I'm having surgery because of a torn ACL...

[TENNIS_IS_FUN]

Hello folks well I went to the orthopedics and it turns out that i completely tore my ACL UGH. I'm most likely going to have surgery...i'm only 19 years old. What can i expect from this surgery? I'm having an MRI later this week to see if there is anything else wrong with my knee...the doctor said that i possibly could have a torn meniscus. Do any of you know how to tell if you have a torn meniscus? Anyways, i just want to know if anybody here has had surgery on their knee and how their experience was. How long did rehab take? Are they back to 100% or do they now consider a 50% from before injury their 100%? I'm actually kinda scared as well...

Thanks all.

 

[ollinger]

An ACL and meniscus is significant damage. The meniscus alone is reason to limit running in the future to the tennis court only -- training runs would not be a good idea as meniscus repairs don't always hold up well to wear and tear so you'll want to minimize trauma to the knee. You should anticipate doing non-impact exercise in the future, such as bike or elliptical. Even a good recovery will mean taking it easier on your knee because of the potential for recurrent meniscus damage.

 

[staTennis]

my girlfriend actually has both of these currently, a torn meniscus and ACL. The meniscus is what caused her the most problems in tennis and day to day life. Occasionally, it would pop and she could not straighten out her leg and it was pretty painful. She will be getting surgery in a month so unfortunately i do not have info on that.

 

[scotus]

Sorry to hear that. Mind sharing how your tore your ACL?

 

[marosmith]

do a patellat tendon allograft repair for quicker recovery. i assume it is an oblique tear of the lateral meniscus. if it is just a small tear, with proper pt and post op excercise you could be back to 90%.

 

[TENNIS_IS_FUN]

Sorry to hear that. Mind sharing how your tore your ACL?

I was playing basketball outdoors with crappy shoes that ran out of grip, not to mention the asphalt was slippery in itself. I was running for a ball heading out of bounds and did a baseball slide (feet first). I heard a pop and the rest is pretty self explanatory.

 

[TENNIS_IS_FUN]

do a patellat tendon allograft repair for quicker recovery. i assume it is an oblique tear of the lateral meniscus. if it is just a small tear, with proper pt and post op excercise you could be back to 90%.

That was what i was thinking...I also heard you could do the patella tendon repair but with a donor tissue...any info on this?

 

[TENNIS_IS_FUN]

Not to spam, but one thing i learned from this whole ordeal...

DO NOT TAKE HEALTH FOR GRANTED. I mean...i've been sitting at home for the past month not being able to play the two sports i love the most (tennis and basketball), and probably won't be able to play them at all until about a year more!

 

[fantom]

I'm really sorry to hear about your knee. I did the same thing just over a year ago and I'd say that I'm now at about 95% back to where I was.

The MRI report will likely contain other injuries that are common with an ACL tear. Don't be alarmed when a laundry list of injuries are included. The meniscus is probably the most important "other" issue. Depending on where the meniscus is torn (if at all), they'll need to take different actions.

The link below covers most of my experience. I think I also listed some helpful websites in there.

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=182413

Here are some words of advice:

* Be sure to talk to a number of surgeons and go with somebody that you trust
* Investigate the different graft methods and make an educated decision on what type of graft to use. You're 19 and have a long life in front of you.
* Take rehab very seriously. If you do, you will have great results.

I'll be happy to answer any questions that you have...

 

[TENNIS_IS_FUN]

I'm really sorry to hear about your knee. I did the same thing just over a year ago and I'd say that I'm now at about 95% back to where I was.

The MRI report will likely contain other injuries that are common with an ACL tear. Don't be alarmed when a laundry list of injuries are included. The meniscus is probably the most important "other" issue. Depending on where the meniscus is torn (if at all), they'll need to take different actions.

The link below covers most of my experience. I think I also listed some helpful websites in there.

