gazzaecowarrior Posted February 19, 2012 Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 Sadly whilst practicing last friday I snapped my anterior crucia ligament and damaged the knee in general. Knee is like a balloon and I am non weight bearing. Surgery will be once the swelling has gone down. Was just wondering if anybody else has done the same and how soon did they return to trials afterwards, if they did at all ? Also what sort of knee braces do people use ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zerorev3rev4 Posted February 19, 2012 Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 try physioroom.com for hinged braces ,if making an order be aware of differnt sizes ,,i split my cartillage and torn the ligament about 4 years ago i nearly had it operated on but never was prob back on a bike within 2 months but age could come into play here also,i had niggly problems for long enough like an electric shock whilst walking (this was bits getting lodged in the joint and been trapped) and had to remove any weight imediately also on the bike if you needed to go for a dab n it twisted it it was like it came out of joint painfull for a while but was able to carry on,now it doesnt seem too bad but it isnt 100% stable and probably never wil be its handy having a beta with left kick as its my right knee that got damaged Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thesolidman1 Posted February 19, 2012 Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 Hi, sorry to hear it. I tore my ACL racing MX several years ago. It took me about 6 months to get mostly back to normal, didn't ride for about 9 months. I have seen different recovery times, and one of the factors is the how they do the surgery. In my case the graft to replace the ACL was taken from my Patella Tendon. Some times they use the calf or cadaver parts, and from what I have seen those have faster recoveries. Good news is my knee has been fine since. I intially wore a DonJoy brace the doctor provided, then switched to over the counter Asterisk, but I don't wear a brace for trials, just moto. Hang in there, it's sets you back, but you can have a complete recovery and enjoy being active again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davetheclaw Posted February 19, 2012 Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 Sorry to hear about your injury. I'm a specialist Physio that happens to ride trials. Usually takes about 6 weeks before they can operate (otherwise big risk of too much scar tissue forming). There is no evidence that wearing a brace makes the knee any more stable afterwards. Some people like to wear one anyway because it increases their confidence in the knee. If they take a patella or hamstring graft you are looking at about a 9 month recovery before you'd want to get back into trials. It needs time to heal in a good position and be able to take repetetive strain. You should make a complete return eventually though. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manofsteele Posted February 19, 2012 Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 Yep. I nursed a torn ACL for 25 years before getting it reconstructed 4 years ago. My man used a hamstring graft. For what it's worth, my advice is to spend your money on physio over a knee brace. I've found I'm just as happy wearing a neoprene knee gasket for a bit of psychological support as I was wearing a hinged funky looking deal. The gaskets also give your knee a little squeeze all over which helps with swelling/fluid management. It took me a year to feel confident again, but you have to remember I'm old and my knee was destroyed internally due to all those years flapping around with no ACL to hold stuff together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazzaecowarrior Posted February 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 Thanks very much for all of your advice. Looks like it's going to be a long road to recovery but at least it sounds like people do return to trials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazzaecowarrior Posted February 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 Sorry to hear about your injury. I'm a specialist Physio that happens to ride trials. Usually takes about 6 weeks before they can operate (otherwise big risk of too much scar tissue forming). There is no evidence that wearing a brace makes the knee any more stable afterwards. Some people like to wear one anyway because it increases their confidence in the knee. If they take a patella or hamstring graft you are looking at about a 9 month recovery before you'd want to get back into trials. It needs time to heal in a good position and be able to take repetetive strain. You should make a complete return eventually though. Good luck! Hi there. Very interested in your opionion. I too work in the medical world but as an anaesthetics nurse. Thankfully the consultant Im under is good as I've seen his work first hand in theatre. What advice would you give about physio and in particular self administered physio pre op ? Im currently in a hinged brace set to 0 degrees flex and ext. My knee gives out without this. I've been told ill be within this parameter for 2 weeks and then 20 degrees. I feel that my leg is allready starting to contract. Should I be doing any stretching excercises to prevent this ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davetheclaw Posted February 19, 2012 Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 As you are probably aware, ACL repairs are a well debated topic in the orthopaedic world. Truth is, the approach varies all over the world. Some people very much believe in conservative rehab and that even in the absence of the ACL a lot of knees can function very well. In other parts of the world you'd have been in and out of theatre already... this seems to happen a lot in main land Europe on the ski slopes and in my experience are always a bit of a nightmare to rehab. Waiting 6-8/52 and then reconstructing with a graft certainly seems the way to go! The role of the ACL also appears to vary between different people. Sometimes it's more proprioceptive (gives your brain feedback about your knees whereabouts) and sometimes it's crucial in stabilising the knee. If your knee is giving out without the brace you may be a bit more of the latter. Good news... means you should do well with the surgery. You are in a brace to stop the knee giving way and to give it a chance to rest to get that swelling down. Personally i'd advise my pre op ACL's to take the brace off a few times a day non weight bearing and just bend and straighten the knee say 10-15 x and to do some gentle quads and hamstring isometric strengthening exercises (same sorts of exercises people would do day one after a knee replacement). Basically just trying to maintain some power and agility in the joint without compromising it. It's always worth checking with your individual surgeon though coz they all tend to have their own ideas and protocols about how things should be done... