Anyone have Experience with a Torn ACL? **UPDATED**

[Taylor]

Four weeks ago today I tore the ACL in my left knee ice skating (ice falling actually). I had an MRI and it showed a torn ACL. I have not yet gone to a specialist due to our trip to WDW. I wore a brace on my knee and was able to live through all of the walking with the help of my good friend Vicodin.

If you have had any experience with this injury, can you tell me what to expect?

 

[ColoradoBuffaloMom]

We are pretty sure my 16 DS tore his ACL last week during his club soccer game. We have an appontment with the Orthopedic Doctor on Thursday so we will know for sure then. We can't even schedule the MRI until tomorrow and then I don't know how long it will be till he actually has the MRI.

Right now he is wearing a knee brace and taking Vicodin as needed. He's sore mostly at night after a full day at school walking around. He's flexibility in the knee seems to be getting better but we are at the wait at see stage.

Good luck to you!

 

[Taylor]

My MRI results only took 24 hours. Good luck to your son as well.

 

[Tinkerbellish]

I am about a year and 2 months post op from ACL surgery. Throw any questions you've got at me

 

[Hillbeans]

I tore my ACL and MCL after a wipe out at Camelback Ski resort in PA in 2003. I had known I did something bad to it but I hadn't realized I did so much damage. For the first few days I was in a lot of pain however I met with an Orth. and he put me on a prescription of Physical Therapy which was 3x a week for about 3 months. The MCL healed, however the ACL never would without surgery. At the time I had a baby and my job more or less told me that I couldn't take the time off for surgery so I never had it. I wished I'd had it however now that it's 4 years later I can do pretty much everything i'd done before but I wear a brace so my knee won't go side-to-side if i'm roller blading or something like that. I will never ever ski again though - too scared.

Honestly, I wish i'd had the surgery years ago. I do occasionally have pain in my knee however I may have pain in my knee if i'd had the surgery. I may at some point elect to have knee surgery, and I hear the procedure with a "donor" ACL works fairly well.

Good luck to you - it's a very painful injury and one that takes a long time to recover from.

 

[Taylor]

I am about a year and 2 months post op from ACL surgery. Throw any questions you've got at me

What was the determining factor on whether or not you had surgery?

I was very suprised I was able to survive 10 days at WDW without crutches or a wheelchair. I also start my golf league in several weeks.

 

[ColoradoBuffaloMom]

I am about a year and 2 months post op from ACL surgery. Throw any questions you've got at me

After you had surgery did you use a wheelchair? If so for how long? How long did you use a knee brace all of the time? My guess is my DS will need to use s knee brace for a long time whenever he plays sports but for day to day stuff, how long did you need the brace?

Thanks for putting up with all of my questions.

 

[Bobbles]

Tore my left ACl in 1994 playing basketball. I was 40 years old and made the mistake of seeing an ortho who primarily did high school football players. He 'scoped and fixed the collaterals and told me that I would never be in the NBA so just live with it.

BIGGEST MISTAKE!

I was able to play racquetball for several years until I blew the kneee out again playing that darn basketball again. Now I can't move laterally without causing major pain and possible disjointing.

In other words, do what you must to get it fixed as soon as you can. The knees are soooo important.

 

[zdad]

I had a complete reconstruction of my right knee done about 2 1/2 years ago. I was ACL deficient (torn & gone) for about 20 years prior to that.

The surgury was the best thing every. I went to a sports ortho (my son's HS football team surgeon) and it was great. In Monday morning, and walked out Tuesday morning (with crutches assist) Had a new ACL put in, using part of my hamstring tendon, had meniscus trimmed and MCL repaired.

The key to the whole thing is the rehab. You must be dedicated and focused. Calf atrophy was my biggest issue.

Don't fear the surgury. It's really not that bad. It was a wonderful success for me.

Z

 

[Tinkerbellish]

What was the determining factor on whether or not you had surgery?

It was the degree of my tear (mine was fully gone) as well as the fact that I'm an extremely active teenager. The bottom of my leg would literally dangle if I was sitting on an edge due to the lack of connection. Also for future health issues.

After you had surgery did you use a wheelchair? If so for how long? How long did you use a knee brace all of the time? My guess is my DS will need to use s knee brace for a long time whenever he plays sports but for day to day stuff, how long did you need the brace?

