Allograft surgery tomorrow morn. Stoned on pain meds posts to follow!
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Allograft surgery tomorrow morn. Stoned on pain meds posts to follow!
I am nearing the 5 month mark after my surgery. I am trail running, mountain biking and continuing to work on all my PT. Feeling great but had a minor setback last week.
I saw my doc and he was pissed about my right leg's atrophy. I've been doing my PT but maybe lost some focus on the importance of the one legged exercises.
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Once I was able to start running and biking I probably put more energy into those activities rather than one legged squats etc etc. I am back hitting the PT hard again and don't want to create more imbalance.
My advice would be to hit the one-legged exercises super hard on your surgery leg to ward off atrophy. Onward!
On the couch listening to the quiet whirrrrr of the ice bucket engine pushing cool loveliness to my knee. I had my knee shaven by a very muscular man at 6AM this morning. It's been a helluva day and I am a stoned bejeezus right now.
Snowgage those look like Ted Ligety legs. JESUS! https://www.instagram.com/p/BB0skGCpSzm/
Fugitive glad your on your way.
One of the crazy things walking around gimped is all the people that come up to talk about their acl repairs and wanting to know about mine. A lot of people I already know or they know people I know. This is a big club and a small world! On Angel Collinson's instagram page somebody commented that her (not Angels) surgeon told her he/she only knows skiers that have torn their acl's and those that will.
Anyway week five. I have great extension but my flex has slowed to a crawl now slowly creeping past 122. My pt doesnt seem overly concerned. Walking around without a brace on level ground most of the time now. That means no dog on my sidewalk walks. I put the brace on for crushed gravel trails and to take the dog or anytime I am in garage working or yard which is a lot. My leg swells some and gets tired toward the end of the day especially in the brace but seems to be gradually getting stronger. Amazing how heavy the brace feels after going without it. I feel like I have to learn two different ways to walk (brace no brace) and switch between them as seemlessly as possible.
Snowgage, I had the same problem with losing quad muscle on my left leg, add I used a compex. In 6 weeks, I gained 2"on my quad. The contractions were much more powerful than anything I felt using a leg press with msgs weight.
What's the difference in circumference between left and right quad?
I passed week 12 yesterday. I've been biking around town and on dirt roads for a few weeks now. I rode a tiny section of easy trail last week as well. Still a little hesitant to stand up on my repaired knee and pumping through bumps at all is a no go.
Everyday activity feels pretty normal now and I really haven't had any complaints since I've started rebuilding quad strength. I got out on the pass on snowshoes a little over a week ago too. Nice to be on snow in some way again.
I also saw the doc last week and he seemed satisfied with everything. His comment after tugging on the acl was that it feels rock solid and maybe tighter than my good knee. He did also tell me no mountain biking until I'm 6 months out. I don't really think this is necessary, especially talking to others that have had the same injuries. Anybody else have experience with that?
You can mountain bike, just DON'T FUCK UP! Which could be as simple as reflexively putting a foot down at a sketchy moment. And as snowgage says, don't neglect single leg work just because you are having so much fun trail running and biking. That is the single worst mistake I made in my recovery and it led directly to a double plus ungood next ski season, and is probably why I still have some degree of patellafemoral pain each and every day I ski.
That said, I have still had 4 of the best ski seasons of my life since this injury, and when the pow is good and I am in the zone there is no pain and no problem.
I honestly believe that going through this process gives you perspective and insight into both your physical and mental game that CAN make you a better skier and give you the tools to enjoy the sport more than ever before despite not having a perfect knee.
Obviously with continued wear and tear this will change, but don't give up on the idea that your best days may still be ahead of you!
Do exactly what your Doctor tells you. DO NOT MOUNTAIN BIKE. It just isn't worth the risk of messing up the knee again.Quote:
Originally Posted by HVskier
Also depends on how you define mountain biking...
