ACL & Meniscus reconstruction - Rehab hints and tips....

PB Forum :: Fitness, Training and Health
ACL & Meniscus reconstruction - Rehab hints and tips....
Author Message
flag JasenK
Posted: Jan 16, 2015 at 6:48 Quote
Yes, as in all walks of life, there are those that are really good and those that aren't so good at their jobs!

If you read all the literature on ACL op or not, 95% says yes, even if you have a stable enough knee now, later in life you will loose some muscle mass, etc, etc, which then causes more and more instability and then general fecking of cartilage etc.My misses was told by NHS monkeys that she should just put up with it too.

When I did mine the doc said I'd probably be ok as had plenty of muscle to give stability, and didn't feel too bad either at the time (did it playing football, it pinged big time, was really painful for a few mins, got drag off the pitch, but went back on for last 5 mins of the match!!). However, once confirmed from MRI as complete rupture of the ACL, torn meniscus and partial rupture of the MCL (inner knee) I knew then issues longer term due to reading up for the misses, so said I wanted it.

Op was booked 3 weeks after consultation, so did two motorbike trials in-between.....first one went ok, on the second one I dislocated the knee as clearly not enough stability in one particular direction and fully ruptured the MCL....the dislocation hurt a LOT!!
flag jskiff
Posted: Jan 16, 2015 at 7:27 Quote
JasenK wrote:
Op was booked 3 weeks after consultation, so did two motorbike trials in-between.....first one went ok, on the second one I dislocated the knee as clearly not enough stability in one particular direction and fully ruptured the MCL....the dislocation hurt a LOT!!

I bet it did...!!!

So I guess you're saying........ stop being a twonk and get the op ASAP haha
flag jskiff
Posted: Jan 16, 2015 at 7:28 Quote
mattygee020671 wrote:

Hi mate. well i know how you feel.
i did mine at the age of 26, took a year to get the op done in germany ( was based there) and i was initially told 10 months to a year before i would be back to 100 percent ish.
well after pulling my finger out with lots of effort, 3 months rehab at hedley court i was running better than i did before after 6 months. 18 years later the repair is still holding up. good luck dude and heal well and soon.

Nice one fella, glad to hear yours went well :-)
flag MongooseJage
Posted: Jan 17, 2015 at 11:04 Quote
Nhs told me to not bother becuase i wasn't a superstar in my sport, not nice people!

Bought my brace myself as a fail safe as when speaking to my physio he advised me its fine to cycle on its just if you fall off is the worry and you catch it or something!

Either way its a long recovey i still have a tight hamstring now but doesnt give me any jip so all in all sucessful i feel!
flag MilkweedSeed
Posted: Jan 19, 2015 at 9:50 Quote
At the tail end of being 38 I tore my ACL completely, as well as a grade 3 MCL tear, on Sept 12th 2014. Had Hamstring graft on Oct 31st 2014 at 39. So this Friday Jan 23rd will be 12 weeks. I still have a lot of pain, but less frequent and a lot less than the 1st 3 weeks, that was AWFUL. A few weeks after surgery I slipped/fell and tweaked the MCL again, which set me back. The intense pain comes in short bursts now, but still stiff and painfull, especially during the nights after PT, and in the morning getting up it takes a bit of time to loosen up. Sleeping has been a real challenge, I can't sleep on my back which is recommended. Doing PT 3 days a week, and daily exercises on my own at home. Was on crutches for 3 months which was a total bitch.

The Hamstring graft was recommended by my surgeon (who is considered a top Orthopedic in my area) with a cadaver as a back up option, in case my Hamstring was not good. The Hamstring area was very painful as was the rest of my knee post op, in fact a lot worse than what I thought it would be. I think of myself as having a high pain threshold, but this was over the top. Reading what some others have stated online, I don't think they actually had the surgery. I would brace myself a miserable experience. I ended up eating hundreds of pain killers from the time of the fall back in Sept till Jan 1st. Since then I have backed off, but still eating a lot of OTC pain meds for inflammation.

Things to get for a better post op experience: Drugs (lots of them:-), Aircast Cryo-Cuff (bring it with you the day of surgery or at least have it waiting at home), CPM machine, Neurotech Kneehab XP, (great for firing up quad muscles).

Getting full extension as quick as you can is so important. It took a lot of work and pain for me to get there, I drove my therapist nuts asking to measure me all the time, several times a session... I do not have full ROM, yet but very close. It took me a few weeks before I could ride an exercise bike, but was so happy once I could! Try finding a rehab place that uses an Alter-G Anti Gravity treadmill. (RATBOY has pics of him on it too on Instagram). Need a therapist who knows how to use it, if used correctly it is great! It is about $50K USD, and takes a percentage of your body weight off, so you learn to walk/run without limping. Rehab is a lot of pain and hard work. Like anything else, you get what you put in.