No wheel chair, I was on crutches for about 2.5 months though. The last .5 was because I slipped on my first day without my thigh to ankle restriction brace. I had the brace on for about...a month and half. I was to wear it ALL TIMES for a about 5 weeks, then outdoors for the time being after that. I am currently using a custom made knee brace. It was very expensive (over 1000), and I have to wear it for at least a year, but I intend on wear it longer than that since my sport is so contract driven (basketball).

The brace that I am using is the Breg women's X2K, custom. It looks like the above but with a rubber coating on it.

 

[undertheradar]

My HS football player tore his ACL playing basketball. There was not much pain, blots of swelling. He went to 3 doctors before we picked the surgeon. He tore it 2 years ago this past March, did physical therapy 3X week and had surgery the end of May. He spent the Summer in a Breg brace and doing sports therapy training. He played 1/2 of the football season after being cleared. He now runs track and does not wear a brace(studies are 50/50 on bracing or not) for any sports. He had his patella tendon harvested and is faster now than before surgery. Consider all options for surgery including cadaver replacements. In my son's case, he is a MLB and RB, so using his own tendon was the best option. Expect to take a year to 18 months for a full recovery.

 

[tink_n_pooh]

My fiance tore his ACL about a year ago playing volleyball at his sisters house. He had surgery about 3 months after the tear. The healing process from the surgery is long and not fun at all. He did PT for awhile and now he is doing his own stretching and strength exercises at home. The surgery was in August and he has come a long way since. For him it was pretty much no choice, he needed the surgery because his ACL was completely torn. I think he's glad he had the surgery now, but if you asked him if he was glad he did it back in August he would have answered differently

Most importantly make sure you have a good ortho and do everything they tell you to do, especially any exercises or crutches, etc.

Good luck!

 

[Griggle]

I had a complete reconstruction of my right knee done about 2 1/2 years ago. I was ACL deficient (torn & gone) for about 20 years prior to that.

Zdad - me too! When I first hurt my knee playing woman's softball in HS 25 years ago - apparently, they never picked up my ACL was also torn; they only picked up on the cartilage damage.

About 3 years ago (and 20 years of my knee failing me and causing all kinds of falls), I kneeled down to pick up something from under DS's bed...and POP! It was all over.

I went to the Orthopedic, had the MRI...he came into the room and said "I have some good news, and I have some bad news. The good news is, your ACL isn't torn. The bad news is, you have no ACL".

We used the tendon from my kneecap as my new ACL. Unfortunately, he advised me then that my knee was so, so bad that I'd eventually need a total knee replacement. I think that time is going to be sooner, rather than later.

My recovery from the surgery was a long process. The first week out was particularly rough....but everyone heals and faces/deals with pain differently.

Definately don't not do it!!! It's very much worth it in the long run.

 

[sumrmist]

I fell straight down on both knees onto ceramic tile in May of '04. I knew I had banged it up but didnt go to the doctor until March of '05. He told me I had torn the meniscus and needed surgery or it would get worse. I had a less than 2 year old at this point and opted to wait and have surgery. After months of it locking on me when I would go to stand up or worse in the shower while shaving my legs I decided to have surgery in Jan. '06. When they got into the knee they realized my ACL had a 75% tear and the inflammation from the damage to my knee had eroded the meniscus. I lost 80% of the cartilage in my knee at 32 years of age. I would recommend getting that fixed ASAP as the inflammation can erode the other connective forces in your knee. Putting off my surgery for so long definitely had detrimental effects to my knee. I had therapy and the synvisc injections which helped for a while but the knee hurts all the time now. I am looking at going back to the dr to have whatever necessary done. I sure dont want to have a knee replacement though.

Does anyone with this injury have popping in the back of the knee? Thats a new thing thats been going on and I hope its not that ACL again.

 

[huckster]

my son 15 at the time tore both acl had both repaired , one at a time. he didnt walk for a while he was in the hosp 4 days for surgery each time, this was in 92/ 93 he is 29 now.. came home with a machine that kept his leg moving for 3 weeks , and crutch's. all good now

 

[Taylor]

I was finally able to get to the orthopedic specialist. I have a torn ACL and a partially torn MCL. Surgery was recommended, but the doctor said I could wait until the fall so that I am able to golf this summer. Still in pain, but it is tolerable.

On the positive side, I was able to survive our recent WDW trip without many issues.