Comments

I had that surgery last year in September. The recovery totally sucks. Do what your physical therapists says. The time to heal is pretty much up to you. Now, a year later… I don’t even think about my knee at all. However, I am not playing basketball on it either. I have a desk job though, so I have to force myself to work it. I do this through swimming. For now, just keep popping pills and watching TV. It’s pretty much all you can do for the next week or two.

take care and good luck, Lono

Hey Im only 15 and had ACL reconstruction in early May , and i just now can start to play sports. The recovery really sucked and physical therapy was no fun.But dont worry you can get through it, just do whatever the doctor said and you’ll be fine! and take advantage of people doin things for you while your on cructhes !!!

Keri = ]

I injured my acl last spring and had surgery on it, recovery is tough but manageable, this year i was back on the football field and it poped again . It really sucks, cuz i have to have another surgery, but i’ve done it once so i can do it again. But dont give up, do the therapy and you will do great, that couch time really sucks though.

I’m age 46 and I am very active. My ACL and MCL are both tore not sure whether to have ACL surgery or to have it scoped. Could you please give me some advice? Thanks!:)

I had ACL surgery in January 2004 and learned the hard way that not following the rehab regimen is a VERY BAD MOVE. I apparently took the months of March thru July “off” from rehab, spending it in bars shooting pool and going to the beach. I had so much fun that I don’t remember much of it.. Now it’s November and my quad/hamstring are still not back to normal. All my buddies have stopped asking when I’m coming back to play soccer… it’s embarrassing to explain that I didn’t care enough about my leg to do the work. Is there anyone out there as stupid as I am? I guess what I’m wondering is if there’s still hope… if I’ll ever be able to get my knee strong enough to play ANY sport..?? I’d even settle for badminton at this point..

Consider this a warning to all you pre-oppers out there…

Cheers.

I tore my acl around 3 months ago and got it reconstructed 1 month ago. I went to rehab for that 1 month but now it feels good enough that I don’t have to finish up rehab and I can just do the workouts at home. How long will it take me to get back running? How long will it take me to get back into playing sports? any tips pointers?

Hi, I had ACL reconstruction 1 year ago. The people who think they can skip any of the rehab suggested by your doctor and PT are in for a rude awakening. You will never be the same if you dont follow what your PT says. Please finish, or pay the price, the things you will learn in the passing months of PT you will use the rest of your life to keep yourself and your knee strong.

I tore my ACL and I am trying to decide whether to have surgery or not. I will only have four weeks off between my surgery and coming back to school. Will I be able to walk after four weeks.

Please any advise will be extremely helpful. I am really not sure and everyone says that the rehab is so bad that i am truly scared

thanks

I torn my ACL and cartilage 1 month ago. I saw 2 doctors, one suggested that I should get surgery done for both, while the other suggested to hold off the ACL surgery and see how I feel after cartilage surgery. Not sure which one to follow. Also, what is better, my own tissue, or a cadaver tissue? My reviews talk about pros and cons of cadaver, but doctors seem to like that idea..

Don’t listen to the horror stories. I had a cadaver graft installed on November 11. It’s now November 23. I haven’t used my crutches in a week, I have full range of motion and no pain, although some minor swelling still remains. Today was my fifth PT session since November 15. I spent 10 minutes on a stationary bike at 80+rpm, 12 minutes on a treadmill at 3 mph (faster than most “healthy” people walk), and leg pressed 150 pounds 30 times with my “bad” leg, as well as other assorted training. I have three pieces of advice for success with ACL surgery. One, do some research and find a doctor who specializes in and has a strong reputation for ACL reconstructions. Two - if you can, spend 3-4 weeks in PT PRIOR to your surgery, getting as strong as you can. This will reduce your recovery time and post op pain. Three - Commit yourself and have a positive attitude about your recovery and your PT. Remember, after your surgery you’re no longer hurt, you’re recovering. My e-mail is chuck@hvwinc.com if you want to discuss it and get motivated to recover.

Hi all. I had my surgery a week ago on Friday 26th and I can’t quite believe it! My pain levels are good actually, very bearable and only take the odd ibuprofen if required - definitely not daily though. I’ve had a hamstring autograft, absorbable screws rather than titanium. Suffering a little tonight - keeping swelling down is key to maintaining pain free movement so feet up, as usual. I completely agree with Chuck re the positive attitude to PT after surgery.. its all in our control. Thanks to Adam and this comments page for pre-surgery motivation! Looking forward to losing the crutches! Take care everyone. A

I am now four days postoperative and have logged a tremendous amount of time on a make shift recovery bed in my living room. This is my second such surgery, the first having been about nine years ago on my other leg. This time around has been much better, more pain free and less emotionally trying. Despite my relative experience I can offer no true secrets for a swift or fuller recovery. I know this though, it is work, much of it painful, but all of it necessary. As both Chuck and Annette have mentioned a positive attitude will certainly take you further, as will resolve. To this end I offer my own mind set. The last time I was normal was that brief moment before I was hurt the first time around. After that it has been a continual process of recovery. There were, and will be, few days off from that vigilance and yet even that was imperfect. We can only commit ourselves to doing our best. If that includes a career performance again in our chosen activity or “just badminton” we should all marvel at our progress from the state I am in at this moment. We, along with our caregivers, repair our bodies and are whole. Despite the frustration and discomfort, I am grateful for the chance again to prove myself worthy of a challenge. And I hope that this also means I am more appreciative of the time when I am mobile again. I wish each of you the best possible recovery.

have a torn acl and cartilage, trying to decide if to have just surgery on cartilage or have acl surgery also. I am 48 years old. open for any comments and suggestions. love to scuba dive and not sure if I don’t have acl surgery if it wii affect me climbing ladder to get in boat. Thanks for any advice.

i am 3 weeks post opp, need to know if i sould push my knee through the pain when bending and straightining.

I had a full ACL tear playing soccer causing meniscus damage as well in Oct of 2003. Because of potential loss of extension, I had the meniscus done, and am scheduled for the ACL in a week. For strength, not having an ACL is not a huge problem, my knee is fairly stable. I do a lot of work activities, bending, lifting, crawling. So I am doing the ACL. I think it is not uncommon to have the surgery’s seperate. The meniscus recovery time is pretty quick and easy, whereas the ACL is a minimum of 6 weeks of focus on knee rehab, (or else) I feel a little panicky… Carol

I completely tore my ACL and severely sprained my MCL in October of 2003 going up for spike at a volleyball game. No physical contact from any player. But my knee didn’t show the classic symptoms of an ACL tear. My doctor would pull on my knee and I was in no pain and that test was supposed to determine whether my ACL was torn. The day after my injury my knee wasn’t swollen and my physical therapist told me my ACL was good and strong. My doctor wanted to wait 2 weeks before an MRI to see if it would heal by my next visit he said to waited me to wait another 2 weeks again. Finally my mom and I got sick of the non improvement of my knee and schedule an MRI against his orders. Comes to find out I was walking on a completely torn ACL for a month and my doctors didn’t even no it. I had surgery the next day and spent the night in the hospital which was the best decision I ever made. I was on morphine then got on vicodin which made me sick, so for the first week after my surgery I was on ibuprofen for my painkiller. I went through 6 months of rehab at times which was painful. A suggestion for anyone who has this injury is to do exactly what your PT wants you to do in your training. Don’t skip session and do whatever extra work you can do with permission by you PT. 8 months later I was catching in softball again but with pain and swelling after games. I wore a brace during volleyball to prevent the injury. Also train when you are not in sports because I haven’t been in volleyball for a month and my knee has been hurting a lot because I’m not active as much as I was. If you have any questions ask me and I will post my answers.

I recently found out that a tore my ACL. I am an avid horseback rider and was wondering how long after my surgery (Jan 12), would I be back on the horse. I completly tore the ACL and they are making a new one out of my Hamstring. I really want someones opinion and personal experiance on the after facts of surgery.