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=182413

Here are some words of advice:

* Be sure to talk to a number of surgeons and go with somebody that you trust
* Investigate the different graft methods and make an educated decision on what type of graft to use. You're 19 and have a long life in front of you.
* Take rehab very seriously. If you do, you will have great results.

I'll be happy to answer any questions that you have...

Hey fantom,

I read your thread, very informative and i guess puts my mind to ease just a little...when you went in for the MRI, what other injuries did you have? did you tear your meniscus? Is there another surgery required for this?

 

[fantom]

I believe there was a small tear on the posterior (rear) horn of the lateral (outside) meniscus. It was nothing major. I can't remember if he shaved it at all. It has never caused me any problems.

The other injuries were cartilage damage, bone bruise on the bottom of the femur, and some possible damage to the posterolateral corner, which is the outside-rear of your knee. These are all very common from an acl tear because your femur grinds down onto your tibia when the acl blows.

During my procedure, he went into my knee with a scope before doing the acl recon to take a look at the damage and shave away any cartilage or meniscus damage. After that, he did the ACL reconstruction. It's all done during the same procedure. In rare cases, when meniscus damage stops the patient from having range of motion (it gets pinched between the femur & tibia), they will do the meniscus fix first, then wait a while for some rehab, and then do the ACL recon. When the patient has full range of motion before the ACL recon, there is a much better chance of a full recovery.

Do you have full range of motion yet? When I first blew my ACL, they had me concentrating on regaining full extension first and foremost, followed by regaining flexion.

 

[BillH]

I had a right ACL recon in 2004 and a left recon in 2006. Fantom has alot of good info regarding the procedure. Expect to rehab and not be allowed to play tennis or any "cutting" sport for 6 months, then expect another 6 months before you are back to "normal." Some people never return to their normal function and I believe that is dependent upon the surgeon's skill and how serious the patient takes his rehab. I can't stress enough that you have to rehab hard and with full commitment. BTW, I'm 55 and play 5-6 days a week currently (mixture of singles, doubles, and drills) with no discomfort or restriction of movement. Good luck.

P.S. Do strengthening exercises for the non-surgical knee also - you'd be surprised at the statistics re the tearing of the other ACL within a couple year period.

 

[marosmith]

That was what i was thinking...I also heard you could do the patella tendon repair but with a donor tissue...any info on this?

yes, that's what the allograft is. good option for some people (and becoming more popular with pro athletes as well).

 

[mawashi]

Hello folks well I went to the orthopedics and it turns out that i completely tore my ACL UGH. I'm most likely going to have surgery...i'm only 19 years old. What can i expect from this surgery? I'm having an MRI later this week to see if there is anything else wrong with my knee...the doctor said that i possibly could have a torn meniscus. Do any of you know how to tell if you have a torn meniscus? Anyways, i just want to know if anybody here has had surgery on their knee and how their experience was. How long did rehab take? Are they back to 100% or do they now consider a 50% from before injury their 100%? I'm actually kinda scared as well...

Thanks all.

Man sorry to hear about that, I'm probably going to have to go through that as well as my meniscus, ACL & MCL is pretty much shot for my left knee and my right knee has the drawer effect of ACL issues too.

Mir in a bout a week's time and I really hope that it isn't as serious as I think it is.

mawashi

 

[TENNIS_IS_FUN]

Thanks everyone for your responses.

I'll be having an MRI this Wednesday to see if anything else is damaged. My doctor, just by feeling my knee, said my ACL was torn for sure. Physical therapy...sounds like a challenge...i will conquer it.

Mawashi, it appears as if we have almost the same timeline for our injuries and our dates for MRI's ha!

 

[fantom]

Thanks everyone for your responses.

I'll be having an MRI this Wednesday to see if anything else is damaged. My doctor, just by feeling my knee, said my ACL was torn for sure. Physical therapy...sounds like a challenge...i will conquer it.

Mawashi, it appears as if we have almost the same timeline for our injuries and our dates for MRI's ha!

