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Has anyone else had experience with a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL)?
It looks like that is what caused the knee instability that led to my broken leg last fall. Now I have to decide whether to try surgery or hope a nonsurgical approach will prevent future problems.
Has anyone else had experience with a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL)?
It looks like that is what caused the knee instability that led to my broken leg last fall. Now I have to decide whether to try surgery or hope a nonsurgical approach will prevent future problems.
Got a partial torn ACL skiing the winter before my thru. Wore a knee support whike hiking and I was fine.
A simple one like the Cho Pat types or one of those huge monsters with the slats and hinges?
tore both my acl and pcl. with both torn, i had to have surgery.
expenditioner
01-14-2006, 18:13
I tore an acl a few years ago.still have a little trouble once in awhile.I can hike 10 miles at a time with no problems.But standing in one place for very long is torture.
Footslogger
01-14-2006, 18:37
I myself have never had an ACK injury. H owever, I work in an orthopedic/sports medicine clinic and aside from meniscus tears, ACL injuries are among the most common.
From my experience, ackowledging that just about every case is different, full recovery and return to active sports/hiking following a COMPLETE ACL Tear requires reconstructive surgery. Otherwise the knee will lack the necesary stability to sustain the applied forces and re-injury is almost certain.
Partial ACL tears or what are sometimes called ACL Strains are sometimes fully rehabed without surgery and following a full recovery the patients often return to normal activities (whatever is normal for them).
In athletes I often see what appears to be a broadened/strained ACL however the injury is not acute and occurred several years ago. Sometimes the well developed muscularature of an athlete can compensate for the lack of knee stability resulting from a damaged ACL.
Bottom line though ...if you've ever had an ACL injury (total or partial tear) it is wise to wear some form of brace when taking part in activities which subject the knee to above normal levels of stress in addition to increased load, such as in backpacking.
'Slogger
eric_plano
01-14-2006, 19:36
I had a complete tear of the ACL 7 years ago (and a shattered meniscus).
I tried to avoid surgery but I ended up with frequent dislocations (painful :mad: ) and eventually went with the surgery. It worked wonders to say the least.
One recommendation for you, from personal preference...you will most likely have the option to use your own patellan ligament to replace the ACL or go with a (I forget the lingo) donor ligament. Don't use your own patellan as that will result in more pain and more required post-operative therapy.
Having said all that, I hiked from Spring to Clingman's in '05 and had no problems with my knee. Too bad my ankle didnt fare so well :p
I myself have never had an ACK injury. H owever, I work in an orthopedic/sports medicine clinic and aside from meniscus tears, ACL injuries are among the most common.
'Slogger
Hey 'Slogger,
My wife Gutsy went for surgery for a torn meniscus, but it turned out to be a separation that had to be tacked along one edge. Recovery changed from walking in 3 days, to no weight for 6 weeks and an 80% success rate. Are you familliar with this procedure, and how do you think my wifes hiking will be affected. By the way, she remembers you from 03. Apologies to Mouse for inserting a question in your thread.:sun
Kerosene
01-14-2006, 19:48
What Footslogger said.
You'll need to do a lot of physical therapy to build up your leg muscles beyond where they were prior to the injury, regardless of whether you get surgery or not. The big knee braces with hinges and side bracing provide quite a bit of lateral support and are reasonably comfortable if they are fitted correctly. After a full rehab you might be able to get by with a smaller version. In any case, you'll want to become much more cognizant of where your knee is in space at any second, so that you don't injure yourself again. Best of luck, Mouse.
I have no memory of the initial injury, but my knee has had episodes of instability going back 30 years. Usually it hurts like crazy and gives way, I feel everything popping back into place as I fall, then there is more or less residual soreness depending on how bad the episode was. It happened once on the Trail, nearly happened there a couple more times, then again while going down a high step on a pier while preparing to handle a gangway.
Then this October it happened in my living room when I turned my ankle getting out of a chair and that resulted in a broken fibula. So I finally talked a doctor into doing something. He ordered an MRI and the verdict was a torn ACL. Now I have to go back in a week to find out just how bad and what the options are.
In a way I could just ignore it; after all, I have living with it for decades now. But knowing it can lead to a broken leg that easily is a bit unnerving, especially when indulging in long distance hiking and tall ship sailing.