I’m glad I found this site before having my ACL & meniscus surgery exactly one week ago (December 22). The comments I read were right on target, especially the advice about exercising BEFORE surgery. I had the reconstruction with an allograft, and everything went smoothly. My expectations were realistic and based your many first-hand accounts. Today, one week post-surgery and four sessions with the therapist accomplished, I feel I’m making progress. The pain is manageable (use lots of ice!), and I’m following the PT exercises faithfully. I’m already glad I had it fixed; it was very unstable after the injury and I was afraid to try my “normal’ activities and exercise. Good luck to everyone - keep up the good work! :-)

I’m glad I found this site. I tore my ACL playing basketball without contact. I had ACL reconstructions with a meniscus repair 10 days ago. The first five days I was sick as a dog from the Percocet than from knee pain. I’m glad it’s over but I find it so hard to keep faithful with my at home PT exercises. It hurts and feels extremely uncomfortable. I want a full recovery to go back to my athletic life but I feel like I’m pushing to hard to bend my knee. My PT wants me to be at a 80degree angle by next Tuesday and I can’t seem to get past 50degrees. It’s very discouraging. My surgeon told me yesterday to start weening myself off of the crutches so I started attempting that today. Do the PT exercises get any easier?

Tiffany, yes they do get a lot easier. By the third week after my surgery I was riding the exercise bike for 10 minutes each day for PT. Just do all the exercises that your PT tells you to do and don’t slack off. It will help you in the long run! Trust me!

Tiffany, YES PT GETS EASIER!! Keep at it. I was doing it every 2 hours at the beginning.. now I’m off the crutches its harder to stick to but I pay for the laziness in physio!! Don’t force your knee.. that’s the main thing. Do a little every session, I used a rubber flexi-band thing under my foot, pulling on it firmly but gently when I thought I couldn’t improve the angle. I had to achieve 90 degrees in a week and did 100!! Now it comes on its own! Try to improve on each performance each session, I’d recommend 4-5 sessions a day if you can remembering.. LITTLE (ie 10 bends or so) BUT OFTEN! Keep the swelling down with ice and/or leg up on cushions for as long as poss in the mean time. I’m doing so well at the mo but not super-fast recovery as some have done. Slow and steady. Best of luck!! Annette

Hello, I have a torn acl and meniscus. I am about to schedule surgery after having seen a few doctors. A choice is to use my own ligament or a donors. I’ve read that donor’s are not as strong. Any suggestions on this or surgery in general. Jim

Jim, when I had my surgery they took some of my hamstrings as my new ACL. Ever once and awhile I have problems with my hamstrings tightening up but I don’t know whether other people who have had this type of surgery has gone through the same thing as me. Good Luck with your surgery!!

Hi Jim, I need your opinion as well as any other, whether to go with a patellar graft or a cadaver tissue. I am only 30 and wish to return to playing basketball and other high impact sports by the end of the year. My ortho recommends a cadaver tissue, but I am a little sceptical of his choice. My own patellar tendon is very strong and healthy. Is cadaver tissue going to be strong enough to allow me back to playing these sports or should I insist a patellar graft? I would really appreciate your opinion. My surgery is scheduled for the 7th of feb.

I’m getting ACL surgery on the 15th for the second time. i tore my acl a year ago playing field hockey and i used a cadavar. i tore it again 9 months after the surgery playing field hockey again and this time i’m not so sure which i should go with. my patellar is not that strong, the cadavar didnt work, and the hamstring is said not to be too good, any suggestions?

I tore my ACL and meniscus playing basketball 3 months ago and I am scheduled to have surgery on March 18th. I think i’m gonna use the hamstring option but I’t not sure if thats the way to go. I’m also really scared about the operation b/c this is my first surgery and I am freakin out just thinking about it. I am 21 years old and wanna play sports again in the future. Anyone have any tips or comforting words before i go into surgery?

Hey Victor, just hang in there buddy… I had my surgery on the 22nd of December (patellar tendon graft) and even though the recovery feels so slow just work as hard as your PT permits and you will see lots of benefits… You will be able to play again but dont even think about that at the beginning… Just concentrate on getting your leg strong and keep the swelling down :)

I had acl surgery on 2/17. It went well and there has been little pain. A donor ligament was used. The surgeon will inspect on 2/21.

Jim

I tore my ACL on Feb. 2 (basketball), but the earliest I could schedule surgery was April 7. Does that sound like an inordinate wait to anyone? Don’t mean to sound petty here — I’m committed to the surgery (and whatever it takes to make a healthy recovery) — but I don’t want to sit around worrying that things are getting worse.

hello, I am 18 years old and I tore my acl jumping off the stage during basketball practice, I did not have surgery but I continued playing basketball a month after I tore it. I had to wear a knee brace so I could run. I am a little scared to have surgery!

Hi,

I just found out about my ACL injury and will more likely than not need surgery. The thing is I’m also a graduate student and am avoiding having to take time off from school if possible. My question, is how quickly can you have surgery done?

i’m 17..i tore my acl & meniscus on january 3rd in a basketball game -while- wearing a donjoy knee brace because of an injury to that knee from soccer that september ..i had let that heal and thought that would be enough but i guess not, oh well.. i’m having surgery march 17th and am really nervous..i wondered if there are any tips for post op..just even random things to get through the healing process..i’ve been told a lot about post op and rehab and taking that seriously but i was wondering if there were any little like “tricks of the trade” that would make life easier while on crutches and while healing..any comments would be really appreciated..thanks :)

I’m 25, work a full-time office job, go to grad school 2 nights per week, and play 3 sports throughout the year. Just a little background to make my testimony legit.

I tore my ACL playing basketball on Jan 22. I had surgery 4 weeks later (2 weeks ago). Doc said typically you need 4 weeks to let it stop swelling and such before surgery can be as successful as possible. (See Trent Green as an example of surgery too early)

To all those scared about it, DON’T BE!!!! Be scared about it giving out and hurting like a mug! Tearing it in the first place is the most pain you’ll experience.

Get a good knee doc and you’ll be golden. Do EXACTLY what he tells you. If he says stay off it, STAY OFF. If he says work it, WORK HARD. Both doctor and therapist have said I will probably be ready for softball sometime in late April or May.

Bottom line: The surgery is worth it. There’s only a 3-7% chance you’ll tear it again. And all leaving it torn will do is wear away your cartilage (sp?). Plan on 1 week of NO ACTIVITY, 1 week of very light activity, and then a gradual ramp up of therapy.

Hi I tore my ACL on the 7th of October 2004 and had it done on the 4th of MArch 05. The doctor did not see any downsizes in doing it so late. In fact my knee after PT became more stable and I expect my recovery time to be shorter because of that

Yea, like the rest of you, I tore my ACL in a basketball game (December 10th 05), I had the surgery 5 weeks ago (February 4th 05). It was not bad at all, I’m about to start rehab and I’s excited about it. I gotta be ready next Fall for college ball. Getting the surgery is the best way to go if your planning on remaining active.

ITS 3/14, TORE MY ACL AND MENISCUS 8 WEEKS AGO, SURGERY 3/31…DOWN TIME WILL BE THE WORSE BUT IM LOOKING FORWARD TO HEALING. BASKETBALL DID ME IN TOO. NEVER HAD ANY KNEE PROBS BUT IVE BEEN INACTIVE 3 YRS DUE TO SHOULDER SURGERY SO I THINK THATS WHY I DID IT. GOOD LUCK EVERYONE, ITLL BE BETTER BEFORE YOU KNOW IT.

I am going to have acl surgery next month and i was just curious, how long until I am able to just walk around without crutches?

Brian Dew, I was off of crutches and somewhat walking about after a week or so. Good luck with your surgery!!

I recently tore my ACL in my left leg skiing. My OS wants me to have pre-op physical therapy for 4 weeks, 3x’s a day. Then surgery…He said that I would most likely be out of work for 6 weeks. Is that normal? It seems like a long time. I want to fully recover so I will follow the Doctor’s orders, but I was wondering how quickly everyone else returned to work. I start my first day of pre-op physical therapy on Monday. Wish me luck Thanks to everyone for support. It’s nice to be able to read and see other people’s stories. I don’t feel so alone. Oh and I had another quesiton—-Am I going to have to live on the couch after surgery. My bedroom is upstairs…how quickly will I be able to get there. Can you sit on your “bottom” and pull your way up.

Leslie

I suppose it depends on your work. I had surgery at 9am, was home by 1pm, and put in a couple of hours of work that afternoon. But I work from home with a laptop, so it’s easier for me. If you’re on your feet all day at work or climibing ladders, then you’ll be off for a while.