Yeah, they can tell pretty easily if there's no ACL. Like I said before...make sure you choose the right surgeon. Preferably one who specializes in knees. Some do 200+ ACLR's per year, and some do less than 10. Something that seems minor like selecting the right location to drill the tunnel for the new ACL can actually cause a lot of problems.

 

[TENNIS_IS_FUN]

Yeah, they can tell pretty easily if there's no ACL. Like I said before...make sure you choose the right surgeon. Preferably one who specializes in knees. Some do 200+ ACLR's per year, and some do less than 10. Something that seems minor like selecting the right location to drill the tunnel for the new ACL can actually cause a lot of problems.

Thanks for all your help fantom...the next time i'll be posting is when i have the surgery...maybe i'll make some sort of diary.

 

[fantom]

Thanks for all your help fantom...the next time i'll be posting is when i have the surgery...maybe i'll make some sort of diary.

No problem. Best of luck to you! Soon you'll be on the road to recovery.

 

[TENNIS_IS_FUN]

Hey fantom (or anybody knowledgeable with acl surgery). I'm having my surgery on June 3rd, which is right in the beginning of summer and had a few questions...

In your opinion, how long did it take until you felt comfortable standing for a good amount of hours?? I was planning on having a summer job but of course I doubt it will happen now...

How is your knee feeling today???

Can you not do any physical activities while in rehab for the ~6 months?? No stationary bike? No elliptical? How did you manage to keep in shape?

And lastly, how are you mentally, in regards to playing sports?? Do you fear re injuring your knee, which in turn hinders your game play? After having this surgery, i can't imagine playing sports the way i did before (mentally). Maybe i'm just feeling like this at this moment and it will disappear.

-THANKS
tennis_is_fun

 

[anantak2k]

I am not too sure about ACL surgery personally but I have had surgeries for tearing up my meniscus on both my legs before. Most people say that meniscus is usually more troublesome and bothers you more. After about 3 weeks of surgery I was able to walk fine and it was not too bad standing up for long hours. I started playing tennis again I think about 3 months after the surgery but my footwork was terrible. I normally move extremely well and can get to any balls. It took almost a year and half for me to get fully back up to speed. And the knees don't bother me at all anymore. Of course I have been working out my legs a lot to strengthen the other muscles in the area to avoid further injuries. damn hard courts are too tough on your joins.
I did have a cousin who got a surgery to fix a torn ACL and he seems to have recovered a lot faster than I did (almost twice as fast). But he doesn't play tennis. He plays basketball.

Hey fantom (or anybody knowledgeable with acl surgery). I'm having my surgery on June 3rd, which is right in the beginning of summer and had a few questions...

In your opinion, how long did it take until you felt comfortable standing for a good amount of hours?? I was planning on having a summer job but of course I doubt it will happen now...

How is your knee feeling today???

Can you not do any physical activities while in rehab for the ~6 months?? No stationary bike? No elliptical? How did you manage to keep in shape?

And lastly, how are you mentally, in regards to playing sports?? Do you fear re injuring your knee, which in turn hinders your game play? After having this surgery, i can't imagine playing sports the way i did before (mentally). Maybe i'm just feeling like this at this moment and it will disappear.

-THANKS
tennis_is_fun

 

[fantom]

All great questions.

In your opinion, how long did it take until you felt comfortable standing for a good amount of hours??

I'd say that after 2 months, I could stand for multiple hours without any issues. Now, if there's any type of labor involved with that, it's a totally different story. During the first 6 months, you are constantly battling increasing activity levels while not causing swelling. Your knee will "tell" you when you need to sit down for a bit.

How is your knee feeling today???

