Recovery From Cruciate Ligament

hufpc8w3adnk65

Hope im posting this in the correct place

Right so i Ruptured my Anterior Cruciate Ligamnet in Aug of 2011 playing a match for a team i was helping out (That i wasnt even a signed player for)
I got surgery on it too fix it on Dec 12th and im feeling good.Now i know i wont be playing again for months but has anyone here had this injury and how did they find the rehab?

Xavi6

Yeah I've done the whole job, you'll be a year out before you're good to go properly.

Advice wise, don't rush it, do your rehab as you're told to, and have patience.

Look after yourself and you'll be back stronger than before you did it.

hufpc8w3adnk65

Xavi6 wrote: »

Yeah I've done the whole job, you'll be a year out before you're good to go properly.

Advice wise, don't rush it, do your rehab as you're told to, and have patience.

Look after yourself and you'll be back stronger than before you did it.

Well i didnt do any miniscus damage or cartilidge etc.Mine was just the ligament.Before surgery i was doing squats too build the muscle in my legs.The day of the operation i was able too lift my leg whilst lying on the bed and do 10 reps which the physio seemed shocked by.

Im not expecting too kick a ball until X Mas 2013.No matter how good im feeling by July/ Aug im not going too rush.

statto25

I am in the same position. I had my cruciate replaced (hamstring graft) and a big chunk shaved off my medial meniscus. That was back on Nov 30th. It was essentially two operations in one so it'd taking me a little longer to come off the crutches. I've had relatively no pain. The spot where the graft was taken is tender but not very sore. I have 115 degree flex (120 is the objective) I was cycling and on the step machine two weeks after surgery. I was given the go ahead to start some light squatting on the leg press at the gym. It will be 6 months before I'm jogging and a year before I kick a ball again. I honestly don't care if I never played again. My knee was in a bad state. I was told I could look leave it but run the risk of arthritis. My advice is take your time. If you rush it will never be right. Do what the physio tells you and no more. I've seen guys rush back or do too much and end up delaying the healing more and tearing again. Drop me a pm any time and let me know how you are going.

statto25

Just seen your reply. I squatted like a man mad for months leading up to the op which seemed to help no end. Like yourself I could do the leg lifts the following morning after the operation.

hufpc8w3adnk65

My first trip too the physio is tomorow.Ive been doing the excersise they gave me and icen my knee up till about a week ago.
Im walking around without the crutches all over the house now and if i leave the house i bring one crutch with me.I have zero pain in it tho.I also had the hamstring graft repair done so am interested in what the physio says tomorow is the next step.

statto25

MrMac84 wrote: »

My first trip too the physio is tomorow.Ive been doing the excersise they gave me and icen my knee up till about a week ago.
Im walking around without the crutches all over the house now and if i leave the house i bring one crutch with me.I have zero pain in it tho.I also had the hamstring graft repair done so am interested in what the physio says tomorow is the next step.

It's different for everyone. The physio will assess you tomorrow and then ramp up the exercises where required. The one thing you need to watch is your hamstring. They basically shave a piece off it so it's gonna be weak. If you push it too much you could tear it. It will be leg raises one your front and back. Bicycle work and maybe some step work. That's enough at this stage. Stretching the ligament is also important so it will be a case of bringing your heel towards your bum as far as it goes while seated and then trying to match that with the operated leg.

hufpc8w3adnk65

I can imagine ill be in alot of pain tomorrow.I have bruisen on the back of knee too and she'll work on that too id think.I hate getting physio any time.I allways start laughing during it whilst im in pain.

I thought you have 4 tendons in your hamstring and they cut one out too use as the graft?

statto25

Jadiel Colossal Rakishly wrote: »

I can imagine ill be in alot of pain tomorrow.I have bruisen on the back of knee too and she'll work on that too id think.I hate getting physio any time.I allways start laughing during it whilst im in pain.

I thought you have 4 tendons in your hamstring and they cut one out too use as the graft?