Opps. I made a mistake in my last post… I said 3x’s a day..I meant 3x’s a week for the pre-op therapy. I chose to have the patellar graft. I hope it works out to be the right choice. I am 25 and not as active in “real sports” but I love to ski recreationally. And I don’t want to make a choice now to never be able to do physical things in the future. Any advise would help.-Thanks-Leslie

Hello everyone, I put a post up a couple weeks ago and just had my acl and meniscus surgery yesterday, 3/18. Started at 7am and got out by 11:30am. I’m glad I found this site because it really eased my fears about having it done. There really is nothing to be scared about having the surgery as long as you have an excellent doctor. I had pre-op therapy once a week for a month and the doctor said it will help the recovery go by more smoothly.

One word of advice, TAKE your meds whenever you’re supposed to b/c if you dont, it will be a long night. It gets you drugged up but you’ll be thankful for taking it. I had to crawl up the stairs backwards and it wasnt too bad. Going to the bathroom is probably the hardest part. Just standing up and having to go pee got me all nautious(is that how you spell it?). The first night gets kinda rough but its nothing anybody here cant handle. Just make sure you have people looking after you cuz they are golden to u during this time of need.

My ankle is pretty purple but i think its cuz i’ve been icing my knee every 4 hours and elevating it pretty frequently. Is that normal? My bandage is also pretty bloody, is that normal as well? I also get itchy all over my body, dunno if its the side effects from the anesthesia. If anyone can tell me about their experiences, that would be greatly appreciated. Good luck to all of you getting it done in the near future. You’ll be glad you got it done when all this is over.

Does anyone know a good website showing success rates between using hamstring, patella and cadaver? I was also reading about using grafts from your good leg. Has anyone done this?

Jess, the therapy for 4 wks is about right. I don’t know about being out of work for 6 weeks. I’m 25 with an office job and I missed 2 weeks. If you can stay off it, or better yet, elevate it, you should be good to go much sooner than 6 weeks.

I’d also consider making downstairs your bedroom for at least the 1st week. I slept on the couch. When they say to stay off it, they mean it. Being literally on your back as much as possible is the best way to go. You might find that you could go upstairs, but you may just not WANT to. So be lazy, get comfy on the couch, and get to know Regis & Kelly a little better.

Our 13 year-old daughter tore her ACL and lateral meniscus playing soccer 3/04. She had the hamstring graft reconstruction done 4/04, and made a successful return to sports six months later. She then suffered a buckethandle tear of her medial meinscus 1/05 playing basketball, and had repair surgery 2/05. She is now out till May. Are there any success stories out there from those who, after similarly bad luck, have successfully returned to sports and avoided additional surgeries? Thanks!

Victor, i just had my surgery on the 17th..and i fully understand the itchiness and the swollen ankle! i stayed in the hospital the first night..i had trouble catching up with the pain and i had a later surgery as well.. it was nice having the nurses taking care of me. i remember my face being itchy and i just thought it was a reaction from the med or IV’s or whatever. and now that im home my ankle is swollen and starting to discolor. i had my first PT yesterday and i’m still sore from it! but i can already see improvement. well gotta go get back to icing, best of luck to everyone :)

This is to 45 year old “Debbie” posted on 1-19-05. I am close to your age & ACL situation. I didn’t know your e-mail so please e-mail me at tafetty@aol.com & put in description “ACL from Debbie”. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Hi Everyone~ i tore my acl about 5 months ago. but i am only 13 and my growth plates were still open so i couldnt have surgery. but now they are starting to close and i am scheduled for surgery on the 18 of april. i am getting really nervous and i am kind of scared because i have never had any sugery anywhere before and i dont know wat to expect. if anyone has some encouragement for me and some info for me, i would greatly appreciate it! thanks so much! ~Shauna~ send me an email! ROTYTaurasi2004@aol.com

Hi Paul,

Here are some abstracts from the medical literature about the relative success of various types of ACL grafts (achilles tendon allo, patellar allo, and patellar auto). As you can see, some experimental results suggest that the patellar autograft is the best, while others seem to show no difference between allo and auto. I apologize for this large-sized post, but I hope that it provides some useful scientific knwoledge to folks out there.

To throw in my own two anecdotal cents to the general discussion for those considering surgery, I had an ACL patellar bone-tendon-bone allograft surgery on Jan 5 (and after a somewhat unpleasant first week) I would characterize my recovery as slow and steady, without major complications. I am still not able to fully squat down fully (maybe 60 degrees), but I have 120 degree passive rage of motion and maybe 5 degrees away from full extension. I experience some clicking and knee locking when I walk, but the frequency of this is seeming to decrease as I walk more and more. In honesty, I cannot say yet that the operation was worth it, as I was close to asymptomatic prior to surgery (when not performing sport, that is), but I also don’t think it is fair to judge success only 11 weeks post-op.

Indelli PF. Dillingham MF. Fanton GS. Schurman DJ. Institution Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA. Title Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using cryopreserved allografts. Source Clinical Orthopaedics & Related Research. (420):268-75, 2004 Mar. Abstract Primary ACL reconstruction historically has been done using autograft tissues whereas allografts have been limited to revision cases and patients who are older or with lower physical demands because some animal studies suggested a slower biologic incorporation rate. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the cryopreserved Achilles tendon allograft in primary ACL reconstruction in a consecutive series of athletes. Fifty consecutive patients with a strenuous or moderate preinjury activity level, as defined by the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), had ACL reconstruction using cryopreserved Achilles tendon allografts secured with bioabsorbable interference screws. Five patients were professional athletes. The average age of the patients was 36 years (range, 17-50 years). A 3- to 5-year followup study was done in all of the patients using the IKDC form. Tunnel widening was measured in the lateral radiographs at the widest level. The overall outcome was normal or nearly normal in 94% of the patients. No failures were reported in this series. Forty-six patients (92%) returned to their same preinjury sport activity level. The average KT-1000 side-to-side difference was 2.3 mm. Average tibial tunnel widening was 2.7 mm (range, 0-6 mm); no significant correlation was observed between increased tunnel size and a fair or poor clinical outcome. This experience shows that favorable results can be obtained with cryopreserved Achilles tendon allografts in athletes in whom avoiding donor site morbidity may be an issue in terms of a prompt return to sport.

Chang SK. Egami DK. Shaieb MD. Kan DM. Richardson AB. Institution University of Hawaii Orthopaedic Residency Program, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. skykaeo@aol.com Title Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: allograft versus autograft. [Review] [35 refs] Source Arthroscopy. 19(5):453-62, 2003 May-Jun. Abstract PURPOSE: This study was performed to compare the minimal 2-year outcome of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction using bone-patellar tendon-bone (BPTB) allografts versus autografts, both augmented with an iliotibial band tenodesis. TYPE OF STUDY: Retrospective review. METHODS: Forty-six of 52 BPTB ACL reconstructions using allografts and 33 of 37 BPTB ACL reconstructions using autografts were followed up at a mean of 2.75 and 3.36 years, respectively. All patients had an iliotibial band tenodesis. Evaluations included the Lysholm II scale, a questionnaire, physical examination findings, and KT-1000 arthrometry. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were seen between groups in Lysholm II scores or in any subjective category. Most patients (91% allograft; 97% autograft) had good to excellent Lysholm II scores. Sixty-five percent of allograft patients and 73% of autograft patients returned to their preinjury activity level. More allograft patients complained of retropatellar pain (16% v 9% for autograft patients). Fifty-three percent of allograft patients versus 23% of autograft patients had a flexion deficit of 5 degrees or more when compared with the normal contralateral side. When comparing KT-1000 side-to-side differences, we found no significant differences between groups. Ninety-one percent of both groups had maximum side-to-side differences less than 5 mm. Three allograft patients (6.5%) had traumatic ruptures at 12, 19, and 43 months postoperatively versus none in the autograft group. All three allograft patients who sustained postoperative traumatic ruptures had received fresh frozen, nonirradiated allografts. CONCLUSIONS: Results of ACL reconstruction using allografts or autografts augmented with an iliotibial band tenodesis were comparable. The BPTB autograft should remain the gold standard, although the BPTB allograft in ACL reconstruction is a reasonable alternative.