It feels great...as solid as it ever did. There are a few minor differences, though.
1) The original ACL contains nerves that send your brain signals that indicate the position of your knee. Once those signals are severed, they are never replaced...even by your new ACL. Your brain re-learns how to handle the lack of information. It's hard to explain, but you can just 'sense' that the ACL knee is different than the other one. You just get used to it.
2) There is numbness on the incision site on the front of the knee. It was VERY numb for the first 6-8 months. Feeling is slowly coming back, but it will never be the same as it was before. This is only bothersome when kneeling down. You get used to it...

Can you not do any physical activities while in rehab for the ~6 months?? No stationary bike? No elliptical? How did you manage to keep in shape?

I'm in the best shape of my life right now, and a lot of that has to do with my rehab. The time to return to activities depends a lot on your Physical Therapist and the type of graft you received. Patella tendon autografts secure themselves much more quickly because they rely on bone-to-bone healing rather than bone-to-soft tissue. This allows you to return to activity quicker. My physical therapy incorporated stationary bike or elliptical after the first 4 weeks. I was allowed to do LIGHT activity (golf, shooting baskets, light groundstrokes) after 4 weeks also, although I didn't. I hit tennis balls (slowly, with no more than 3 steps allowed for each ball) for the first time at 7 weeks, and, boy, did it feel weird.....this is getting long. You can read through my "ACL" Thread again and look for the status updates. I chronicled everything pretty well, especially the first 3 months. My "update" posts have headings like "3 weeks post-op". It's pretty easy to scroll down and catch them.

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=182413

And lastly, how are you mentally, in regards to playing sports?? Do you fear re injuring your knee, which in turn hinders your game play?

This was probably one of the toughest things. It especially came into play during competition. I still imagine my knee crunching under me at times, but when I'm playing I don't think about it much anymore. Time is the only thing that heals this wound. What helps you get over it is keeping up with the rehab and knowing how strong your legs are. My legs are much stronger than they used to be and will protect me more in case of another accident. You just have to learn to trust it.

Hope this helps and good luck! Feel free to ask me anything else....

 

[Jim Hendricks]

I had my meniscus cleaned up and ACL replaced a month ago. Still going through rehab, but it's going well. My doctor told me the 3-6 month period is crucial. You feel good enough to do anything but the ACL is at its weakess because the blood is starting to flow through the ACL. He said people who start playing too soon run the risk of tearing it again. He said don't expect to return to the courts for 9 months. Listen to your doctor and therapist. Good luck, Jim.

 

[BillH]

I had my meniscus cleaned up and ACL replaced a month ago. Still going through rehab, but it's going well. My doctor told me the 3-6 month period is crucial. You feel good enough to do anything but the ACL is at its weakess because the blood is starting to flow through the ACL. He said people who start playing too soon run the risk of tearing it again. He said don't expect to return to the courts for 9 months. Listen to your doctor and therapist. Good luck, Jim.

You are right about the 3-6 month period. During that time your body is using the graft as a "bridge" to revascularize and form a new acl. Different orthopedists have different protocols as far as returning to activity - my doctor said 6 months, others use 8 or 9 and still others allow return to sports within 4 months depending on graft type and rehab success. Differences exist regarding use of braces during rehab and after the 6 month period also. My doctor insisted I wear a brace until one year after surgery - others claim the brace cannot prevent the type of acl tear that results from twisting or cutting. That may be correct, but the brace can definately prevent injury from hyper-extension. Bottom line is that there is no need to start activities requiring cutting, stop/go, etc., until you are comfortable doing so. Even after 6 months or so, it will be awhile before your mind lets you move without thought of reinjury - the memory of that knee going sideways is hard to get rid of. Then one day you are moving and playing and you realize you're not thinking about your knee anymore. For me, that was around the 1 year mark.

 

[TENNIS_IS_FUN]

Don't know if anybody cares but i will be having my ACL surgery on June 2nd and was lucky enough to have a surgeon that also specializes in sports medicine. His orthopedic is also the office that the Anaheim (CA) ducks go to.

I will be posting a blog here like Fantom did.

