeon said he expects me to be back playing football in between 6-9 months.

Hope hes right, gives me a target to go for anyway.:rolleyes:

How did you guys find the physio after the op as its supposed to be quite gruelling.
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Good luck with the operation pal! Physio is more frustrating than gruelling as you have to start with very basic excercises and you wonder what the point is!! BUT PERSEVERE! I cannot stress how crucial this stage is!

I've had to duck out of physio for the last 4 weeks due to work commitment but have been looking after myself down the gym! I also completed my first decent challenge last thursday by running in the JP Morgan Run in Battersea it's only 3.5 miles I think but managed it in just under 30 mins which aint bad for someone who hasn't ran in almost a year! Knee was fine after thAt too just ever so slightly stiff which I expected but no swelling or anything like that! Seeing the physio again this wed and will ask when I should be playing football again.... I've always mentally set a date for August and I'm hoping I'll pull that off if so that will be about 7 months post op!
 
Got the OP and had an overnight stay.

This was all done privately through work medical insurance policy.

Main problem for me was that because the damage to the knee that required ACL reconstruction was so bad that the surgeon had to harvest the hamstring tendon from my good leg.

This made for a very difficult first couple of days as it felt like I was pulling my hamstring almost every time I got up.

But it seems to have settled down a bit now and will be going to see the physio for the first time tomorrow morning.

Have been doing gentle excercises given to me by physio at the hospital after the op.

One question I do have is how long before you guys could drive your cars to get about?
 
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