Siebold R. Buelow JU. Bos L. Ellermann A. Institution ARCUS Sportsclinic, Pforzheim, Germany. rainersiebold@hotmail.com Title Primary ACL reconstruction with fresh-frozen patellar versus Achilles tendon allografts. Source Archives of Orthopaedic & Trauma Surgery. 123(4):180-5, 2003 May. Abstract BACKGROUND: In recent years, there has been an interest in the use of allografts as an alternative graft for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction to reduce potential donor-site morbidity resulting from the harvest of autogenous tissue. Nevertheless, in the literature, the use of allografts for primary ACL reconstruction is controversial due to a higher failure rate and the potential risk of disease transmission. METHOD: In this retrospective study, we evaluated the clinical outcome of 251 fresh-frozen patellar vs Achilles tendon allografts for primary ACL reconstruction. Patients (average age 39 years) were operated on between 1993 and 1998, and the mean follow-up was 37.7 months (range 24-74 months). We were able to follow up 225 patients (89.6%). According to the different types of allograft, we divided the patients into two groups: group P with patellar bone-tendon-bone allograft (BTB; n=183) and group A with Achilles bone-tendon allograft ( n=42). Clinical evaluation consisted of a history, an examination, IKDC Score, Cincinnati Knee Score (CKS), Cincinnati Sports Activity Scale (CSAS), KT-1000 testing, and standardized X-rays. RESULTS: According to the IKDC, the outcome was normal or nearly normal in 75.3% in group P and 76.2% in group A. Overall rating according to the CKS was an average of 85 in group P and 82.9 in group A. CSAS was 79.6 in group P and 84.8 in group A. The object ive stability measured with the KT-1000 showed an average side-to-side difference of 2.1 mm in group P and 2.0 mm in group A. 4.4% of group P and 2.5% of group A were considered a laxity failure, and 10.4% of group P and 4.8% of group A re-ruptured the reconstructed ACL. In summary, there was a significantly higher failure rate ( p<0.001) in group P compared with group A. CONCLUSION: Satisfactory clinical results can be achieved with the use of allografts for primary ACL reconstruction. Comparing Achilles tendon and patellar BTB allografts, the Achilles tendon-bone allograft seems to be advantageous for ACL reconstruction as the failure rate was significantly lower. Nevertheless, the total failure rate appears to be much higher compared with autogenous ACL reconstruction, indicating that the use of an allograft for routine uncomplicated primary ACL reconstruction offers few advantages. Therefore, autograft tissue remains our graft of first choice for this procedure. We advise reserving allografts for revision procedures where suitable autogenous tissues have been previously compromised, where a contraindication for autogenous tissue harvest exists, or for multiple ligament surgery.

Harner CD. Olson E. Irrgang JJ. Silverstein S. Fu FH. Silbey M. Institution Center for Sports Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. Title Allograft versus autograft anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: 3- to 5-year outcome. Source Clinical Orthopaedics & Related Research. (324):134-44, 1996 Mar. Abstract Sixty-four patients whose knees underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with nonirradiated allograft tissue were compared with 26 patients whose anterior cruciate ligaments were reconstructed using autograft tissue 3 to 5 years after their operation. Detailed symptoms, activity-level, and functional outcomes, physical examination, and instrumented knee testing were recorded. No statistically significant differences were found except a higher incidence of loss of terminal extension in the autograft group. These differences were small and not considered clinically significant. Laxity and knee scores were similar in both groups. According to International Knee Documentation Committee ratings, overall outcome was normal or nearly normal in 48% of the allograft patients and in 38% of the autograft patients. Overall subjective rating with the Cincinnati Knee Score was 85.8 for the allograft patients and 84.5 for the autograft patients. Allograft tissue provides an acceptable alternative to autograft tissue for reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament.

Indelicato PA. Bittar ES. Prevot TJ. Woods GA. Branch TP. Huegel M. Institution Department of Orthopaedics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville 32610. Title Clinical comparison of freeze-dried and fresh frozen patellar tendon allografts for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction of the knee. Source American Journal of Sports Medicine. 18(4):335-42, 1990 Jul-Aug. Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcome of freeze-dried compared to fresh frozen allograft tissue used as a substitute for a ruptured ACL of the knee. In addition, the incidence of any graft rejection phenomena was recorded. Forty-one patients with ACL deficient knees underwent reconstructive surgery using a patellar bone-tendon-bone allograft that had been freeze-dried (Group 1, N = 14) or fresh frozen (Group 2, N = 27). All patients underwent the same implant technique and rehabilitation program. Followup ranged from 24 to 36 months. The evaluation consisted of subjective, objective, and instrumented laxity testing (KT-1000, MEDmetric, San Diego, CA; and Genucom, FARO Medical Technologies, Inc., Montreal, Canada). There were 31 males and 10 females. Eleven (79%) patients in Group 1 thought their knee was “normal” or “improved,” and 25 (93%) in Group 2 thought the same. In addition, 10 (71%) patients in Group 1 denied any “giving way,” compared to 26 (96%) in Group 2. The mean Lysholm knee score in Group 1 was 86/100 (range, 22 to 100) compared to 92/100 (range, 59 to 100). Clinical examination included the Lachman test and tests for anterior drawer sign and pivot shift. Postoperatively, Group 1 patients had the following results: Lachman test—seven Grade 0, six Grade 1, one Grade 2; anterior drawer sign—eight Grade 0, five Grade 1, one Grade 2; and pivot shift—seven Grade 0, five “trace,” and two “present.”(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Eric..Read This!!!

This is specifically for Eric. I had surgery on Feb 22 (vs your Jan 5). I am at 131, doing squats daily as part of therapy, walk with no clicking noises, and am fully extended. I’m not sure if we had different procedures since you used the big long name of it.

Just wanted to post you a word of caution that you might want a 2nd opinion because it sounds like your progress may be a little slow.…especially the straightening of your leg.

hey guys. i tore my acl over spring break skiing in Colorado. It was in a little bit of pain after the inncodent but I could barely feel it. Its now 2 weeks later and im scheduled to have surgery a week from today. Im only 14 years old and my growth plates are still wide open. I have read on the internet that it is unsafe to have reconstruction on open growth plates because it will effect my growth. My doctor recomends it though. Is this safe? Please email me at sarahmcd90@yahoo.com if you have any comments! thanks

I have a completly torn , ACL in conjunction with severe MCL damage. My doc is going to operate, using a donor. I probabley have the only non-sports related injury on this site. Great site by the way!! I own a 150lb puppy that is lacking in the manner department, he ran in the house and toke me out. So here I sit watching daytime television, wondering if I should go to a internet college, dowload some gangsta ring tone or watch Oprah! So my point and biggest concern is what is the average recovery time? My doc said 10 days, completley down, 6 weeks limited mobility and 6 months to obtain “back to normal”. Please help! Again this site is great and I am thankful I found it! Thanks!

I tore my ACL during cheerleading competition the summer before my junior year of high school (2001). This happened in June. In August I had a Patellar Tendon Transfer. For two to three weeks after my surgery i ran a fever of around 104. The doctors all said that everything looked normal (looks can be deceiving). I returned to school when it started (on crutches). And by the middle of the day i noticed a greenish-brown liquid leaking from my incision. Realizing that this was not normal, i made a visit to my doctor, where he stuck a needle into my knee joint and extracted this disgusting looking fluid. He immediately realized that i had an infection and sent me directly to the hospital. He met me there about an hour later and i had an emergency surgery. The infection had been so bad that it completely distroyed my tendon graft and the screws just fell out of my bone. His only option was to clean everything up and sew me up with a hollow knee. Till this day i still had no ACL, no patella tendon, and 1/3 of my meniscus cartilage removed. I still have the option of using my hamstring or a donor tendon, but i went through so much pain, that i dont think i will do anything. So if you have ACL surgery- be very cautious!! If you run a fever- tell you doctor to check for an infection and not just assume that it is a stomach virus. If you have any questions or comments email me at pbcheer@hotmail.com

I HAD ACL SURGERY IN 1989 AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY IN 1993 NOW IN 2005 I HAVE TROUBLE WALKING. I’M IN CONSTANT PAIN AND LIMP VERY BAD ANY SUGGESTIONS.

