torn acl

[ShearerM4]

can you tell me what exactly goes on around 1 month to 3 months after the op? do you still have something on your knee after the cruches stage? are you able to drive (its my right leg)?

Well let's see, it depends on what technique is used during the operation... They apparently both have the same effect in the long run but the treatment in the first month varies.

Anyway, you're probably looking at up to 4-5 days in bed after the operation itself... with initial physio only being range of motion exercises. After about 10-15 days you might be able to start putting your foot down with crutches, then gradually losing them.

You don't normaly have to wear a leg brace, unless you prefer too. You normaly would have bandages and maybe staples for the first three weeks. You also have to wear tights to help the blood flow in your legs until you can put your foot down again, and support your own body without crutches.

As for driving, it's really up to you, you'll feel it when you're comforatble with it and your knee can bend in the right ways to allow you to drive... but it'll be at least a month.

The first couple of weeks are the toughest because of the lack of range you can bend your knee at, and the pains involved. Everyday stuff is a little tough with one of your legs being completely straight all the time, like sitting down at a table, and yes taking a dump!

Had a quick look at the Wiki page about all this, and it explains things pretty clearly:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anterior_cruciate_ligament_reconstruction

 

[Socrates]

The first month after surgery they will manily work on improving your range of motion on your knee as ShearerM4 has said. At first you will barely be able to bend your knee but after some physical thearapy it gets a lot better. Oh and yes taking a dump the first week can be very hard...it was for me They also shave your knee right before surgery....and my leg is hairy as **** so it looked really werid to have no hair in just one spot. I had a leg brace to keep my leg stright ( and yes it did help ).

 

[Eng4WorldCup]

i have a month off from dec 20th (the day i do it) till january 22nd... do you think by jan22nd i will be fine to go to school?

 

[ShearerM4]

I'm guessing you'll be doing intense physio during that month (every day), if so you should be fine... obviously still a bit of discomfort but nothing incacitating. If ever in doubt wear your leg brace for a little longer than necessary and people will go out of their way to make you comfortable

 

[Socrates]

i have a month off from dec 20th (the day i do it) till january 22nd... do you think by jan22nd i will be fine to go to school?

You should be fine...its other people that might be the worry. Say someone runs into you on accident, could be very painful. If everything goes right you should be fine. Good luck man

 

[Eng4WorldCup]

i hope so...

did you guys do physical therapy before the op? i have been told to do it before but its going less than a month and i still havent got a list yet...

 

[Socrates]

i hope so...

did you guys do physical therapy before the op? i have been told to do it before but its going less than a month and i still havent got a list yet...

I did, but mine was really swollen so they wanted to get that down a bit before I got the op. Thats what I mainly focused on and also making the knee stronger so that my recovery was quicker.

 

[Coon]

Sorry to hear you did this. I've torn both of my ACLs in the last two years. During my first year of college, I tore my left MCL half way into the season, and had to sit out 3 months. I came back pretty strong, but my problem was that I would overuse my right leg. Once you heard one leg, you're automatically going to start using the other leg more. With this in mind, I started my second year of college soccer. Two weeks into pre-season training I tore my right ACL and meniscus. I was told I would be more prone to hurt my other knee, and that's exactly what I did. I went through hell during rehab and got back into playing about 6 month later. I was maybe 70% at that time and it took me another good 2 months before I was about 90%. The last 10% are hard because naturally you don't want to cut as much because you feel it might give out again.

Then this year, the start of my third year, I tore my ACL in my left knee. Once again, it was the opposite leg of the time before. Now I'm 3 months into rehab. The second time is much easier as you know what to expect. I hope I never have to do this again. Please let this be the last time. All this crap has ruined my college soccer game so far. If I get my masters degree, I'll get to play the two years I missed out on, so that's a positive, but who knows... I might get unlucky again.

By the way, I never had a knee problem or any other injury problem for that matter. This game out of nowhere, and once I tore my MCL all this other crap came at me.

 

[Socrates]

By the way, I never had a knee problem or any other injury problem for that matter. This game out of nowhere, and once I tore my MCL all this other crap came at me.

Same here infact I never had any kind of injury at all. Than one indoor game I tear my ACL, MCL, and **** up some other **** in my name . Hopefully I don't have these types of issues again and man sorry to hear about you. Tearing both ACL's....did the doctors say that you can play again? Or what was their reaction.

 

[Coon]

I'll be able to play again, I just have to go through all the rehab again. I haven't played a competitive match in over 2 years, so it'll take me some time to get back fully. But yes, I'll be able to come back. As long as it never happens to me again, I'll be okay.

 

[Eng4WorldCup]

wow coon that really sux man. i hope you make it through. i feel like sh.it just because i tore 1 acl but imagine how hard it must have been for you. thats really tough man, hope you get to play at 100% again. maybe when you get back to playing play for fun more than pushing yourself to the limit?

well, same with me. no knee or any injury problems and i was starting to go into college with a possible full scholarship but i tore my acl so now i just gave up on college soccer and decided to focus on studies for now. obviously one day id like to go back and do soccer for college but my mindframe is more about playing for fun in the future than pushing myself to the limit.

socrates: damn man. tearing all of them at once must really be a pain in the ass. i hope this will teach me to go through rehad fully and keep strengthening my legs in the future after i get back to playing.