That's correct. Sorry I didn't explain it very well. The way it was described to me they shave off the tendon, double it over a few times and then pull it though the drilled holes. It's then screwed into place. I had no pain after my physio and like you had bruising at the back of my knee. The only problem I have had is my groin is very stiff. Physio can't understand why but said it may be trauma from the surgery.

MD1990

Jadiel Colossal Rakishly wrote: »

Hope im posting this in the correct place

Right so i Ruptured my Anterior Cruciate Ligamnet in Aug of 2011 playing a match for a team i was helping out (That i wasnt even a signed player for)
I got surgery on it too fix it on Dec 12th and im feeling good.Now i know i wont be playing again for months but has anyone here had this injury and how did they find the rehab?

u surely mean Aug 2012?

hufpc8w3adnk65

MD1990 wrote: »

u surely mean Aug 2012?

Nope

Aug 2011.Blocked down a full back clearing the ball up the line and when i stood up felt a small pain in my knee and decided too run it off.15 min's later the other team's centre midfielder looked at me and said "Youd wana go off bud" my knee was the size of my head!Drove home from the game thinking it was only a knock. By Nov 2011 i went for an MRI and was in tears when they told me it was a rupture of ACL

Xavi6

Jadiel Colossal Rakishly wrote: »

My first trip too the physio is tomorow.Ive been doing the excersise they gave me and icen my knee up till about a week ago.
Im walking around without the crutches all over the house now and if i leave the house i bring one crutch with me.I have zero pain in it tho.I also had the hamstring graft repair done so am interested in what the physio says tomorow is the next step.

I was off crutches in 12 days and back light jogging after eight weeks but as said, it's different for everyone.

Just do what you're told and don't over exert, i.e. if the physio says jog 20 metres and no more then jog that 20 and not 30. The graft takes a long time to heal internally and you don't want to do anything to mess with that.

hufpc8w3adnk65

Xavi6 wrote: »

I was off crutches in 12 days and back light jogging after eight weeks but as said, it's different for everyone.

Just do what you're told and don't over exert, i.e. if the physio says jog 20 metres and no more then jog that 20 and not 30. The graft takes a long time to heal internally and you don't want to do anything to mess with that.

Well im about a month post op now and i could get around with out crutches but im walking with a slight limp.The not pushing my self or not rushing back wont be an issue.Ill do what they say too a T.This isnt a sprained ankle this is major stuff.Im even half tempted too fork out for another MRI in Nov/Dec this year and have it looked at BEFORE i attempt too kick a ball.

Mars Bar

Jadiel Colossal Rakishly wrote: »

Nope

Aug 2011.Blocked down a full back clearing the ball up the line and when i stood up felt a small pain in my knee and decided too run it off.15 min's later the other team's centre midfielder looked at me and said "Youd wana go off bud" my knee was the size of my head!Drove home from the game thinking it was only a knock. By Nov 2011 i went for an MRI and was in tears when they told me it was a rupture of ACL

And you had to wait a full year for surgery?!

hufpc8w3adnk65

Mars Bar wrote: »

And you had to wait a full year for surgery?!

Yup...

joe123

Ive had it done too.

Tore the ACl in March 2011, surgery around July 2011 and it wasnt untill august/september of this year that I was back playing in matches.

Like that, did alot of gym work before the op and was able to lift my leg after the surgery. Had the hamstring graft.

Im feeling pretty good now but with a job thats 11 hour shifts it was very hard to keep up with enough gym work 10 months down the line.

Listen to your physio though and do everything they say. Strengthening the legs, keeping it straight after the op is very important.

Most important thing is not to rush back. A guy I know came back 4 months after the op and his knee isn't good.

Bar the occasional ache mines feeling good. Having a bit of trouble with my hamstring but I'm going back to the gym to build up both legs now.

Best of luck with your recovery.

ThunbergsAreGo

Did mine coming up four years ago and its never been right since, constantly goes etc, decided im going to try to really build it up for the next few months and see if that helps.