I’m 38yo. and tore my acl 3 weeks ago playing indoor soccer on turf. I have a partial tear of my meniscus and MCL, however, I am already in rehab with pretty good mobility. I went to a prominent Sportsmed. Dr. who is recommending not having surgery. There is always a chance of reinjuring the knee. (by the way, I dislocated my shoulder playing soccer in the Fall) This suggestion took me by surprise, as I was trying to decide on which surgery to have. Do any of you know someone who continues to be active without their ACL?

im having acl reconstruction surgery this thuresday(4-14-05) i hurt mine by getting knocked off a 12 foot ladder at work,( i worked in the rv industry.) back on july 26th,2004. had the scope done in dec, and thats when the doc found out it was an acl tear. mri didnt show that.my problem is my range of motion still is not good, even with all the pt. im worried that its going to be even worse after surgery.has anyone ever had this problem to please e-mail me at wolfspirit4me67@yahoo.com

i had an ACL surgery in 2003 on my right knee when i was a freshmen playing basketball. i was 15. then in 2004, as a sophomore, i tore mt ACL and meniscus in my left knee while playing basketball as well. i was 16. i had been on crouches for 6 vweeks, in the full leg brace for 2 months and had therapy for 6 months for each knee surgery. it was hard work but i managed to get through it. now i am a junior (2005) @ the age of 17, playing basketball and softball. i am doing great. i hope many blessings and aloha to all who are going through, went through or will be going through surgeries. MAHALO & ALOHA *:)

Hi like Mari I also have ACL surgery scheduled for this Thursday. I decided on a petillar graft. I am completely motivated and excited about the surgery. I tore both my ACL and my MCL. The accident happend on March 17 while skiing and I have been completing pre op therepy since then. I have 0-128 degrees of motion and the swelling is almost gone. I am a Marine Corps reservist and am an extremely active cyclist, runner, swimmer, anything outdoors. I have a great OS here in Golden Colorado and am assured my knee will be as good or better than it was before, after about 6-8 months of rehab. This is a great support site! Good luck to everyone in this condition. If you would lke, please contact me at malimback@hotmail.com STAY MOTIVATED!! Semper Fi!

-Spring of 04 I was playing the last lacrosse game of the season for my High School Club Team in Virginia. I put my right leg forward with weight on it, as I was hit in the leg with a defenders helmet as he fell. I had the immediate “pop” that is common and thought it was dislocated. Obviously, after MRI etc. I was told my ACL was gone, small meniscus tear, and bone bruising. At 17 years old, I had the surgery June 16th, after beach week, and then worked my ass off all summer. By 5 weeks I got rid of my brace, started getting more active, and eventually got back to snowboarding in January 05. After more training I was back on the lacrosse field this year, and led the league in scoring for the first 5 weeks.
-Then on a trip to Rome, Italy for spring break I was skateboarding and hurt my left knee. The doctor assured me that it was not my ACL, and it was a contusion or meniscus tear at worst. However, after I took an MRI, the doctor’s first words over the phone were “I am soo sorry”. Another ACL tear. I was in complete shock. Now I am deciding when to have surgery, as I am 18 and this is my senior year. My parents urge me to have it May 13, while I want it July 6. I dont want to be limping up the stairs at graduation! I was really depressed to hear that I tore another ACL and could not play lacrosse, or other activities this year anymore. This site helped to chear me up though, as some of you have also had multiple surgeries. Thanks and good luck to all of you.

Hi Paul- I tore both of my ACLs in a car accident when I was 19. Since I was playing college baseball I had to have surgery. The doctor only wanted to do one leg at a time so the rehab would be easier and I wouldn’t need a wheelchair for 6 months (which makes since). After having the 1st surgery on my right knee and having a full recovery from my right knee we decided surgery on my left knee can be avoided if my legs were strong enough. So, we only scoped my left knee to remove any torn cartilage and did not have ACL repair. After a quick recovery from the scope I was back on the field and never had any problems. I’m 26 now and still very active with basketball, baseball, tennis, raquetball, skiing, wakeboarding, and cross-training and I don’t have any problems with my repaired ACL (right knee) or my un-repaired ACL (left knee). My point is you can still be very active without your ACL if you weight train your legs and get them strong. You can’t cheat yourself though!

I tore my ACL and MCL and all that fun stuff August of ‘04 playing soccer! Worst pain of my life!:( I’m getting my surgery on May 26/05…I get the patellar graft, but there’s other stuff that’s wrong too, but the surgeon says he’ll find out more about it once he gets in there…anyways, how long for those who have had this done before you can swim…I’m supposed to be going to the dominican the first week of July, and I’m not sure if I can go now…how laid up will I still be do you think? email me! basketballstar58@hotmail.com Cheers! Sarah :0)

I tore my ACL and MCL playing football at my high school Loy Norrix in Kalamazoo, mi. It was the worst experience of my life. I tore it on Sept. 18th 2001 and had my sergery on nov. 27th 2001. I was playing quaterback and it was the first play of the game. It was a pass play and since nobody was open i decided to tuck and run. I made a strong cut and tried to spin but i ran into one of my blockers and someone else fell on my leg and i completly tore my ACL and MCL.

I had orthroscopic knee surgery on 9/9/04 for a torn miniscus. Prior to the injury in 8/04, I had had no problems. Following - wow! I’ve never recovered from the surgery. Has completely changed my life - the surgeon just tells me the surgery was a success and can’t get rid of me fast enough. Has anyone out there also had a failured arthroscopy knee surgery? Marcia English

Hi, I’m 18 and tore my acl about two months ago. I’m going to have surgery after spring quarter in june, and am trying to decide what kind of graft to get… patellar or hamstring. Any advice?

Today i just found out that I tore my ACL. It all happened while I was playing soccer in a park and planted my foot in a whole. My knee popped twice and I went down. The funny thing is I don’t remember it hurting at all. I just got really scared because I thought my knee cap was going to be way off to the side. I never though I would be one of the girls this happens too. I have played soccer ans other sports since I was 5 years old. I have never recieved a serious injury before. I have never missed a season. I am now 19. It seems like 14 years was not a good enough streak.
The worst part is I got a full ride scholarship for two years at Texas Southern Unniversity in Houston. I was planning on moving into an apartment in the middle of this August. With my injury and August just five moths away. I have to rehab faster than you can say “Hey Ya’ll!” I was so excited and anticipating this sooo much. I just hope I am strong enough to do this.

Well, I had my surgery 2 .5 weeks ago. They used a patella graft and things are coming along nicely. The pain is still definitely where the graft was from in the front.The Fla. Panthers Hockey tean doctors repaired the acl and carved about 30% of the meniscus away. then they found a bad tear in the cartilage so Im on crutches for a little longer (total of 4 wks while the holes they drilled into the cartilage to provide a new 50% cartilage cover heals). The crutches suck. Im active yet Im extremely dependent. You cant shower, must be careful as hell everywhere, and cant even carry a damn thing anywhere- but its almost over and then just the brace for more weeks. Also, my knee is still swollen above it and the bruising expanded to my foot. Also, im noticing that my leg is shrinking from non use!! Anyway, surgery is a piece of cake, never nausea, pain is decent but ice and pills should work for most (i drink a bit much so they dont really wrk for me- immunity?!)…I hope I can be the athete I always have been but its scary. Im 35 and at 5”10 could still dunk until this. I dont know.…

I’m 15 and tore my ACL and meniskus in february ‘05 in soccer. It was the worst pain I have ever felt in my life. (I’ve also torn my right quad and had a contusion to my left hipbone.)

Anyways, I just had my surgery 4 days ago. It’s been hard and I’m suffering from depression, which the doc says is normal. I’m really trying to be brave and get through it all, and I’m going to listen to EVERYTHING the PT and doc tell me to do with recovery.

The thing I really am debating is starting back up with soccer…I don’t want to go through any of this again. Also, it may not be like this for everyone, but for me the narcotics made me sick and nausiated, have made me faint, and gave me the worst nightmares you could imagine.

