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View Full Version : Any Thru-Hikers Torn an ACL?



drastic_quench
03-04-2009, 00:23
My thru-hike plans have been in the save-money-and-acquire-cheap-gear phase for about a year now, and my soft time table is to start in Georgia in four to five years, but I just completely torn my ACL.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anterior_cruciate_ligament_injury

I'm a candidate for surgery, but that won't happen until this summer. The whole thing has got me way down. You can supposedly return to an active lifestyle about two months post-surgery, but a 100% full rehab after surgery takes 15 to 18 months, so I could still keep my time line, but it just depresses the hell out of me - gimping along right now.

Anyhow, I was hoping a few of you all could tell me you've had similar knee surgery, and could tell me that you're still fully hiking capable. I'm already light, but now I'm thinking those poles are going to be mandatory.

Lone Wolf
03-04-2009, 07:41
30 years ago i tore my ACL,PCL and MCL plus cartilage. 5 years later i hiked the AT for the first time. had no troubles. still don't use poles

camojack
03-04-2009, 07:52
My thru-hike plans have been in the save-money-and-acquire-cheap-gear phase for about a year now, and my soft time table is to start in Georgia in four to five years, but I just completely torn my ACL.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anterior_cruciate_ligament_injury

I'm a candidate for surgery, but that won't happen until this summer. The whole thing has got me way down. You can supposedly return to an active lifestyle about two months post-surgery, but a 100% full rehab after surgery takes 15 to 18 months, so I could still keep my time line, but it just depresses the hell out of me - gimping along right now.

Anyhow, I was hoping a few of you all could tell me you've had similar knee surgery, and could tell me that you're still fully hiking capable. I'm already light, but now I'm thinking those poles are going to be mandatory.
If you're having the ACL replaced completely (like I did) then 15-18 months for full recovery sounds about right.
(You did say yours is torn completely)

So, if you weren't planning to start your thru for another 4-5 years you should be fine...barring further complications, of course.

After 18 months post-op, my knee was better than it had been for many years...

hikrgrl
03-04-2009, 10:16
I completely exploded my ACL in a hiking accident (slipped on some rocks) on Sept 16, 2006 - also 2nd deg MCL tear and they discovered a small tear in my meniscus. My surgery was December 19th...and that period in between injury & surgery was really, really dark.

Rehab was certainly long, but my therapists were great, and I had super supportive friends. What I really appreciated was the incremental improvements each week, as small as they were (and sometimes, I also got frustrated BECAUSE improvement was so small).

As far as what you are able to do, your OS will have a specific timeline. PT had me on a bike at my first appointment. Was walking railroad beds (~2mi) w/ my dog 6 weeks post-op, and I went to spinning classes & swimming at gym. In early May, I was doing 70 mile bike rides, with hills (and icing it afterwards). I also knew that temptation to go hiking would be strong in March, so I gave my boots to a friend 'til it was safe for my knee. Was able to jog starting in April. I decided to put all my training to use and did my first sprint triathlon in early June.

At my first post-op appt with the OS, I asked point blank, "Will I be able to hike the AT in 2009?" and he said yes...and I'm leaving for my thru-hike tomorrow, cleared to be brace-free.
Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions. It may be tough to see at the moment, but you WILL get through it!

Blissful
03-04-2009, 10:45
Sorry to hear this. I know I wrecked my ankle and had problems for 2 years. But have the surgery and get to rehabing and keep dreaming, your dreams can and will come true. Just don't give up. I am walking proof.

drastic_quench
03-04-2009, 16:01
Thanks for the replies. Yep, I completely torn my acl, sprained another ligament, and tore up the meniscus a bit just to top it off. I'm keeping up with my exercises, but my range of motion on that knee is pathetic -nowhere near 90 degrees. It should improve with time though. Thanks.

John Klein
03-04-2009, 20:17
...I was hoping a few of you all could tell me you've had similar knee surgery, and could tell me that you're still fully hiking capable. I'm already light, but now I'm thinking those poles are going to be mandatory.
Had the surgery, still fully hiking capable. Poles help.

Do NOT pick a doctor's name from a book. Ask around for a good knee guy as opposed to a jack of all trades. Consider the benefits of a patella tendon graft vs. hamstring graft or even an allograft.