Can be fine for ages and then just goes. Played a tournament in DCU over the summer and had to come off in four games in a row with it. Ruined me as any sort of passable footballer due to "the fear"

You seem to be doing the rehab correctly which.

Good luck with it and let us know how you get on

Edit: From those in the know, which are the best gym exercises to build it up again?

wonga77

I know two people locally who came back too soon after doing the same injury and they snapped the cruciate in the other leg straight away. I guess they spent too much time in the gym on one leg and forgot about the other, very easy to happen

An Citeog

naughtb4 wrote: »

Did mine coming up four years ago and its never been right since, constantly goes etc, decided im going to try to really build it up for the next few months and see if that helps.

Can be fine for ages and then just goes. Played a tournament in DCU over the summer and had to come off in four games in a row with it. Ruined me as any sort of passable footballer due to "the fear"

You seem to be doing the rehab correctly which.

Good luck with it and let us know how you get on

Edit: From those in the know, which are the best gym exercises to build it up again?

Go and get it checked out. Taking advice from strangers on the internet definitely isn't the way to go about healing it.

joe123

naughtb4 wrote: »

Did mine coming up four years ago and its never been right since, constantly goes etc, decided im going to try to really build it up for the next few months and see if that helps.

Can be fine for ages and then just goes. Played a tournament in DCU over the summer and had to come off in four games in a row with it. Ruined me as any sort of passable footballer due to "the fear"

You seem to be doing the rehab correctly which.

Good luck with it and let us know how you get on

Edit: From those in the know, which are the best gym exercises to build it up again?

Did you ever get surgery on it? You say it constantly goes.....have you constantly been getting surgeries on it?

It doesnt heal itself. To play again you have to get surgery.

ThunbergsAreGo

joe123 wrote: »

Did you ever get surgery on it? You say it constantly goes.....have you constantly been getting surgeries on it?

It doesnt heal itself. To play again you have to get surgery.

Oh yeah sorry, i've had the surgery, when i say "goes" the knee just buckles.

Itll be sore (not excruicating) for 5 mins and then get progressivly better, in some 5-a-side games iv been able to come back on etc.

Just thinking i need to strengthen the muscles around there so was looking for general exercises, its been so long i was at the physio i cant remember them :S

Also to whoever mentioned the hamstrings, i feel you there, first game back kills me after a while of not playing

joe123

naughtb4 wrote: »

Oh yeah sorry, i've had the surgery, when i say "goes" the knee just buckles.

Itll be sore (not excruicating) for 5 mins and then get progressivly better, in some 5-a-side games iv been able to come back on etc.

Just thinking i need to strengthen the muscles around there so was looking for general exercises, its been so long i was at the physio i cant remember them :S

Also to whoever mentioned the hamstrings, i feel you there, first game back kills me after a while of not playing

Have you had a scan lately? Sounds very strange that your knee is going like that. Every chance you have done it again.

ThunbergsAreGo

joe123 wrote: »

Have you had a scan lately? Sounds very strange that your knee is going like that. Every chance you have done it again.

Dont be telling me bad news like that
Managed two games in the with no trouble (but really minding myself). Half think a bit of its is pyschological but safety first

Cheers for the comment, you might be right and a scan might be needed, its a real killer paying those fees though

joe123

naughtb4 wrote: »

Dont be telling me bad news like that
Managed two games in the with no trouble (but really minding myself). Half think a bit of its is pyschological but safety first

Cheers for the comment, you might be right and a scan might be needed, its a real killer paying those fees though

Better safe than sorry. I went back playing after being told it was just a sprain. My knee buckled about ten minutes in. Went for a scan and was told it was a torn ACL.

You could damage your knee worse if you dont get it properly checked.

hufpc8w3adnk65

Well went and got my first Physio session yesterday.She wasnt happy with the extension of my leg i.e how straight i could get it.so we worked on that and also she hooked me up too a little machine that sent little shocks into the muscles in my leg too help the muscle strech!

noodler

Completely mild overall compared to doing the cruciate but in Nov 2009 I discloated my kneecap and the patella drifted to the back of my leg.