I got a call back from the movie theaters today for an interview...i turned it down. She said i could call back once i get more info on the knee...how long do you guys think it'll take post op to work at the theaters?

 

[fantom]

Don't know if anybody cares but i will be having my ACL surgery on June 2nd and was lucky enough to have a surgeon that also specializes in sports medicine. His orthopedic is also the office that the Anaheim (CA) ducks go to.

I will be posting a blog here like Fantom did.

I got a call back from the movie theaters today for an interview...i turned it down. She said i could call back once i get more info on the knee...how long do you guys think it'll take post op to work at the theaters?

Good luck w/ your surgery. Stay on top of the pain meds for the first few days.

I'd say that you won't be able to stand for 8 straight hours for 2-3 months. If you'll be sitting all day @ the job, then you could probably start 3 weeks after surgery and get by.

 

[TENNIS_IS_FUN]

Forget the daily blog idea...i'm dying in pain LOL

I have this huge brace on me that is set at 0 degrees. My post op check up is on June 10th (kinda late if you ask me)....

My doctor said i should have a rolled towel underneath my ankle whenever i sit or whatever, so that gravity will help my knee heal 'in place' at 0 degrees...but i'm assuming this is after i take this huge brace off since its already preset at 0 degrees. I better call the doc...been taking pain killers every 4 hours....helps a little.

how did you guys manage to sit after surgery? did you prop your leg up?

 

[fantom]

Forget the daily blog idea...i'm dying in pain LOL

I have this huge brace on me that is set at 0 degrees. My post op check up is on June 10th (kinda late if you ask me)....

My doctor said i should have a rolled towel underneath my ankle whenever i sit or whatever, so that gravity will help my knee heal 'in place' at 0 degrees...but i'm assuming this is after i take this huge brace off since its already preset at 0 degrees. I better call the doc...been taking pain killers every 4 hours....helps a little.

how did you guys manage to sit after surgery? did you prop your leg up?

My post-op experience was quite a bit different. I spent an entire week in bed with my leg in a continuous passive motion machine all day. The CPM moves your leg very slowly from 0 degrees to about 40 degrees and back (even when I slept). About 4 times per day I could take my leg out of the machine to do rehab exercises.

Stay on top of the meds and follow your surgeon's rehab protocol. It's definitely not a fun time, but it will soon get better. Keep your head up.

 

[TENNIS_IS_FUN]

Ok Fantom thanks for all your advice i am very grateful...

One last question and this will be my last...

How much pain were you in after the surgery?? I've been reading on some acl blogs that some people have almost NO pain after surgery...i am pretty much dying over here, taking 2 pills of Vicodin every 4 hours (maxxed out). Do you have any idea how long this pain will last??

 

[fantom]

The only pain I really had was when walking and doing my rehab exercises.

I was on a rotating cycle of Extra strength Tylenol, Aleve, and Darvon (like vicodin).

Are you icing around the clock and keeping your leg raised above your heart? These will help keep swelling down, which I believe causes a lot of discomfort. Hang in there.

 

[TENNIS_IS_FUN]

Hey Fantom...I was gonna email you through TT but i actually forgot the password for the email i registered this account with.

Anyways, it is now Day 10 Post op and everything is a lot better now. I scheduled my first PT session for June 16th, and in the meantime have been doing exercises prescribed by my doctor (straight leg lifts and pressing my quads down with a rolled towel underneath my leg). I am at 0 deg extension and 100 degree flexation. I know it was a little different for your surgery, since you took the patella tendon graft from the healthy knee, but what is a way to work on flexation until my PT starts? I can't seem to get past the 100 degree mark!! Should i just stop it at that until PT starts? I don't want the whole scare tissue build up ordeal.

-Anybody can feel free to answer this! Sorry for sounding like a broken record.