I though I was stupid enough riding smooth moderate trails from 3-6 months, but last year this 21 yr old kid I know was out doing fairly big trail rides with a shriveled up quad and swollen knee at like 10-12weeks! I just shook my head when he showed me his leg. Young dumb and fulla cum I guess. He turned out fine though and has been crushing it at skiing and biking again.
But honestly you are just relying on pure luck to not completely fuck yourself when it comes to riding much more than town trails or bike paths in that roughly 3 to 6 month window.
I am following someone on instagram that is riding a bike with permission at one month.
They're getting some dangerous advice thenQuote:
Originally Posted by uglymoney
On day 4 post op. Took all my bandages off and took a shower. Goddammit that's what it feels like to be human again. Laying in bed with no knee brace on and bending my knee a couple inches each way per Dr's orderz. Fuck that's sketchy. But feels good. Bout time to wrap the whole deal up again and move to the couch. Trying to ween off the percs today wish me luck.
Just found this thread and am Grateful.
ACL popped and MCL tore when skiing thigh deep steep trees a month ago. It was an incredible day that started me laughing out loud and left me swearing a blue streak. My doc prescribed 3 weeks of "Pre-Hab" before the surgery and I am hoping the time was well spent.
I had surgery on Monday and things were going ok until yesterday when the percosets started to make me sick and my shin, ankle and foot started to rage in what I am interpreting as nerve pain -- burning under the skin but numb on the surface :mad:. Icing seems to be the only solution.
I find a lot of relief when I can strap into the Continuous Passive Motion Machine. I am looking forward to getting started with my PT again. I may be almost 50 but I am hoping to be skiing this coming season.
Good luck war horse you had surgery day before me. Nerve pains does not sound good. My Dr gave me an anti nausea to go with the percs although I didn't have to use them. Maybe ask for some?
Day 5 post op. Think Im done with the percs. Vitamin I and ice from here out. Getting ariund the house pretty good with no cruches. Followup dr appointment monday and first pt tuesday. Went to two lax games for my daughter today and although I was sitting the whole time it is pretty sore now. Drove the truck today too so it's a relief that I can do it. Aiming for a light duty work return on wed which will be 8 days post op hope that's not too aggressive. I sit down all day and shuffle between meetings so I'm thinking it should be ok.
Friends don't let friends skip leg day?Quote:
Originally Posted by snowgage
Haha.. Yeah friends don't let friends skip leg day on their atrophied, surgery leg.
@rod9301 - there is about 1 inch of difference between legs..
It's been weird, when I am doing a bunch of reps on my surgery leg, I don't get much of a muscle burn. When I do the same reps on my good leg, I get that strong burn in my quad. Maybe its just part of recovering from atrophy?
I rode some burlier downhill yesterday. Surprising how intense riding down roots and rocks is with my impaired leg. I wore my brace and was super careful.
5.5 month post-op
Only 6 weeks post op but I experience exactly the same thing and commented to my PT lady just that last Friday. Just doing squats and trying to favor the bad leg my good leg starts burning but nothing in the weak quad.Quote:
Originally Posted by snowgage
It's been a couple weeks since I've had permission to walk around without the brace. Things are getting more natural. I'm hammering the stair step exercises and squats with the fit ball etc. I can pretty much walk normal speed if I put my mind to it.
Day 6 post op update. Dr released me for work and pt. He's very happy with my progress. Said I can walk around house no brace but crutches. Move it as much as I'm comfortable. The body will tell me when Im pushing it too much. Said it's up to me and my PT now. First PT tomorrow at day 7 post op. Oh and don't drive your truck with your brace on silly boy, that makes your knee hurt. Take it off and relax and drive!
