Knee Injury:Torn ACL and PCL

[Bigwallmaster 0]

Ate shit skiing this weekend and tore my ACL and PCL. I am very concerned at this point, as I have never been injured to this extent. I am most concerned about the recovery. Will I make a full recovery? How long will it take?

If anyone out there has had a similar injury I would like to hear their experience.

thanks,

J.P.

[rehmwa 2]

Tore the ACL playing in a volleyball tournament over ten years ago - (bone/tendon/bone graft). This knee is now tighter/stabler than the other (that's good).

But both the ACL and PCL? That bites.

If I followed the advice of the Physical Therapists, it would have taken 14 months to recuperate. I instead followed the doctor's advice and was running through the woods in about 5 months (I can play tennis and do martial arts, etc now without a brace or sleeve - the biggest time to get rid of the sleeve was mental, not physical FWIW).

With the PCL out too, that's big - hopefully someone here can more closely cover your injury.

I'm certain full recovery is possible. But you need to listen to the health pros more than anyone else.

Good Luck

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[jdhill 0]

I blew out my knee skiing about 12 years ago, partial ACL and bad cartiledge damage... I was on cruches for about a month, then could walk, and in about two months I could run... but nowhwere near at the same level I was pre-injury...

At the time I was on an ROTC scholarship, but due to the injury I needed another phisical to determin if I was fit for duty... that physical determined I was not...

Promptly upon graduation, I had surgery on the knee... followed by 2 months of intensive rehab... then another physical from the Army... this one went much better... fully fit for duty, including Airborne...

I did 7 years on active duty, during which time the knee gave me a few problems, and it was easier to get tweaked doing strange stuff, but nothing too bad...

I can still tell when its going to rain, and it will get sore if I push things too far, but again, nothing too major.

If you have to get cut on, find the best ortho doctor you can... preferably one that speciallizes in sports medicine... and don't skimp on the rehab.

Get well.

Josh

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. - Edmund Burke

[PrairieDoug 0]

Been there, bro. Twice. Sorry for your injury.

My doctor told me that the speed/extent of recovery depends a lot on how much damage was done to other tissues in the knee. I had one knee reconstructed following an ACL tear, and it's now better than ever... but it took a long time to fully heal (1 year). Tore ACL on other knee but instead of surgically repairing it, I'm focusing on strengthening the surrounding muscles. So far so good. I'm back in the air, but wear a brace while jumping.

Best wishes for a quick recovery!

[billvon 3,058]

Depends on the severity of the damage. The ACL keeps your shin from moving too far in front of your knee; the PCL keeps it from moving too far back in relation to your knee. If both are really gone, you will probably experience instability in the knee; occasionally your tibial plateau may slip away from or "fall off" your femoral condyles and it will feel like your knee collapsed. Long term problems from this can include early arthritis in your knee, meniscus damage from the dislocation and injuries from falls when your knee gives out.

You have a few options if the ACL/PCL are truly gone.

1. Surgery to reconstruct it. This can be done in several ways; it often involves taking some other piece of you (muscle fascia or patellar tendon) and using it to reconstruct the ligaments.

2. Rehab. Your quadriceps can partially compensate for not having an PCL, and your hamstrings can compensate a bit for your missing ACL. Sometimes enough PT on your thigh muscles can make your knee acceptably stable.

As always consult an orthopedic surgeon before deciding on your strategy; he will be the best person to get advice from. Personally I damaged my medial meniscus and ACL about ten years ago, but was able to regain 90% function without surgery. And based on what the surgeon said he was going to do (removal of the meniscus) I'm very glad I didn't go through with it. Surgeons nowadays are better, though.

[Bigwallmaster 0]

bill,

thanks for the info; it's a big help.

I am feeling a little better, as it seems most people who have had these problems have made near full recoveries.

thanks to everyone who replied.

J.P.

[smiles 0]

shit....sucks major....

I cannot imagine the pain----follow all instructions you are given to allow healing- and do your very best not to re-injure.

snapped my ACL in 1/2 - had tears in meniscus that needed surgery to cut the flaps (stop knee from locking) that was done after swelling decreased from initial injury (4 months later)
--was told I would be able to walk out of hospital but couldn't as knee took months for swelling to go down after that so basically crutches for 6 months or more.

...easy to say but rest is so important--stay off it, protect it....inflamation sucks and stays inflamed so you cannot use it while it is healing..ice packs...keep it elevated...

-- took 1 year before in good shape again- getting by great now as long as I keep doing exercise to strenghten the 3 ligaments I have in that knee so you can get by with 3..unsure about 2.

SMiles

[flyinghonu 0]

Tore my ACL while skiing too! Didn't do anything to the PCL though.