Best of luck to you and feel free to PM me if you have any questions.
flag danbeaven
Posted: Jan 22, 2015 at 14:29 Quote
I've just had mine done less than 2 weeks ago (jan 12th) .

I got the 'unhappy triad' - ACL destroyed, partial tear of MCL and heavy damage to medial meniscus - back end of September last year. I had the meniscus fixed in November so I could smash out the physio bulding quads and hams before the ACLr.

So far feels good and no regrets - it's stiff, but I've had next to no swelling. I had the hamstring graft after lengthy discussions with many surgeons and consultant physio's, because of all the high impact sports I do, and needing longevity in the graft - the patella ones I think have a higher chance of failure/lax in later in life.

Recovery- they said to not make any plans for any major events before 6 months post op. That said I'm already a week ahead of the planned physio requirements, and hoping to start some light stationery cycling in three days, with the physio and using a muscle stim to start the muscles work early.

From what I've understood about the healing process (bone/muscle/tendon time periods) I'm not plannig to ride outdoors until week 12. Week 16 to be safe. If the surgeon signs me off sooner, then happy days, but for peace of mind I'd get an xray/mri at that point to be sure things are healing and have taken properly

Best of luck whichever route you choose!
flag MilkweedSeed
Posted: Jan 22, 2015 at 19:45 Quote
danbeaven wrote:
I've just had mine done less than 2 weeks ago (jan 12th) .

I got the 'unhappy triad' - ACL destroyed, partial tear of MCL and heavy damage to medial meniscus - back end of September last year. I had the meniscus fixed in November so I could smash out the physio bulding quads and hams before the ACLr.

So far feels good and no regrets - it's stiff, but I've had next to no swelling. I had the hamstring graft after lengthy discussions with many surgeons and consultant physio's, because of all the high impact sports I do, and needing longevity in the graft - the patella ones I think have a higher chance of failure/lax in later in life.

Recovery- they said to not make any plans for any major events before 6 months post op. That said I'm already a week ahead of the planned physio requirements, and hoping to start some light stationery cycling in three days, with the physio and using a muscle stim to start the muscles work early.

From what I've understood about the healing process (bone/muscle/tendon time periods) I'm not plannig to ride outdoors until week 12. Week 16 to be safe. If the surgeon signs me off sooner, then happy days, but for peace of mind I'd get an xray/mri at that point to be sure things are healing and have taken properly

Best of luck whichever route you choose!

Oh man that sux! I hope you heal quickly, and are able to get after it soon! I read a lot about the Triad right after my injury, it must be awful. I feared that was what I had.
My surgeon highly recommended the Hamstring graft too. From what I've read it's the best way to go. You have more hamstrings than you need, and it will build back up with proper therapy. It's also a newer procedure and thought to be less painful than a Patella graft. For me the MCL tear was the most painful, and still is, but much less. The Hamstring pain was mostly nonexistent after a few weeks out.
I'm at week 12 tomorrow and will not be ridding anything other than the exercise bike for a long time. I probably could do fire trails or paths, I just don't want to risk it. From what I understand 12 weeks everything is just starting to fuse together fully. My Therapist says most people re-tear the ACL between 2 & 4 months. They get itchy and feel good after being cooped up recovering. I just changed my routine again, and am pretty sore from the new exercises, but it's that good kind of sore...
Look into the Kneehab for quad stim. It's great and really helps build the quads in addition to exercise and stretching. Still doing regular stim on the knee as well.
Good luck and a speedy recovery to everyone!
flag jskiff
Posted: Jan 26, 2015 at 2:00 Quote
Cheers for sharing gents....... That's like something you'd hear at an AA meeting haha

@dambeaven - you defo seem to be having a more positive experience, despite the sevarity of the injury Salute

I suppose we're all different, each injury varies and operations success or challenge will mean a hugely varied outcomes.

Hope you guys mend well :-)

And fingers crossed for me in teh autum :-)
flag ahchat
Posted: Jan 27, 2015 at 8:56 Quote
hi guys,

been wondering, i just tore my ACL from landing rather badly (but not a simgle scratch on my body LOL)...so, waiting for my reconstruction this coming september (coz i dont have any insurance that time which i just started working for 2 weeks) n had to wait in waiting list for a cheaper alternative at a government hospital.

so, if i delay from undergoing surgery, will it the injury worsen? so far, i can feel my knee abit stronger compared to first week after that crash (thanks to 4 weeks of climbing 5 storey staircase everyday).
flag jskiff
Posted: Jan 27, 2015 at 10:03 Quote
ahchat wrote:
hi guys,

been wondering, i just tore my ACL from landing rather badly (but not a simgle scratch on my body LOL)...so, waiting for my reconstruction this coming september (coz i dont have any insurance that time which i just started working for 2 weeks) n had to wait in waiting list for a cheaper alternative at a government hospital.

so, if i delay from undergoing surgery, will it the injury worsen? so far, i can feel my knee abit stronger compared to first week after that crash (thanks to 4 weeks of climbing 5 storey staircase everyday).

