Training & Nutrition - Anyone on here ever gone thru ACL reconstruction?

Gonna have my knee scoped here in a week or two to clean it up from an old injury/surgery(25+ years ago). I never knew the exact diagnosis back then but the Dr. I went to yesterday says that I have a torn ACL. He said he may be able to do a reconstruction on it if my knee doen't have too much cartilage worn or missing from the earlier surgery. Recover time would be a lot greater for the reconstruction than for just going in and cleaning things up. :(

Just wondering if anyone has been thru this and could tell me just how bad the rehab is for acl reconstruction. Doesn't sound like a lot of fun but I sure would like to get the knee fixed up as much as possible while they're in there. :( :eek: :o

Thanks for any info.

I think nathank did. Do a check under his name to read up on his knee surgery.

He sounded like he was healing pretty fast too.

Koffee

I did worse than that. i tore the tendon loss almost 4 years ago. The Dr said (when he got over the shock when I asked the question) it would be 6 to 9 months befor I could ride again. 3 months later when I was riding he said "thanks for healing like a teenager and making me look good". The therpy was fun. Just a light workout.

Good luck
Joe

I had ACL replacement almost 2 years ago. I also tore my MCL, but generally they don't repair those as they're not as crucial.

I began Physiotherapy about a week after surgery, and kept up a regular physio routine about 2-3 times a week. They stretched me, worked me, iced me, gave me exercises to do at home/office etc. I started REALLY easy cycling about 3 months after surgery, and worked my way up. Within 6 months my Physiotherapist told me that I had levelled off and I was as recovered as I was going to get.

One year after my sugery I ran a 10 km race (running) in 41:39 and ran a marathon just a few months after that.

The key to a successful recovery and continuing an athletic lifestyle is the Physiotherapy. If there's anything more I can tell you let me know, I'd be more than happy to help.

I had ACL replacement almost 2 years ago.

Did you get a cadaver ACL, or did they use part of your patella tendon?

Neither, they grafted from my hamstring.

Neither, they grafted from my hamstring.

Ah, I forgot about that one! My uncle went through this also. He tore his ACL about 25-30 years ago, and finally had a reconstruction done a couple years ago. He received a cadaver ACL, and has done very well to date.

I've had just one operation on my right knee. I had my medial meniscus repaired - not trimmed out like most get. I was lucky enough to be a candidate for a repair given the location, and nature of the tear. Unfortunately, with a repair, I had about the same rehab as with a reconstructed ACL. I lost most of my cycling year in 2002 because of the injury/surgery. That was a bummer, but it does make one appreciate riding, and life more! :)

I had ACL reconstruction about 7 years ago. Mine was from my patella tendon. I can actually feel the gap where they took it out. Rehab was everyday at the physical therapists for about four weeks. Same as above: stretching, icing, light weights, cleaning of the incision areas... I also, have found that an athletic lifestyle, including weights and stretching, is the key to keeping it strong. But my orthpedist claims that my "new" knee is much stronger that my "old" knee. I still get a jiggle every once in a while if I am doing major lateral movements (like basketball or valleyball). Just keep it strong and you will be fine. I wasn't cycling at the time of my surgery and recovery, so I don't know how long it would have been before I could have ridden again. Sorry...
RT

Thanks guys. I'm just getting a little freaked out when they tell me I'll be in a big brace for 6 weeks, on crutches for two weeks, and a smaller brace for several months. Sounds like it will be fairly painful but I'd sure like to be able to do stuff that I havn't been able to do for years. Nurse just called and I'm tentatively scheduled for two weeks from now. At this point it will be up to the surgeon to determine what will be done. I told him I want it fixed if the joint isn't in too bad a shape. This is a little scarry even for an old man so wish me luck. :o

Good luck Dragracer.

Busting my knee was the best thing that ever happened to me in a strange way.

-I had to be taken out of the position I was in at work and given a desk job which is getting me promoted.

-I wasn't able to leave the country on deployment (military), so I got the dog I had always wanted, now my best bud.

-I met the love of my life at Physio.

-I took up running to help with recovery and it became an obsession. Now I'm competetive and doing very well! Podium'd once last year.

etc etc etc.

Best of luck!

Everything I would've had to say has been said already.

ACL repair has come a long way in the last decade. I tore my ACL in '92 and again in 2002. The first one took me 6 week to walk on and 9 months to play basketball again. The second one I was walking without crutches in 13 days, but never actually played basketball again. 2 surgeries is enough for me. Thats why I bought my first road bike this year, time to switch sports. See you on the road.

Busting my knee was the best thing that ever happened to me in a strange way.

I bought my first road bike (I was a mtb'r only @ the time) in 2002 after a knee injury, and subsequent surgery. In terms of rehab, the doc told me no mtbing - I was only allowed to ride the trainer. I took this to mean that I could ride on the road! :D I bought my first road bike, and the rest is history.

Good can come from adversity! :)

Wow, pedal, that's great! Now I want ACL too. :D

Just wondering if anyone has been thru this and could tell me..

I have.. but I was assisting in the procedure :)

I had ACL reconstruction and meniscus repair 11 months ago. After some research, I found that folks usually heal up nicely after approx. 9 months. I was back to full training (cycling) at 5 months but no lateral movement sports. However, everyone heals differently. You can't rush the healing process. Take it slow and make sure it heals properly. Ask your doctor (and physical therapist) before doing any, and I mean any, physical activity that's not part of your regular rehab regimen. Just remember, the healing process is measured in months so be patient and most importantly, DO YOUR REHAB!!!

Good luck to you

Thanks Ystop......I remember it taking a LOONNNGGG time to heal when I had surgery before... when I was only 17. I imagine the healing process will be considerably longer now that I'm 45. Yeah I don't want to go thru this again so I'm gonna do exactly what the doc and the pt say to do. If it's like last time, they will want me to do MORE than what I would do on my own....'cause it hurts like hell when you first try to start bending and using it.

Man oh man, I have had mine done three times. Reconstructive, hamstring and now patella. They tell me I look like the history of orthopedic surgery. Actually, the recovery is pretty rapid and somewhat painful, but I push things and am not a big fan of drugs. I have had the latest new ACL for three years now and works very good, bike, ski and lift a lot. Good luck, push through the pain and you should have a great summer of cycling.