Funny, that's exactly what I experienced too. I do a lot of ankle-weight exercises, and I can do more reps without burn on my weak leg than on my uninjured leg. But when I'm skiing or biking, I notice more burn on the injured leg, so I assume it's building muscle in the weak leg even though I'm using both legs. Maybe not as fast as the one-leg squats, but it's got to be doing something. Biking/hiking/climbing/skiing is how we all got these leg muscles in the first place, right?Quote:
Originally Posted by uglymoney
11 days post op. 2 pt sessions down. Pt is very impressed with where I am. 90 deg flex, -10 extension. Very little pain. Walking with no crutches. Doing pt at gym tonight myself.
first time posting, long time following. love the forum - keep progressing everyone!
crashed on a fun straightline I had skied a few times before, on 4/1/16. Prognosis: full ACL tear, full MCL tear and damage to medial meniscus. rad!
had surgery on 5/2 using patellar tendon autograft. doc told me they were actually able to save my meniscus (originally were going to cut away) but the tear was on the outside, allowing for a suture repair. longer recovery but happy to save my meniscus - it was not ready to go quite yet. doc told me no weight bearing for 3-4 weeks.
7 days post op and feeling better. first 5 days were pretty brutal in terms of pain. assuming that is from all the bone work done with this graft. follow-up and first PT session tomorrow.
^Same accident I had. Shit snow. More speed than I anticipated. Ass handed to me. Humble pie served. First week is the worst. Good luck and welcome jong!
Mt PT lady cleared me to ride a road bike gingerly last week (7 weeks today) but I have just been increasing the intervals and resistance on the stationary bike so far.
@uglymoney, same injury too or just torn ACL?
Just the acl and meniscus cleanup. MCL was pretty sore but not torn.
Rode my road bike for the first time today. I was given the greenish light to ride last week but decided to build up to it on the stationary. I went a little farther and a little faster than I thought I would. Now enjoying the post outdoor exercise calm that has been sorely missing in my life for three months.
3 weeks post op. 120 degree rom. Started riding the exercise bike last week. Quads are firing pretty good. No real pain, swelling and bruising are about gone. My goal is to be wade fishing with brace on by july, riding mtb by fall and of course skiing by next season. Onward and upward c/o 2016!
I like where your head's at Fugitive. Those are my exact same goals. Heal up. Catch Trout. Rip singletrack. Shred pow.
Easy does it for now. 1 day at a time.
Such a good feeling!Quote:
Originally Posted by uglymoney
I was going to start a new thread for those who are struggling but decided not to.
I didn't start driving until week 7 because of excruciating patella pain.
Despite 3 plus hours a day of PT, my quad didn't fully contract until week 8.
Normal gait returned week 10. Still waiting for normal pace to return and I am at week 12. Walking still feels weird and sometimes a little wobbly. Patella is still locking up. I can go up stairs but not down.
I'm not thinking about hiking, biking outside or skiing. Only walking normal.
I still do 3 plus hours of PT at home, the gym and formally. So I don't know what's up.
I'm just looking to share my experience so others who also are struggling and may read this in the future won't be discouraged by missed milestones.
Good luck telemiriam. I have no advice beyond that and + vibes. I feel kind of bad because mine has gone so well. The recovery period is one of the reasons I went with the allograft. My problem is to not overdo it. I mowed two yards yesterday at less the 4 weeks post op and the knee is sore as hell today. Still wearing my post op knee brace opened to 90 deg. Stubbed by toe on a root ball while mowing had a moment of oh fuck but it was all good. Doc says next week I can go without the brace except for any rough ground travel. Lite hiking is in play with brace on. He says I can fish with the brace on but I will give it a couple more weeks. Allograft takes longer for vascularization of the graft therefore it is weaker for longer, which is the downside of this graft. No running for 5 months. ACL brace for my first ski season. Time to go to the gym for PT.....
Do you get a special brace for skiing or just use the standard Breg TSCOPE that everyone has at first? My wife has a motocross friend who has a custom carbon brace.
Good luck Telemiriam. I am sure your post is appreciated. I am following someone on Instagram that is also behind the curve and it is tough. There is enough to worry about already. I did the patella thing and have no regrets at all so far... other than being a little tight and poppy until it warms up it feels okay but does like to remind you of its presence! Going down stairs still takes focus for sure.
I had two allografts in 2003-4. Was told by my surgeon and the PT's Not to wear my braces any more. The braces had given me 8 and 11 years without ACL's. But they told me to continue building the muscles and not rely on the braces.