 

[Socrates]

socrates: damn man. tearing all of them at once must really be a pain in the ass. i hope this will teach me to go through rehad fully and keep strengthening my legs in the future after i get back to playing.

Yea it was terrible and the weird thing was that I was limping away that night so I thought yea it hurts but it can be too bad...damn was I wrong. As long as you take your time and all the physical therapy you should be fine. Right now I am just playing for fun and while its not 100%, its good enough to play on.

 

[Eng4WorldCup]

3 days till d-day - aaaaaaaaaaaaaah

 

[Socrates]

So... how is your knee?

 

[Eng4WorldCup]

its weak ... im getting stronger (its approaching 4 weeks now) and i still have the brace on without having it opened to sit down or anything. abt 2 weeks ago i could start limping and walking without the crutches but the doctor said keep using the crutches so im still using them (although the past few days i felt more confortable walking withouth them)... my school starts on 22nd and my next doctor appointment isnt until feb 6th so i know i wont have the brace off by then... im just hoping that by school starting i can at least unlock it to sit down normally and at the next doctor appointment i can be strong enough and take off the brace. that would really put a smile on my face.

i still cant believe i actually went through with the operation. its best that i didnt know the details of it cuz then i prob wouldnt have done it. but the thought of being able to play again in 6 months fascinates me and really excites me. right now i just cant wait to walk normally again, after that it can as long as it wants to get strong enough, i can wait it out until im ready.

any tips on helping it through this stage?

 

[Eng4WorldCup]

Hey guys, ShearerM4 reminded me about this thread . I was wondering, has anyone got the feeling back in their knee after this op? I was never told by anyone, even my friends who've had this, that I probably wouldn't get any feeling back in it (when someone touches it). I guess I have to take that sacrifice in order to play what I love again!

 

[Eng4WorldCup]

You don't have feeling when someone touches it?? Have you talked to your doctor about that and your other issue of it getting stiff when you standing up too long? I have been out of my second surgery for a month now and I am not effected by either. I also did not experience this the first time I had surgery, it seems odd to be happening at 18 weeks.

Well, I mean I can somewhat feel it, but slightly under where the knee bends it feels *weird* when someone touches it. My physical therapist told me some people don't get that feeling back at all and some get back around 6 months post-op. And yeah, I thought the stiffness is normal? It's been happening to me since I started walking around. Certainly at the beginning it was worse but now it isnt too bad but it definitely still happens. You had a second surgery about a month ago? I feel so bad, it must be really hard going through more than one of these...

 

[Socrates]

Well, I mean I can somewhat feel it, but slightly under where the knee bends it feels *weird* when someone touches it. My physical therapist told me some people don't get that feeling back at all and some get back around 6 months post-op. And yeah, I thought the stiffness is normal? It's been happening to me since I started walking around. Certainly at the beginning it was worse but now it isnt too bad but it definitely still happens. You had a second surgery about a month ago? I feel so bad, it must be really hard going through more than one of these...

Ah I see, ok than I feel the same way.That area feels weird indeed although certain things help me with that like some lotion, coco butter. Feel's better after having that on.

Hmm, after about a month I am walking very normal and no stiffness when I stand for any certain amount of time. Maybe it's different for other people though? Might want to check with the doctor on that aswell.

Yea remember when I said I tried to come back to early, turns out I tore it but not fully than I was still playing on it ( I had not known about the minor tear ). After about 2 months I went to see the doctor again because I was still having issues with my knee where it would hurt after games or on certain turns and it turned out my ACL was infact torn and I was somehow playing on it ( I was not playing 100% but was able to do some things ). So I went back and had a second surgery on the same knee, they say I can play again after the rehab but it might take a littler longer to come back this time. I am hoping to return in November for indoor soccer and looking at how things are going so far that looks very likely. Yea it does suck but it is also a little easier because I kind of know what to expect, I just hate the wait and time of recovery.

Are you still in physical thearapy?

 

[Eng4WorldCup]

Good luck with that! I'm killing myself going through it once so I'm going to take as long as it takes to be 100% sure that I should start playing again. Even if it takes 9 months, it's still worth it to be safe than sorry. Yes I am still going to physical therapy, mostly 3 times a week for an hour. I've been doing very light sports, like shooting a ball (precision without too much power to make sure i don't stress the knee) and I jog around here and there. It feels amazing to just be kicking a ball again! I'm going to have to ask my physical therapist and my Doctor to see what I can do to take away the stiffness.

 

[Socrates]

Good luck with that! I'm killing myself going through it once so I'm going to take as long as it takes to be 100% sure that I should start playing again. Even if it takes 9 months, it's still worth it to be safe than sorry. Yes I am still going to physical therapy, mostly 3 times a week for an hour. I've been doing very light sports, like shooting a ball (precision without too much power to make sure i don't stress the knee) and I jog around here and there. It feels amazing to just be kicking a ball again! I'm going to have to ask my physical therapist and my Doctor to see what I can do to take away the stiffness.

That's good man, and yea don't rush it. Take as much time as it takes to be fully healed. Right now I am focused on getting my muscle back around the knee which support it and also swimming exercises help out.