As you probably know, surgery is a must. As for how long to recover, its up to you mainly. Kick ass in your physically therapy. PUSH THROUGH THE PAIN! Oh yeah, Ibuprofen is your best friend for at least a good 6 months.

I was back up and running a couple miles a day about 3 months after surgery. BUT...I had a friend who was a big sissy during her PT and didn't make a full recovery for about a year; hence, push through the pain!!!

As for a FULL recovery, well...it gets a little swollen here and there (esp. after REALLY hard landings) and I always know when rain is coming

"Excuse me while I kiss the sky..." - Jimi Hendrix

[Lee03 0]

OUCH! Sorry it happened. Hope you get well soon.

--------
To put your life in danger from time to time ... breeds a saneness in dealing with day-to-day trivialities.

--Nevil Shute, Slide Rule

[ltdiver 3]

Quote

Tore the ACL playing in a volleyball tournament over ten years ago - (bone/tendon/bone graft). This knee is now tighter/stabler than the other (that's good).

Did you have the patellar tendon graft or the hamstring tendon advancement done? 14 months seem like too long a period for either one.

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[fields 0]

I tore my ACL sparring. I did physical therapy for a few months. I felt like it never healed properly.

A year later I did it again, while running out a seemingly nice landing. This time the doctor decided my knee needed to be drained. He warned me that, if there was blood in the fluid he drain, that would indicate that I likely severed the ACL completely. There was lots of blood. A MRI was done to confirm it. He showed me the MRI and introduced me the surgeon to schedule my graft.

I got a patellar tendon graft. I was allowed to jump after 6 months. It was about a year before I felt like I could sprint around or bound up and down stairs. progress was not linear. I did physical therapy for a few months. The therapist insistied that I start bicycling immediately after I was off crutches. I tried running after awhile and had lots of pain. So I joined a local athletic club and got a personal trainer who was good at ACL rehab.

The surgeon said I wouldn't have the range of motion I had before, because of scar tissue, but I have full range of motion back. This may be because I started packing, since I couldn't jump. All the kneeling and sitting on my knees must have helped.

Good luck with your healing.

"And the sky is blue and righteous in every direction" Survivor Chuck Palahniuk

[ltdiver 3]

Quote

If you have to get cut on, find the best ortho doctor you can... preferably one that speciallizes in sports medicine... and don't skimp on the rehab.

Amen! I've seen so many different outcomes with ACL surgeries. It all depends on what type of procedure is used, plus the skill of the surgeon.

I had 2 friends blow out their knee within 30 minutes of each other one sunday (both bad landings). One was a physical therapist herself, and younger...but she had the patellar tendon procedure done (not sure WHY) and blew her knee out again within a year (she also got back in the air too soon after the surgery too).

The other friend was older, but had a hamstring tendon advancement done. She did her P.T. religiously, her home program of exercises, and didn't jump or run for 6 months. Her knee is tight and solid! Her recovery complete. 100%.

Two different doctors. Two different procedures. Two different recoveries. Two different outcomes.

Whatever is decided...DO NOT LET THEM USE YOUR PATELLAR TENDON! It is old school, doesn't last as long, and doesn't allow for 100% strength in recovery.

Just my .02.
ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[RkyMtnHigh 0]

Owie...so sorry I'm a month out since my MCL and when I saw the beautiful forecast for last weekend, it miraculously felt better. But on Saturday morning when I got up, it still hurt really bad. Still wearing the brace..but I jumped both Saturday and Sunday anyway, even though I was really careful with my left leg.

ALEVE helps...

Hope you recover soon

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[Jinni 0]

It's been a few years now since your injury! Hope you have made a full recovery! I tore my MCL and completely ruptured my ACL while skiing in February. It was scoped in April, and I've had three rounds of PT. I'm having reconstruction in three weeks and want to make my first jump (YEA!!!!!) before! I figure if I mess my knee up even more NOW, at least I'm already scheduled to have it fixed! My first jump will be tandem, so it doesn't seem like I'll need to worry about any hard landings. Several people have told me I'm crazy to think of jumping with no ACL. You guys are the experts! Any advice????

[SBS 0]

1) There is no need for an ACL to make a skydive. I don't have one, and know plenty of people who are fully functional without them.
2) What could possibly happen anyway? You can't tear it more than 100%. ;-)

Seriously, though...I've heard of people being FULLY active on torn ACL's, including skiing, etc. I've been jumping on my torn one since February and don't plan on fixing it for at least a couple of years.

Good luck. If you fuck yourself up, I'll erase this post.



-S

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I'm not conceited...I'm just realistic about my awesomeness...