So, no braces post-op, no braces now.
I don't miss them at all.
Hey Ugly Monkey.. I'd definitely say get a brace for sports. I am at 6 months and wear mine when I am doing anything that could result in trauma.. For sure when I am riding my mountain bike and definitely when I am trail running downhill. I've heard that grafts can take up to 12 months to regain 100% strength. Why risk blowing it out again when your brace can protect you in the event of hyperextension etc. I wrecked on my MTB last week and landed directly on my knee. I was super glad I had my brace on.
I'll start next ski season with it on but hope to someday ween off it. My PT says that I won't loose any strength by wearing it so maybe I'll stay in it longer.
I just had my ACL done yesterday. Double bundle hamstring auto graft with a cadaver augmentation plus a stem cell injection to the graft. Also partial menisectomy and chondral defect micro fracture. When I do things I do it right I guess.
It's been a long time since I posted regularly but but right now I'm on medical leave I'll be posting a bit more.
What brand of brace do you have? Did insurance cover it? I see my doc this Tuesday so I plan to ask him about it. I will be 9 months out on December 21st. Today I am a couple days shy of 10 weeks and I feel pretty good and life seems to be returning to normal.Quote:
Originally Posted by snowgage
I hit 4 months out last week. I decided it was time to hit some trails so I've been on 4 relatively short and easy mountain bike rides in the last 5 days. I'm making sure to take it easy too and everything has felt fine. I also went for a moderate 4ish mile hike yesterday and while I felt mostly fine during I did get some increased swelling and stiffness later.
My doctor gave me an Ossur CTI brace before surgery and I've been wearing that for most activity. Insurance covered most of the cost of the brace.
I have a DonJoy Defiance.. It's pretty comfortable and I can easily wear it running and it doesnt really bug me. Insurance covered the whole thing.. I'll definitely be wearing it next year once I get back on skis. It totally helps with confidence..
I thought I'd post a lot more but PT takes a lot of time and I became a full time soccer dad and kindergarten helper to my daughter. Good luck. Hit the PT hard.Quote:
Originally Posted by Vinman
Thanks for the info. The brace they gave me before surgery is kind of burdensome. I wear it at work because of restrictions my Doc gave me and it sucks.Quote:
Originally Posted by HVskier
Cool thanks for info. I saw my surgeon today and he told me I didn't need a brace when I go back to skiing but obviously everyone has an opinion. I'm going to continue to think about it I guess and see how the knee feels. He also made it sound like I can get back on the water a little bit later this fall.Quote:
Originally Posted by snowgage
I also had a chance to talk to him about the surgery a little bit. He told me it was just a straight acl patella autograph. My meniscus was totally fine and he didn't touch it. Pre surgery he thought he was going to have to trim it and clean it up a bit but he didn't have to do a thing...maybe he told me that post op but it is all kind of hazy and I kept forgetting to ask him. That is the good news but he also said he thought that I have a bit more arthritis than most people my age (45) but that I shouldn't be too concerned or alter my activities.
10 weeks out and my knee is feeling really strong. When my FMLA ran out a couple weeks ago I went back to work pretty much full on (with brace) and that seems to really be helping. 10-12 hours on my feet walking and moving stuff around and I get no swelling and the knee feels a bit stronger everyday. 2 weeks till I can run around a bit hopefully!
I guess I'll have no one to blame but myself if I screw this up. In my real job, I'm a certified athletic trainer and I'm usually on the other end of these rehabs.......Quote:
Originally Posted by uglymoney
I got a Don Joy custom-fit brace on the recommendation of my PT. It's comfortable enough. I wore it skiing all winter. It didn't really provide much if any support, hence I don't think it was slowing my muscle development, it was just a backup (supposedly) in case of trauma like hyperextension of whatever. Not sure if I'll wear it next year. I'll probably start with it. Insurance ended up paying for it after some wrangling (they wanted to know why I didn't just get one of the off-the-shelf braces available as opposed to custom).