I was playing football for fun with the girls in college, and I made a sharp turn to tackle someone- when I heard a pop and I was on the ground. It was extremely painful. Some guys got me some ice, and I thought I had just bruised it. Being a stubborn and independent woman, I wouldn’t allow anyone to help me walk back to the dorms. In an hour, the pain was so intense that I couldn’t walk. I went to a Doctor to make sure I was ok, and the Doctor said I was fine- and that I didn’t need an MRI or anything- so I just went about my buisness and decided to wait until Christmas to have my Doctor look at it. When I went home to my personal Doctor, she informed me after I had gotten an MRI- that I had no ACL at all and meniscus tearing. I was so ticked off because I could have avoided unncessary pain if I would have known right away about the tear. So, I’m getting surgery this summer in a few weeks and hopefully it will go well. One thing is for sure, I’m sticking to swimming and pilates- no more goofing around with football!

i know how all ya all feel i’m 16 and i’ve had a total of 5 knee surgeries in the last year (7 surgeries total over the last year!) i tore my acl and mcl last feb 04 when i was 15 one of the worst pains of my life! worked my ass off and 3 1/2 months later i was able to do basketball camps. couldnt play very hard but deffently able to make my mark on the camp. then this year again playing basketball tore my acl in my right leg. always trying to see the bright side of things is that its only my sophmore year, and i have an extra month of rehab before summer then i had last year. had surgury a week later, felt like shit, starting getting better, about a week later i had to go to the ER for back,side,and stomach pain. (hurt 100 times worse then hurting my knee) i got soo sick over the week i lost 20 lbs in a week, couldnt walk, see straight, half of the time couldnt see @ all, fainted. finally my check up appt, my doc had a bad feeling from the way i felt so he checked my knee for staph infection. sure enough i did, one of the worst ones he’s ever seen. then in that afternoon got my knee flushed and my acl removed, next day got a centeral line put in my chest (pretty much a big fat iv for an antibodic that i had for 6 weeks) and then the next day i got my knee flushed once again. during my 6 weeks of hell i got to watch my team go to state, had to do rehab knowing that i’ll be back laid up a @ 0 again in a few weeks but i was feeling so much better and i could walk. so 6 weeks ago i got my centeral line out, 5 weeks ago had another acl reconstruction surgury once again and i’m doin pretty good. rehab is slower then i wanted but i’ve started shooting again, just went to prom, and i’m just starting to totally see the bright side of everything once again. so ya all that have gone through surgerys i totally feel you pain and you can deffentally get through it, it’ll just make you a stronger person in the end ~~~Peace~~~

Hey i had a partial tear in my ACL from a basketball injury that occured in 2002. I just continued to be active by wrapping my knee up extremely tight, but i then again almost tore my acl completly playing Paintball in the woods. I knew it was time for something to happen and since i currently am in the process of trying to become a NJ State Trooper i need a good knee to run on in the Acadamey. I got reconstructive surgery on April 20th, 2005 by a doctor who operates on the NY/NJ Metro Stars. It was a very good choice in doctors for me. Its been a week and 2 days i already started physical therapy i am bending my knee 90 degrees by myslef and 110 on the machine. I walk around my house without crutches but use them elsewhere just incase.

my 16 yr old daughter just had acl recons with patella tendon graft on March 23, after basketball injury on Feb 10, 2005. The first two weeks were horribly painful — not much steady sleep, pain medicine was bad on her stomach, knee was just so painful. However, now at just about six weeks she is in terrific shape…no pain, swelling or stiffness, walks almost perfectly and she has full extension and flex…she feels like she’s ready to run but knows that she should not. Her quads look a little more normal now and her calf muscle iscoming back. The reason for such improvement is partly just the time has passed but mostly — she does the excercises and walks a lot. She was very athletic before and has no intention of giving up on lacrosse, field hockey and maybe even some more basketball. Lacrosse is what she plans to play in college so might drop the basketball. Anyway, it’s normal to be depressed at first but just stick with the PT plan and you will feel better and better. Patience is a great thing.
Question: Anyone out there so happy with their functional brace for playing sports that they would recommend it? So many choices!!

email us at baybells@optonline.net

Thanks!

im only 14 and i just tore my acl april 28 ((i think??)) im due for surgery on may 18 which is only in 12 days. im kinda lucky because i get to have the surgery so soon. i was doing pretty well and i was off crutches ((which i guess our suposed to before surgery)) when i twisted it on the stairs. i had friends over and luckily they caught me, because soon after that i fainted; which had never happened before.

i always seem to be doing well, then get more and more set backs. i’d REALLY appriciate some success stories and encouragment. ((sp??)) feel free to email me but say something about the acl in the subejct so i know its not just some random person. thanks!! graceflips@aol.com

I’m 17 years old and I tore my ACL during a basketball game on Feb.1. I decided to play my tennis season and did rehab so I could have range of motion without getting it fixed. I got a custom brace and have run and played without pain for 4 months now. But recently I decided I was sick of being hurt, and frustrated with not being able to play my best. I am getting surgery on May 23 and would like any advice about it. I am very nervous and scared something will go wrong. Please email piller_01@hotmail.com

wow, i look forward to the fun i am about to endure. on mothers day i was “stunting” with my friends in Detroit and while riding a wheelie with my right leg hanging out for balance, i brought the motorcycle back too far and slammed my leg into the road. dropped my bike, but worse, when i stood up-my leg bent backwards and inwards. that was the strangest feeling ever and i almost got sick. went to the hospital(at my girlfriends demand) and found i tore my acl, mcl, fractured and chunk of bone off my knee cap. it has been a week and going to see my doctor for the third time to go over my MRI report to see if need surgury or cast. everyone keeps telling me different times of rehabilitation, i am a bit worried. either way it cannot be worse than the discomfort and pain i have been feeling. now that the fluid on my knee, the black and blues and soreness have kicked in, i have had difficult times sleeping and hobbling around, and the vicadin es, wow talk about upset stomach and feeling woozy. anyhow, going today to find out the status of surgery, i got a bit of an idea what to expect by reading some of these posts, thanks!

Hi everyone! I’m 4.5 months out of surgery and am doing good. I got full range of motion but seem to be suffering from atrophy and patellar tendinitis. My leg is still very small, has anyone had this problem? How long does it last? I thought my leg would have been bigger by now but it’s as if the muscle is just pure flab. I got so discouraged I went into the gym and started doing squats and reverse squats way to early. It really aggravated my knee. So now I’m back to rehab for ultrasounds and ice and stem to get the tendinitis down. Anyone experienced this? Anyway, I am so glad I was able to read everyones post on their surgery and recovery. Hope everyone is doing well. It’s going to be longer than I thought to get back on the court but I’m positive I’ll get there. Thanks everyone!

I tore my acl skiing in March. Both the doctor in Tahoe and my orthopedic surgeon who are both familiar with acl tears could tell fairly easily that I tore my acl. All they did was to hold my leg above my knee and pull the lower part of my leg out. Because the leg with the torn acl pulled out a good 1/2” or so more than my other leg, they determined that my acl was torn. The mri then showed that I also tore my miniscus. I am scheduled to have surgery in June. I’ve been walking around pretty normally, just going a bit slower than normal on stairs. Once in a while I feel pain, and it mainly seems to be above my knee, which I fear may be my petallar tendon. My doctor is recommending surgery using the patellar tendon. Has anyone else felt pain over the knee pre-sugery, then had the surgery using the patellar tendon? If so, were you able to recover and end the pain over the knee? Also, any suggestions on reducing scarring?

Im 17 and an avid athlete of 7 sports. During my first rugby game of the season 3 weeks ago i twisted my knee and have found out that i tore my ACL, MCL and meniscus. Im not in alot of pain but the doctors are keeping me on crutches. I cant quite bend it maybe 30 degrees at most but havent had any physio yet. I need surgery and i guess im in for a long recovery 6-9months i hear until sports again. I guess no rugby during first year university?? someone please tell me otherwise!!! in need of major advice! thanks

laura

Hey all!

4 years ago I was downhill skiing and made an attempt at an emergency slide stop. I caught an edge and POP, my ACL was gone in my right knee. After an hour of ice, I actually went back skiing and about halfway down the hill felt a major instability. Had an MRI about a month later and confirmed the injury as well as a meniscus tear. Went through some range of motion theraoy and put off surgury for four years. I just had my ACL surgery last Thursday May 19, 2005. I had the Patelar tendon autograph. I am now walking on my own with crutches occasionally. Swelling is about 20% of the original from six days ago. My range of motion is about 90 degrees. I would really recommend to anyone thinking about delaying surgery, don’t. get it over with.