 

[BillH]

The towel under the ankle with light stretching to straighten out the knee is good - check what degree your non-surgincal knee is so you will have a good idea of what to shoot for. My PT had me sit on a low exercise table and slowly lower my butt to my heels to get full bend. It took several weeks to get full bend. Like others, I was on a continual motion machine and constant icing from the minute I got home. I realy think that was the best thing for quicker recovery and I was going to PT the Tuesday after a Thursday surgery.. I only took pain meds for 2 days or so and then quit with no real discomfort after that. I had this same routine for both left and right ACL recons.

 

[fantom]

Hey Fantom...I was gonna email you through TT but i actually forgot the password for the email i registered this account with.

Anyways, it is now Day 10 Post op and everything is a lot better now. I scheduled my first PT session for June 16th, and in the meantime have been doing exercises prescribed by my doctor (straight leg lifts and pressing my quads down with a rolled towel underneath my leg). I am at 0 deg extension and 100 degree flexation. I know it was a little different for your surgery, since you took the patella tendon graft from the healthy knee, but what is a way to work on flexation until my PT starts? I can't seem to get past the 100 degree mark!! Should i just stop it at that until PT starts? I don't want the whole scare tissue build up ordeal.

-Anybody can feel free to answer this! Sorry for sounding like a broken record.

Glad to hear you're doing well. For the first few weeks post-op, the main flexion exercise I did was heel slides. To do them, you sit on the ground with your legs straight out in front of you with your back against the wall or a couch. You slowly slide your heel towards your butt. When your heel gets close to your butt, place your hands around your ankle and pull your heel closer. Hold it for 5 seconds (there will be some pain here) and then release. Do 10 reps. I was doing like 4-5 sets of these each day.

Concerning the scar tissue, my physical therapist told me that extension was the main thing to worry about. If you don't get full extension within the first few weeks, scar tissue builds up and you never regain it. I'm talking about hyper-extension past 0 degrees. You should get your surgical knee to the same point that your other knee hyperextends (some people's knees go farther than others). Flexion isn't a big deal concerning scar tissue. You will get full flexion eventually as long as you work on it.

Feel free to e-mail me if you have more questions. Really, I don't mind.

 

[superlobber]

A friend of mine has torn his ACL and has surgery when he was about your age. It took him about 6 months to get better, but never 100%.
NO SURGERY WILL GIVE YOU BACK 100%, but he is about at least 80%-90% or more. Your body will adjust to it.

Have the surgery ASAP when you are young and healthy(ier).
Good Luck.

 

[ratm355]

hey, you'll be fine and back playing tennis eventually. I've had 3 knee surgeries (torn ACL and meniscus, torn ACL, and scope to clean out scar tissue) and I just turned 23. The doctor will know if it's a torn meniscus when he's in there doing the surgery and will repair it if necessary.

First of all, DO ALL THE PHYSICAL THERAPY, but DON'T OVERDO IT EITHER. Just do exactly what your physical therapist says to do. Focus on getting the swelling down and keep your knee raised above your heart whenever you can in the beginning. I'd invest in some good gel ice packs or something similar. They seem to work a lot better than a ziploc bag with ice cubes. I'd also recommend spending some $$ on equipment to replicate what you do at PT at home once your physical therapist gives you things to do at home.

You should expect to be playing tennis (taking it easy though) in 6 to 8 months. That might be a little longer if you also tore the meniscus. No way to tell when you'll be back to 100%. It was very different for my two ACL surgeries.

looking through thread and will answer some of your other questions here.....

comfortable standing for several hours...to be honest, my knees get stiff after 30 minutes of standing in one place and I'm fully recovered. As long as I'm moving around, it's fine though.

100 degrees at 10 days post op is pretty good if I remember correctly. Just keep working on it and do what you can. That mainly has to do with how much swelling there is so it will improve with time as well.

You can always call your doctor's office and ask your doctor or a nurse questions. Your physical therapist will be a good resource too.