I fell screaming and bascially was in excriciating pain until I was morphines 3 or 4 hours later.

After 6 weeks or so in the Leg brace I started very light physio work like squats, leg raises (whilst lieing on your back) etc. I played a 5-a-side in March 2010 but didn't go back soccer training until preseason in July but with no ill effects thus far.

I may have misunderstood but I'd be wary personally of doing any exercises which involve any resistance over and above your own body weight.

Was the balancing ball recommended? Where you stand on the squsihy ball for all long as you can whilst keeping your balance?

Mars Bar

noodler wrote: »

I discloated my kneecap and the patella drifted to the back of my leg.

Sweet mother of devine mercy. I feel sick reading that.

noodler

Mars Bar wrote: »

Sweet mother of devine mercy. I feel sick reading that.

Okay, well may I exaggerated.

It drifted to a sort of halfway position between the side of my leg and the back. Most unsettling though I concur.

Mars Bar

noodler wrote: »

Okay, well may I exaggerated.

It drifted to a sort of halfway position between the side of my leg and the back. Most unsettling though I concur.

Exaggerated or not, that's still "AAGHH" inducing.

hufpc8w3adnk65

Had my second dose of physio today

Can nearly fully straighten my operated leg now which i couldnt at the start of the week.Also done some work on the balance board,medicine ball & toe too heel curl's on a kind of air matress.Physio seem's too be happy with my progress and has moved me onto phase two of the recovery programe

RandolphEsq

After reading you guys talking I'm paranoid about this happening to me!

hufpc8w3adnk65

I dont know what precaution's you can take too stop this happening?Does anyone?

Mine happened by blocking a left back clearing the ball..Granted i had only a 1 minute warm up behind me as i was rushing too the match from work.

statto25

Jadiel Colossal Rakishly wrote: »

I dont know what precaution's you can take too stop this happening?Does anyone?

Mine happened by blocking a left back clearing the ball..Granted i had only a 1 minute warm up behind me as i was rushing too the match from work.

Fair play on getting to the next stage. Now the real fun begins! I'm officially off the crutches after my ortho check today. Thank fook!

I don't think there is anything you can do to stop it happening. It can happen in so many ways. I did mine by kicking ball and ground at the same time playing astro and my knee just buckled. It can be torn going up for a ball and landing in the wrong way. It can also tear if it gets caught underneath you going in for a challenge.

hufpc8w3adnk65

http://www.pwinsider.com/ViewArticle.php?id=74573
Seem's like every day there's someone going down with an ACL injury....I really wonder why it's so much more frequent now then say 10 years ago.

Dave_The_Sheep

I did mine in September (though only got it scanned in November) - complete tear of the ACL. Deadly.

Does anyone know what the waiting times are for operations? I've been referred to the specialist, which I assume is the step before getting the op. Just want to get the op in and start on physio work to try and help the healing process. Going to be expensive and time consuming, but it beats not being able to put any serious knee pressure at all on it.

hufpc8w3adnk65

Dave_The_Sheep wrote: »

I did mine in September (though only got it scanned in November) - complete tear of the ACL. Deadly.

Does anyone know what the waiting times are for operations? I've been referred to the specialist, which I assume is the step before getting the op. Just want to get the op in and start on physio work to try and help the healing process. Going to be expensive and time consuming, but it beats not being able to put any serious knee pressure at all on it.

I was very similar hurt it a few months before i realised what it was.

Waiting times vary on where you get it done.Ive friends who travelled too waterford (from Cork) too get it done quicker and also depends on are you going public or private.

Normally the day you get your operation your looking at 9 -12 months before you can play sport again.

Dave_The_Sheep

Jadiel Colossal Rakishly wrote: »

I was very similar hurt it a few months before i realised what it was.

Waiting times vary on where you get it done.Ive friends who travelled too waterford (from Cork) too get it done quicker and also depends on are you going public or private.