Hi everyone! I am so glad I found the site, I just wish I would have found it before my surgery. Reading other peoples experiences has really given me motivation and hope that I will have a full recovery. I had ACL reconstructin surgery on 05/09/05. It has been 2 1/2 weeks and I’m just starting to feel somewhat normal again. The first week was horrible because of the pain and the upset stomache. Finally my OS and I found a pain med. which didn’t make me so sick, but it makes me really tired and a bit “out of it”. I am trying to cut way back on the medication because I have a 3 yr. old daughter who I really miss spending time with, considering I am a stay at home mom. My mother-in-law has been a great help watching my daughter everyday for me. It is important to let people help you when you have the surgery. TAke advantage so you can get better, but don’t forget to give them big thanks too. I’m still on my crutches, now 2 1/2 weeks post op., although I’m putting pressure on my foot, I’m not sure if this is normal or not. I’m working hard at pt and looking forward to a full recovery. OH I should say that i tore my ACL on 03/25/05 while running down a large dirt hill with my daughter. We were holding hands and she fell, but was ok, I came to a sudden stop and I heard a few loud popping sounds and felt immediately sick to my stomache. After seeing my os and having an mri I found out that I had torn my ACL. I’m glad I had the surgery because I do want to get back to a normal active lifestyle. And again this message board has been really great because I know I’m not alone and that the pain will go away. Thanks and good luck to everyone!

I had ACL and meniscus reconstruction surgery exactly 5 weeks ago yesterday. before surgery, i was in PT for 3 weeks 3 times a week and did the exercises on my own every day 3 times a day. its very annoying to do that everyday, but it did help.. alot. my pt told me i would not be able to lift my leg on my own for awhile, and the day of surgery i lifted myself into my own bed. because my meniscus was so badly torn, i was on crutches for 4 weeks, that was the worst part. i think about 3 weeks into pt post op i had full range of motion back and i am walking on it now with a brace. my advice, do as much PT as you possible can on your own, push yourself to your pain limit, and let your physical therapist stretch you!! in the end its all worth it.

if you have any questions or just want to talk (i would love to) email me at fieldhockey2s@aol.com

Hi everyone,

I went to skiing on feb, 2005 and thorn my riht knee`s acl and menuscus.I am going to have a surgery on tuesday May 31st.

Wish me luck.

I’m reading about all of you who had surgery and were not using crutches much after only 2-2 1/2 weeks! I had acl reconst (patellar) done four years ago and recently fell and tore it again in the same knee. at the time of the fall, i fugured i’d damaged some cartilage or something but not acl. im having surgery again using cadaver tissue (creepy, but its better than using the tendon from my good knee and the OS says hamstring cant be used becaused of the tunnells drilled out for the first surgery). my current surgeon (not same as the first), says i will be on crutches at least a month. im 37 yr old very active female and dont know if this has anything to do with age, but he seems more conservative than some of the other OS’s. dont look forward to the next 6 mos

I just had acl surgery last Tuesday and it caused me to miss a great trip to Austin to play golf. The surgery went pretty well but I am still in some pain. They did not give me a passive motion device, but I found that if i move my leg as if it were in one that it helps. After surgery I was given different pain killers, but none on them really made a HUGE difference. I tried generic vicodin, lortab, and percocet. I should start pt today and I get my stitches out Friday. I can’t wait to get back on the golf course. Believe it or not I tore my acl helping some good friends brand calves. I landed funny and it went sideways I guess. I thought I did not hurt it too bad so I started walking in circles to walk it off when all of a sudden it just twisted and I collapsed. Recently I have experienced a strange pain when I get out of my recliner. See, most of the day I sit in my recliner with a pillow under my leg with the ice on and off of it. Whenever I would get out of the chair to go do something my knee would start stinging and burning I guess cause the blood would rush to it. So I started moving my leg up and down, and trying to bend it like it were in a passive motion device and it really helped.

I am pretty sick of sitting around watching re-runs of surreal life and american chopper. The occasional golf tourney chears me up though. Well if any of you guys want to talk about your surgery with me email me at jamesnew@hotmail.com

Here’s some encouragement for everyone: I’m 3 months and 1 week post surgery (patella graft). I’m finishing up therapy this evening and have been playing in my 4 softball leagues (at about 80% of where I’d like to be) for almost a month now.

There’s nothing special about me other than the fact that I did exactly what my doctor said and worked very very hard in therapy and at home to get back up to speed.

Keep in mind I didn’t say 100%. I’m still very careful not to go all out and risk injuring it again. I do still get sore and definitely need to rest my leg if I do too much, but I hope I can encourage anyone going in for surgery here soon to just push through it, stay the course, and know that you’ll be back up and at it before you know it (although it will seem like forever sometimes).

I’m having an autograph ACL reconstruction on my right knee tomorrow (june 2nd) and I’m very bored about walking with crutches and not eing able to do exercise. I torn it skiing in Vermont in January and have been procastinating about the surgery, especially since I had to attend a U2 concert in Boston! In 1996 I had an ACL reconstruction on my left knee and meniscus repair…I guess my knees aren’t very good. Just wanted to share the pre-surgery fear!

Had ACL reconstuction and meniscus repair on 5-25-05. Other than being on crutches for 4-6 weeks, I find the worst part of the whole ordeal has been the anesthesia and effects of the pain meds. I was fearful of the pain so I took the pills religiously at first. They made me feel awful, so I switched to ibuprofen and I find now that I only need to take that only occasionally, the pain isn’t really that bad.

i am only 16 i tore my acl and meniscus during a football game my junior year in high school, i am now going to be a senior. i had reconstructive surgery done march 10th it is now about 11-12 weeks past my surgery, and i still cant run, i have been going to pt 2 times every week since about 2 weeks prior to my surgery. and i just wanted to find out if this is normal or not. you can email me back a gipson4@mchsi.com with some answers thatks.

I just had acl reconstructive surgery a week ago yesterday on May 26th, 2005. I am only 15. I had the same surgery in the other knee almost 3 years ago when i was 13. I tore the other one when I was in 7th grade but I had to wait to have surgery until i stopped growing. I had to wait about 11 monthes to have my surgery. During that time i could’t really do any physical activity excpt pt. I had the surgery in Dec. and worked with the trainer at the high school that I now attend(i was still in middle school) and got stong enough to play soccer in March. In my state, eigth grade girls can practice with the high school teams and then play in games once school is out. I hadn’t been able to play soccer for about a year and a half before that but i worked my ass off and made varsity as an 8th grader. So i just want to tell all of you just work hard. Do whatever your pt tells you. Be determined and you can do anything. Now I tore the other acl and and I am going to work just as hard to get back in the game next year.

Hi all was reading about all of this. I was just told after like 3 months ago I have torn my acl also. Just wondering if you all had the surury did you go home the day of the surgery. I need to be able to walk a week after the surgury. But in reading I did not see that anyone was walking on there own in a week. I am not sure if I should get the surgury or not? My knee goes out alot but was thinking of putting it off a while longer like for another year I am not sure. Any info would be great thanks. Val

I postponed my ACL surgery for 4 months until I finished with my classes. While I was waiting I went to the physical therapist three times a week to gain strength in my leg. I found that after the surgery I was strong but not enough to walk. That came several weeks after intensive therapy. You have to work real hard but it is worth it in the end.

I just had ACL surgery about 10 days ago and am starting therapy. Do you think my progress would move any quicker if I took a pain killer before therapy? It’s still early in this process and I am already beginning to get frustrated as well as losing my motivation.

I just had ACL reconstruction last Wednesday June 1, 2005. So, it has been a week and I am very surprised how painless it has been so far. I don’t know if I am just lucky, but thought I’d share a few things with people going for the same reconstruction soon. FYI, I had the hamstring graft.

First, they gave me an IV. Then a nerve block for the front of my leg. Then an eppidural. I was very nervous goig into the surgery, because I am quite squeemish. None of it really bothered me once I calmed down and let them do their work. The worst part was probably the IV, actually.