It's very possible to make a 100% recovery...I'd say I've easily made a 120% recovery. Depends on what you're expecting though....my knees pop a lot now and I don't quite have full range of motion on one knee, but it's pretty close. I had a lot of knee problems from playing tennis after surgery that I never had before. I now have a strict workout regiment...strength training, balance, agility...that I do 2 to 3 times a week and that has solved pretty much all my injury problems. I believe Andy Roddick had a torn ACL when he was younger and he's doing pretty well now I'd say

Good luck

 

[TENNIS_IS_FUN]

hey, you'll be fine and back playing tennis eventually. I've had 3 knee surgeries (torn ACL and meniscus, torn ACL, and scope to clean out scar tissue) and I just turned 23. The doctor will know if it's a torn meniscus when he's in there doing the surgery and will repair it if necessary.

First of all, DO ALL THE PHYSICAL THERAPY, but DON'T OVERDO IT EITHER. Just do exactly what your physical therapist says to do. Focus on getting the swelling down and keep your knee raised above your heart whenever you can in the beginning. I'd invest in some good gel ice packs or something similar. They seem to work a lot better than a ziploc bag with ice cubes. I'd also recommend spending some $$ on equipment to replicate what you do at PT at home once your physical therapist gives you things to do at home.

You should expect to be playing tennis (taking it easy though) in 6 to 8 months. That might be a little longer if you also tore the meniscus. No way to tell when you'll be back to 100%. It was very different for my two ACL surgeries.

looking through thread and will answer some of your other questions here.....

comfortable standing for several hours...to be honest, my knees get stiff after 30 minutes of standing in one place and I'm fully recovered. As long as I'm moving around, it's fine though.

100 degrees at 10 days post op is pretty good if I remember correctly. Just keep working on it and do what you can. That mainly has to do with how much swelling there is so it will improve with time as well.

You can always call your doctor's office and ask your doctor or a nurse questions. Your physical therapist will be a good resource too.

It's very possible to make a 100% recovery...I'd say I've easily made a 120% recovery. Depends on what you're expecting though....my knees pop a lot now and I don't quite have full range of motion on one knee, but it's pretty close. I had a lot of knee problems from playing tennis after surgery that I never had before. I now have a strict workout regiment...strength training, balance, agility...that I do 2 to 3 times a week and that has solved pretty much all my injury problems. I believe Andy Roddick had a torn ACL when he was younger and he's doing pretty well now I'd say

Good luck

Wow thanks for such an informative post!!! And I can't believe Andy Roddick tore his ACL as well!!! This does indeed give me some hope...

When exactly did you have your surgeries?? And you mention that your knee pops frequently...what exactly is this? Popping as in cracking your knuckles or popping as in your knee giving out?

So it's day 16 post op and my knee is feeling much better. I went to my first physical therapy appointment today and they did some examinations and taught me 6 exercises to do at home twice a day. It's hard not to overdo things since I have not really done anything active since i tore the ACL (April 2nd). Have you guys had the post surgery depression stage? OH MAN i was so depressed the first week after surgery hahah. Anyways, my surgeon (he is the team ortho doctor for the Anaheim Ducks!!) did indeed fix up my meniscus during the surgery and according to the operative report it was an arthroscopic partial lateral meniscectomy. One question...i typed this word in google and was pretty surprised and scared...all i could see were webpages dealing with arthritis and long term damage. Does anybody have any information with this meniscus thing.....i thought that the ACL was suppose to be the big deal!!!

 

[TENNIS_IS_FUN]

A friend of mine has torn his ACL and has surgery when he was about your age. It took him about 6 months to get better, but never 100%.
NO SURGERY WILL GIVE YOU BACK 100%, but he is about at least 80%-90% or more. Your body will adjust to it.

Have the surgery ASAP when you are young and healthy(ier).
Good Luck.

I hope i can exceed 100% after physical rehab!!!!