Normally the day you get your operation your looking at 9 -12 months before you can play sport again.

Yeah, I can live with that. Beats the alternative - which is never playing anything again. It's not even the sport that's so important, but doing without hillwalking and general fitness would be a kick in the sack.

statto25

Dave_The_Sheep wrote: »

Yeah, I can live with that. Beats the alternative - which is never playing anything again. It's not even the sport that's so important, but doing without hillwalking and general fitness would be a kick in the sack.

Injured on the 1st of August and surgery on the 30th November, 4 months. That was through the public system. Privately it should be a lot faster. As we mentioned in the thread try and strengthen your legs before the operation. It could mean you are back on your feet quicker. Saying that the difference in my legs now is huge. The operated one looks so skinny compared to the other.

hufpc8w3adnk65

Dave_The_Sheep wrote: »

Yeah, I can live with that. Beats the alternative - which is never playing anything again. It's not even the sport that's so important, but doing without hillwalking and general fitness would be a kick in the sack.

Ya a few people i knew were asking me things like are you mad etc getting it done but as i was saying its not about the recovery it's all about the rehab and getting back too playing and running and the like's

hufpc8w3adnk65

[IMG][/img]

Said id post this for any one thats interested.Was nearly as sore as it looks

Xavi6

Jadiel Colossal Rakishly wrote: »

Said id post this for any one thats interested.Was nearly as sore as it looks

Interesting that your scar runs left to right, mine is top to bottom about two inches long and starts well below the knee bend.

statto25

Xavi6 wrote: »

Interesting that your scar runs left to right, mine is top to bottom about two inches long and starts well below the knee bend.

Mine is the same as yours Xavi. I also have three tiny incisions on my kneecap and one on my thigh just above my knee.

hufpc8w3adnk65

Did ye have meniscus damage?I had just my ACL damaged


Was yers like Sandro's?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2264543/Sandro-ruled-season-tweets-picture-post-operation-leg.html

Xavi6

Jaysus no, Sandro's looks quite malicious!

Mine starts at the bottom of his and runs for a couple of inches, no more. Looks way neater than that pic which is actually kinda scary looking

hufpc8w3adnk65

Xavi6 wrote: »

Jaysus no, Sandro's looks quite malicious!

Mine starts at the bottom of his and runs for a couple of inches, no more. Looks way neater than that pic which is actually kinda scary looking

Was yours a hamstring graft?

Xavi6

It was yep

statto25

Sandro's was a lateral meniscal tear which is harder to get at. It's more difficult to tear too. Same injury as Tommy Bowie has at the moment. Sandro's incision looks feckin extreme!

hufpc8w3adnk65

Xavi6 wrote: »

It was yep

Maybe just depends on the surgen i guess?

hufpc8w3adnk65

statto25 wrote: »

Sandro's was a lateral meniscal tear which is harder to get at. It's more difficult to tear too. Same injury as Tommy Bowie has at the moment. Sandro's incision looks feckin extreme!

Jesus sounds and looks bad.Whats worse?The do your ACL or Meniscal tear?

I have full extension of my leg and no need for crutches.I walk with a slight limp still but working too rid that.Also back doing light gym work.Now the hard work starts.

statto25

Jadiel Colossal Rakishly wrote: »

Jesus sounds and looks bad.Whats worse?The do your ACL or Meniscal tear?

I have full extension of my leg and no need for crutches.I walk with a slight limp still but working too rid that.Also back doing light gym work.Now the hard work starts.

I had both done. You get an option but it's pointless as you might as well do the rehab for both at the same time! I have -1 extension in the operated leg but my knees hyperextend so I need to get to - 7 to match the other. I'm doing bike, stepper, pool and the leg press at the minute. I've started jogging on the trampoline too.

hufpc8w3adnk65

I said I'd bump this thread

At the moment I can walk unaided.i can straighten my leg out fully and bend my knee fully with only minimal pain.my next physio is next week and all going well I can start light jogging in straight lines..my knee feels good no pain!