My specialist is letting me hang on until September to get the operation because I'm going on holiday in June and want to ride over the summer.

Plus I've had to same injury for two years!

Just don't play footy Smile
flag ahchat
Posted: Jan 28, 2015 at 6:38 Quote
jskiff wrote:
ahchat wrote:
hi guys,

been wondering, i just tore my ACL from landing rather badly (but not a simgle scratch on my body LOL)...so, waiting for my reconstruction this coming september (coz i dont have any insurance that time which i just started working for 2 weeks) n had to wait in waiting list for a cheaper alternative at a government hospital.

so, if i delay from undergoing surgery, will it the injury worsen? so far, i can feel my knee abit stronger compared to first week after that crash (thanks to 4 weeks of climbing 5 storey staircase everyday).

My specialist is letting me hang on until September to get the operation because I'm going on holiday in June and want to ride over the summer.

Plus I've had to same injury for two years!

Just don't play footy Smile

oh, so, doing mtb ok? i mean, offroad cycling like enduro n stuff..any knee guard u r using now? i scared my knee to give out whenever i try to pedal uphill
flag danbeaven
Posted: Jan 28, 2015 at 6:44 Quote
Uphills aren't the problem , especially if you're clipped in and seated. Standing hills not so great. I could pedal fine with a pod k300 knee brace after the meniscus was fixed and I'd done some physio in the gym but that was before the acl reconstruction.

It's the jumps/drops you won't want to do with a snapped knee as its a large impact taken mostly through the knees, and even with a knee brace the chance of the knee 'sliding'/rotating out of place and doing more damage is very high.

That said the last week before my.reconstruction op I did some jumps/drops. Nothing big , and not really shredding it though, just some steady hits
flag jskiff
Posted: Jan 28, 2015 at 9:04 Quote
I have a complete tear of my ACL, demage to the meniscus (rear) and I've had it for 2 years this February.

Since doing the damage, I've rode nearly every week since the pain subsided and docs said I was good to go in places like, Stiniog, Bongor, FJMTB, Cockhill, Brenin, Llandegla, Penmachno, Lee Quarry, Forest of Dean, Gisburn, Cannock Chase, Delamere and god knows where else without any issue.

**Touch wood**

The only trouble I've had is when I played football.

I'm not saying that MTB is ok, falling off with an already damaged knee is not wise, however I've not had any problem (despite falling off a number of times).

Plus my surgoen is happy for me to go out on a 2 week gravity fuelled holiday with the lads. He told me it's not exactly recommended, but I've done it for 2 years and that it was up to me. The holiday was the whole reason I asked the qustion in the first place, whether to have the op now and forego the holiday or to wait until afterwards.

Don't get me wrong I had a good few months doing nothing at all and some physio before blasting down hills, however once I was feeling strong i just went for it, I even told my specialist (of that time, changed now) and he said go for it....!!!!

The thing is my knee feels pretty solid, I have no rocking or an unstable feeling, it's only given me jip when I played footy and snapped it again...... foolish but in my defence I was braced up and the hospital did tell me I'd be ok with the brace, juat to take it easy, that never happened but hey ho
flag danbeaven
Posted: Jan 28, 2015 at 9:48 Quote
Yeah it's a case by case thing with this injury. If in doubt, go see the surgeon/ortho/physio and explain symptoms/problems, show them what you want to do and let them make the call.

My situation I've had is called the 'unhappy triad' and I'm lucky to have an excellent ortho physio who I've seen for a long time and is a knee specialist. He also rides, which is a bonus. I've stuck by his advise when/when not to ride even when the first surgeon disagreed. I then saw two more surgeons who agreed with physio, and we consulted with a well known physio to the mtb stars.

If nothing else, I'd say don't be afraid to ask and ask again - second opinions are worthwhile
flag jskiff
Posted: Jan 28, 2015 at 11:58 Quote
danbeaven wrote:
Yeah it's a case by case thing with this injury. If in doubt, go see the surgeon/ortho/physio and explain symptoms/problems, show them what you want to do and let them make the call.

My situation I've had is called the 'unhappy triad' and I'm lucky to have an excellent ortho physio who I've seen for a long time and is a knee specialist. He also rides, which is a bonus. I've stuck by his advise when/when not to ride even when the first surgeon disagreed. I then saw two more surgeons who agreed with physio, and we consulted with a well known physio to the mtb stars.

If nothing else, I'd say don't be afraid to ask and ask again - second opinions are worthwhile

Quite frankly all of that Smile listen to Dan Smile

 


Copyright © 2000 - 2024. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv42 0.014911
Mobile Version of Website