 

[TENNIS_IS_FUN]

Glad to hear you're doing well. For the first few weeks post-op, the main flexion exercise I did was heel slides. To do them, you sit on the ground with your legs straight out in front of you with your back against the wall or a couch. You slowly slide your heel towards your butt. When your heel gets close to your butt, place your hands around your ankle and pull your heel closer. Hold it for 5 seconds (there will be some pain here) and then release. Do 10 reps. I was doing like 4-5 sets of these each day.

Concerning the scar tissue, my physical therapist told me that extension was the main thing to worry about. If you don't get full extension within the first few weeks, scar tissue builds up and you never regain it. I'm talking about hyper-extension past 0 degrees. You should get your surgical knee to the same point that your other knee hyperextends (some people's knees go farther than others). Flexion isn't a big deal concerning scar tissue. You will get full flexion eventually as long as you work on it.

Feel free to e-mail me if you have more questions. Really, I don't mind.

Thanks for such detailed info!! I am still at 0 deg extension at 16 days post Op. My physical therapist examined my left knee (the healthy one) and said that compared other most other people, it was more loose and could extend greater. She said that i would have to wear a brace playing sports after rehab for my bad knee, and it may even be beneficial wear one on my healthy left knee because of its slight abnormality! WTF mate!! Anyways, i got an assisted ACL brace (the one that looks robotic), but i really don't want to wear it!! It's really uncomfortable and i can only wear shorts. It barely feels as if it's helping. I'm gonna ask my doctor/PT about this brace and if i need to wear it every time i walk. Did you wear a similar brace?

 

[fantom]

Thanks for such detailed info!! I am still at 0 deg extension at 16 days post Op. My physical therapist examined my left knee (the healthy one) and said that compared other most other people, it was more loose and could extend greater. She said that i would have to wear a brace playing sports after rehab for my bad knee, and it may even be beneficial wear one on my healthy left knee because of its slight abnormality! WTF mate!! Anyways, i got an assisted ACL brace (the one that looks robotic), but i really don't want to wear it!! It's really uncomfortable and i can only wear shorts. It barely feels as if it's helping. I'm gonna ask my doctor/PT about this brace and if i need to wear it every time i walk. Did you wear a similar brace?

That's the opposite of what my surgeon told me. I asked him if I should wear a brace, and he replied, "which knee are you thinking of putting it on?" He went on to say that braces do nothing to stop the forces at work inside your knee when you're cutting and changing directions. He also said that he would brace people many years ago, but felt like it did nothing but increase the probability of injuring the other knee since you are no longer free to move naturally. Every surgeon is different.

 

[THESEXPISTOL]

best wishes TENNIS_IS_FUN
Hope that you recover soon

 

[ratm355]

When exactly did you have your surgeries?? And you mention that your knee pops frequently...what exactly is this? Popping as in cracking your knuckles or popping as in your knee giving out?

One question...i typed this word in google and was pretty surprised and scared...all i could see were webpages dealing with arthritis and long term damage. Does anybody have any information with this meniscus thing.....i thought that the ACL was suppose to be the big deal!!!

right knee acl and meniscus reconstruction - december 2001
left knee acl reconstruction - 2006
left knee scope to remove scar tissue - 2007

the popping is some scar tissue that's in the wrong place causing pressure on things I think...I don't think it's a big deal, but I'm told it's possible that it could turn into arthritis later in life

if you just had an arthroscopic surgery, then you should be pretty well off. less invasive than the standard surgery. Meniscus is between the bones. Your recovery might take a little longer with a meniscus repair in addition to the ACL repair. Not too big of a deal.

I wouldn't bother with braces for both legs...just do it on the bad leg...those things are expensive. Get some looser pants to wear with the brace. Those braces do suck, but I'd just do what your doctor says. If it's on properly, it will stop you from retearing or hyperextending your knee. You have less muscle to stabilize the knee right now so that's where the brace is supposed to help if you get caught in a precarious position.