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazzaecowarrior Posted February 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 As you are probably aware, ACL repairs are a well debated topic in the orthopaedic world. Truth is, the approach varies all over the world. Some people very much believe in conservative rehab and that even in the absence of the ACL a lot of knees can function very well. In other parts of the world you'd have been in and out of theatre already... this seems to happen a lot in main land Europe on the ski slopes and in my experience are always a bit of a nightmare to rehab. Waiting 6-8/52 and then reconstructing with a graft certainly seems the way to go! The role of the ACL also appears to vary between different people. Sometimes it's more proprioceptive (gives your brain feedback about your knees whereabouts) and sometimes it's crucial in stabilising the knee. If your knee is giving out without the brace you may be a bit more of the latter. Good news... means you should do well with the surgery. You are in a brace to stop the knee giving way and to give it a chance to rest to get that swelling down. Personally i'd advise my pre op ACL's to take the brace off a few times a day non weight bearing and just bend and straighten the knee say 10-15 x and to do some gentle quads and hamstring isometric strengthening exercises (same sorts of exercises people would do day one after a knee replacement). Basically just trying to maintain some power and agility in the joint without compromising it. It's always worth checking with your individual surgeon though coz they all tend to have their own ideas and protocols about how things should be done... Thanks for that Dave. Great advice. I will endeavor to do them as I want to be in optimum condition pre-op. Do you have any advice about ice and swelling ? The swelling has gone down a lot around the knee but still looks prominant on the medial side. The bruising has subsided too now but the back of my knee on the fold is still beetroot red. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pa. Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 I had my ACL reconstructed a couple of years ago and hiked Mount Sinai three months later. I think I did mine in around 25 years ago doing a limbo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatslide Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 I ruptured my ACL 4 years ago, never had the reconstruction done as I was talked out of it by the physician, I wished i had it done at the time. I wear a DonJoy brace when riding trials and i have no concern at all when wearing it. I'm more worried about my good knee. I was back riding after the swelling and pain subsided, I also had a fracture of the tibial plateau at the time which is quite common, so was about 8 weeks. Definately recommend the DonJoy brace. Its now 4 years old and gets quite a bit of work as I ride regularly and I havnt had to replace anything on it yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross brown Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 (edited) Thanks very much for all of your advice. Looks like it's going to be a long road to recovery but at least it sounds like people do return to trials. What you might experiemce is the innate desire to protect the damaged leg eg when walking DOWN stairs; up is easy. So be careful during recovery not to over compensate and stress the 'good' knee. Returning to trials shouldn't be a problem. After my ACL I found the balance came back almost immediately, but asymmetrical leg strength was lol. When you are back on the bike, its all too easy to think "Ouch I don't want to mess up going over that step/rock/tree/bank and have to put my leg down there?" And of course in thinking like that, you have almost set that exact train of events in motion. Edited February 22, 2012 by Ross Brown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pindie Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 When you go back to riding just start off very basic. Get you body position right. Take the time to feel your way forward during your rehab. Do everything as slowly as you can. Get your track stand back and full lock turning sussed. As you develop the basics in slow time you will gain confidence. Resist the urge to go crazy. Take you time and it will all come back and you will forget the injury. Listen to your body as well. Any aches etc from your knees it is time to rest until your good again. Slowly slowly catchy monkey! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trialswarrior Posted February 27, 2012 Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 I've had the ACL replaced and most of the meniscus removed on both knees. I used same knee patella graphs both times. The left knee was done about 11 years ago. I waited 6 months before I started riding again (doctor's orders). The second knee was done just over a year ago. I waited 3 months before I started riding again (doctor's orders). The first knee was done by a good general orthopedic, the second by a sports orthopedic (the same doctor used by the local professional football team and many other professional athletes). Here is the US, Mark Sanders is a well respected sports orthopedic used by many professional athletes and in particular motorcycle racers. You can read what he thinks about ACL reconstruction/recovery here: Mark Sanders ACL I recommend you see a sports orthopedic, most general orthopedics will talk you into stop riding all together or wait a long time before getting on the bike again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rallymadsam Posted February 28, 2012 Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 That seems to be common theme with current medical treatment, advise you to stop the activity, rather than proactively work on the injury or condition to make it fit for the activities you take part in. A colleague of mine has suffered with a bad shoulder for a long time, tried all sorts to no avail, ended up at a sports physio who has now correctly diagnosed the problem, given some treatment and an exercise regime, and it has now improved immensely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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