Toolshed
01-14-2006, 21:09
Compltete tear of the ACL 11/93 (33 at the time and very active). First ortho said strengthen leg and avoid surgery. It went out on me twicw after that and I went to a 2nd ortho. Dr. James of the Buffalo Sabres. He said do the Patellar tendon and take the time (6 months) to recover. I did and I have enver looked back, though I also lost 25% meniscus.
It took 6 months to e ble to run again and I wore a robocop brace for 2 years for any activities, but I look back and realize that 6 months was a perfect investment for payback of recreation for the rest of my life.
Cedar Tree
01-14-2006, 21:47
Compltete tear of the ACL 11/93 (33 at the time and very active). First ortho said strengthen leg and avoid surgery. It went out on me twicw after that and I went to a 2nd ortho. Dr. James of the Buffalo Sabres. He said do the Patellar tendon and take the time (6 months) to recover. I did and I have enver looked back, though I also lost 25% meniscus.
It took 6 months to e ble to run again and I wore a robocop brace for 2 years for any activities, but I look back and realize that 6 months was a perfect investment for payback of recreation for the rest of my life.
This is exactly my story too. Except I tore my ACL in the summer of 93, I was 33 and very active (basketball). Tried to avoid surgery with strengthening, but it never held and it hurt like crazy when I would try to play. I had surgery and I definitely recommend it. Wore the big brace for about 2 years of basketball and tennis, forgot it one day, played anyway and never wore it again. During my 2000 hike, my knee bothered me the first month or so. Took lots of Advil and eventually it strengthend enough, I guess, that it quit hurting. CT
Footslogger
01-15-2006, 00:36
Hey 'Slogger,
My wife Gutsy went for surgery for a torn meniscus, but it turned out to be a separation that had to be tacked along one edge. Recovery changed from walking in 3 days, to no weight for 6 weeks and an 80% success rate. Are you familliar with this procedure, and how do you think my wifes hiking will be affected. By the way, she remembers you from 03. Apologies to Mouse for inserting a question in your thread.:sun
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Not really enough information in your post Ed for me to know exactly what her problem was and the exact nature of the procedure. Curious if the problem dealt with "articular cartilage". Not all meniscus injuries end up in surgery. Most often when a meniscus is torn the surgery involves either removal of the torn flap or, in minor cases, a burring or shaving off of the damaged surface to allow/restore normal joint movement. Cartilagenous tissue has a notoriously poor blood supply and therfore the convalescense/rehab can take a considerable period of time. If her original prognosis was a return to walking in 3 days then the damage must have been thought to be fairly minor. Did she have an MRI to confirm the nature and extent of damage ??
Yes ...I remember her too, although I don't think she was going by the name "Gutsy" when I met her. She and her parents treated me to a quart or more of fresh strawberries and a few Snickers under the bridge at Sams Gap back in 2003 on a cold and wet day. I will never forget that !!
All the best ...
'Slogger
I also had a complete ACL tear (skiing). I had surgery with the patellar graft in May 2004. In August 2004 I started doing overnight hikes of 10 - 15 mile days. No braces, no knee pain, just some conditioning issues. For me the key was excellent physical therapy. I had a great therapist. We worked diligently for about three months. You will lose the strength in all of the other muscles in the leg and you must bring them back. As others said earlier, a few months of sacrifice and hard work are worth it for not having to worry about it for the rest of your life. (or at least untill your next stupid sports injury!)
Twofiddy
02-04-2006, 20:35
Has anyone else had experience with a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL)?
It looks like that is what caused the knee instability that led to my broken leg last fall. Now I have to decide whether to try surgery or hope a nonsurgical approach will prevent future problems.
GET THE SURGERY!!
SEE Dr. ROBIN WEST AT UPMC SPORTS MEDICINE on Pittsburgh's South Side.
She is a ACL Specialist, and even more specialized in Woman ACL procedures that minimize scars both inside and out from the graft etc.
I had mine done in March of 05 after tearing it in January of 03, then Thru Hiking in a brace in 03, and trying all of the acitivities like skiing, and paddle sports, and hiking, and climbing without the brace. My knee gave out alot. I had times when it gave out that I had minor injury re-occure.
Had the surgery, knee is tight as hell, rehab has gone pretty well, just a little more and I will be at 110%.
Dont let just anyone cut you open. Find ACL SPECIFIC KNEE SURGON like West or another that is associated with Univeristy ACL research.