During the surgery, I watched the whole thing and was quite alert. The operation took about 1-1/2 hours and my biggest fears were: (1) Not being able to pee so they wouldn’t release me…and having to eventually need a catheter. (2) Getting nausius from the anesthesia. I was told that the nasauia comes from the general anesthesia and is not as common with the eppidural. They were right…I only had some very minor nasiua, but never while laying down. Very controlable and I didn’t get sick once. By the way, I had no problem peeing, either, so I was pretty happy. These were the two things I read on other internet sites where people seemed to have problems.

The Dr. prescribed Hydrocodone which must really, really help. I took 500 mg every 4 hours and felt virtually no pain after the first 48 hours. The first 24 hours were tolerable, but there was definitely pain “behind” the knee (the nerve block was working on the front just fine). The good thing was, the pain only occurred when I had to get up.

By the 2nd day, I felt extremely good and was up on my crutches and moving around…even putting weight on the knee. While this was all promising, I developed a 201 degree fever the next day. I think my body was telling me to slow down, which I did…along with taking additional x-tra strength Tylenol.

By the 4th day, the fever was gone and I was feeling good again, but I learned from my lesson and am still taking it easy. I could also walk without crutches by the 3rd or 4th day.

Towards the end of the 4th day, I started getting severe pain on my shin. It was excrutiating and I called my Dr. He said it would go away within 3-4 days and is normal. We upped the Hydrocodone to 1000 mg every 4-6 hours.

It’s one week later and I still have the shin pain. The knee is great and there is virtually no pain associated with it as long as I am careful. I go for my 2nd PT tonight.

One more thing, I did wait for about 5 weeks after the accident until I had surgery. Like everything else, I am not sure if this helped or not, but I am feeling great and just wanted to pass along what has worked (so far) for me.

LEFT KNEE:: Aug. 2004, I tore my ACL in my left knee… I went to the doc. and he told me that i needed to wear a knee brace, because it wasnt so bad.. so i got a huge Donjoy Knee Brace, and started to play again in early October. Well 2 days after i got my brace and was able to play again, my knee went out again, this time, i was out for a week or so, and i started playing again. At the end of October, my knee went out, once more.. and i ended up getting ACL and Medial Mencuis surgery… I started rehad a day later, and was on cruths for a few weeks, but was able to put weight on it.

RIGHT KNEE About 4 months after surgery, i was able to do some light running and cutting in Rehad.. and i noticed my right knee started to act up (i hurt my right knee back in 2002) so i went to get an MRI, and I found out, that I tore my Menicus, to the point that they wanted to do surgery. And I had a slit tear in my ACL. My doc told me, after my 6 months was over for my left knee (which was on may 25, 2005) i could idther get surgery for my acl and menucis in my right knee, or wait and see what happens. And after being out for 6 moths, all you want to do it play right… well i am takin the chances on playing again.. even though last week, my right knee gave out… Im good now, and it doesnt hurt, so i hope everything is fine with it.

Im going to say, if you tear your ACL all the way, and you have to get surgery, you should do it. It isnt all that bad, and rehad may hurt, but it makes you feel 100 time better about everything. JUst thing positive, and at the end, your knee feels so great. :)

ashley age: 16

Hi! Everyone out there had a ACL and Meniscus surgery same as I do. I just had my knee surgery about one week ago and i’m barely starting to feel a bit better during second weeks. I’m so glad that I had found this site and i had read everyone story about ACL surgery it makes I felt that i had make the right decision about my ACL surgery. At first I was very scared about the word “SURGERY” even though my Doctor had talked to me that ACL surgery was a basic surgery but still i i’m so scared. But finally, i had the surgery done and now i’m very happy about it. Even though there’s so much pain during the first week but now i’m doing okay during the second weeks. I just want to said to all you people out there thinking about getting your knee surgery it is the best decision to do it because you can get back to your normal activities that you still want to do. Oh.…i should said why i need to the surgery for…I was playing Volleyball for fun at the park on 3/27/05. I jumped up to hit the ball and i lost my balanced when i landed i heared a popping sound on my knee after i went to ER and they didn’t do much thing to it then i went to my DR he sent me to see specializing and i got my MRI done that’s when i found out that i torn my ACL and Meniscus. Well…that it about my story and wish the best luck to all you people out there that need to do the ACL surygery.

Hi,

I am going in for ACL surgery on 6/29/05. I was wondering just how immobilized I’m going to be for the first couple of days. The deal is that I I’m trying to decide if I should have a family member come to help out afterwards. They live in Minnesota, I live in St. Louis so it’s not the shortest trip for them. I have friends who can get me to and from surgery and can help if something really major comes up. Soooo, am I likely to be able to slowly move around my house and order pizza so I don’t starve those first couple of days? Any thoughts would be appreciated. thanks.

Hi, my name is Michelle and I am 19 years old and I just recently found out that I tore my ACL. I have been playing sports and SOCCER since I was about 6 years old and have never had a serious injury. I was playing indoor soccer trying to stay in shape before summer training. I was just leaving a JC college to finally play soccer at a 4 year!!! I was just wondering, since i am trying to be able to play next season and am planning on getting surgery soon, if I should get an Autograph or an Allograph done? I do not know which one is better????

Thanks

While at work 04/02/05, I unjured my knee falling off a ladder (yes, that took some talent since I fell on my back) Because it was a work related injury I was sent to a horrible hospital that work had approved where I must say my experience was less than appealing. I was in a great amount of pain and my knee had sweeled up to three times its normal size. The hospital did not ice it for me or give me anything for pain. THey stuck me in a brace said I didn’t break anything and gave me crutches. I was later sent to a different doctor who sent me for an MRI, a fun experience as my knee kept spasming to the irritation of those administering the test. At this point I thought I was just being a baby about it, but when I got the results I found out I was a victim of the terrible triad, my acl was not even visible on the MRI (a bad sign), the cartilidge was torn, and the MCL was stretched out. Needless to say I was told I would need to have surgery, because the doctor wanted me to go through physical therapy and because I was in my senior year of college and wanted to graduate the surgery was scheduled for 06/01/05. Physical therapy was tough, or at least I thought so then, but the doctor was happy with the results and thought that my knee had less damage than they hadoriginally suspected. Unfortunately, when he actually got in there on the day of surgery he was very wrong and it was much worse. My ACL was completely torn as well as two large cartilidge tears, my kneecap had relocated itself and basically flipped over moving down my shin, to top that all off I had a chip in the bone that was beyond a fix.
I made it through surgery, but was shocked at the amount of pain I was in as well as throwing up everything that I was being fed, I also managed to pass out during a sponge bath, not my shining moment. Today I am about 2 and 1/2 weeks post-op, the pain has moved from sharp stabbing to aching. I am being put through the paces in physical therapy, but it is really helping me. I am so glad that I had the support of my family and friends during this time and know I could not have done it without them. It really helped to read other people’s experiences and I thought I should add my own so that those who are headed towards surgery know what to expect. It isn’t going to be easy, but recovery is there and your physical therapist is your friend even if they may seem like they are trying to torture you. Just keep smiling!

I am a 20 year old college student. I tore my acl in February playing ultimate frisbee. At first, the doctors at my college’s health care center and a local specialist were confused by my injury and diagnosed me incorrectly. My main symptom was that I was unable to bend my knee more than 90 degrees— it took me 3 months to regain full flexibility. Finally, after my knee collapsed twice more (leaving me in great pain and unable to walk for several days each time), I saw an orthopedic surgeon who immediately found the problem. I found this site the night before my acl surgery (9 days ago), and it really helped me calm down. I was so nervous! I was most worried that the surgery would be painful— as it turns out, it really wasn’t so bad. I only took pain meds for 3 days. If you’re about to get the surgery, don’t be worried. I promise I’m a much bigger wimp than you! The best advice I can give is to make sure you have someone who will take good care of you after surgery. I was unable to do anything at all for myself for 4 or 5 days—I couldn’t get food, take a shower, put on my brace, or even move my leg up and down off the bed without help. I still can’t walk without crutches, but I now have no pain and have regained much flexibility (about 100 degrees). The recovery has been pretty quick. Good luck to all o