Post-surgery, ICE or even a cryo-cuff is critical. Get a continuous passive motion (CPM) machine if you can to regain range of motion. Beware of the pain meds. Get a good PT for pre- and post-surgery rehab and work safe but hard.

littlelaurel59
03-05-2009, 09:16
First, surgery to repair. Then physical therapy to rehabilitate. Things are dark right now, but dawn and daylight are coming. I snapped an achilles tendon 6 years ago and have never been lower.

The good news is that you have a very positive and worthwhile goal. DO NOT lose sight of it- because it will motivate you to persevere through the recovery. And the experience will be all the sweeter when you get back on the trail. Good luck.

Gaiter
03-05-2009, 09:23
just becareful w/ it, my best friend did what wolf did but she had a longer than normal recovery despite a great doc and all the physical therapy.... know your body, know when its ready and when it isn't, know when to take a break

Maddog
03-05-2009, 09:25
i had surgery in 1984! ive never had a problem! i squat 450lbs regularly at the gym!

alaskabound
03-10-2009, 22:37
I tore my ACL two years ago playing basketball and decided after reading some literature and talking to numerous people that had had the surgery and then gone on to re-tear their new graft ACL, that I would forego the sx. Instead I have strength trained my hamstrings, important because they hold your tibia from sliding forward and have not had any 'slipouts" or injuries since. My knee feels fine and I plan on thru hiking southbound this year.
Just something to consider because even orthoscopic surgery is not a benign procedure. Also by not having surgery you may recover faster and still be able to hike this year!

middle to middle
03-10-2009, 23:06
I tore mine one day on trail and had to cut my jeans off that night, knee swelled up so bad, Each day it got worse, looser and looser and I had to quit walking. Avoided surgery and had a cast for a while. Hurt for years, and weather bothered it for a while but today is fine.

Rockhound
03-10-2009, 23:37
I wrecked a motorcycle when I was 20 and needed total knee reconstruction. Over 20 years later and I still have had no major problems. After about twelve miles or so of hiking it gets a little sore. It will never be 100%. The thing to remember is that people have overcome much greater obstacles to hike the AT. hikers over 70 and a few even over 80 years old, blind hikers, I even know someone who thru-hiked with an artificial hip. I'm sure more than a few people have hiked after having had knee surgery. Quit snivling.

Celeritas
03-11-2009, 15:34
I've torn both my ACL's and a little of the MCL first time around, and BOTH times I waited over a year before getting surgery. I wasn't so much into hiking around then but I was definitely active. I ride BMX mostly and beat on it pretty hard. You just have to learn to be a little careful. Post-surgery (both tears) was 5 months recovery the first time (2000) and 2 or 3 months the second time (2007), and that was almost full range of motion, riding my bike, and jumping around like a fool! :D

drastic_quench
06-29-2009, 10:55
Going under the knife tomorrow. I'm actually pretty excited. I really want to rehab this knee and get back into the swing of things.

Rockhound
06-29-2009, 11:29
You'll be back in no time. They might need to stick a pin in there temporarily that will be removed a few weeks later. Fun stuff. Enjoy the demerol.

rubyvermonter
06-29-2009, 12:37
I severed my ACL descending Mt. Moosilauke on a section hike in August of 2003. I had surgery in November. I was not ready to backpack the summer of 2004, but I was able to bike, run, kayak, etc. I would've been ready the summer of 2005, but for family reasons, I did not get back on the trail. I am still section-hiking. Good luck!

RubyVermonter

garlic08
06-29-2009, 14:02
One of my ski buddies doesn't even have an ACL. Apparently he tore it in a sports injury in the 60s. He got an MRI for an unrelated complaint last year and the docs were amazed--there is no sign of there ever having been an ACL. He compensated over the years and is an extremely active skier, hiker, ball player, even a black belt.

Blissful
06-29-2009, 19:33
I had a devastating ankle injury three years before my hike, and it took two years to finally rehabilitate it. I did the whole trail.

You can do it. Get it taken care of and rehab it. It will be a great hike worth waiting for and working toward.

clured
07-02-2009, 00:12
Good luck with the surgery, Bullseye. I feel your pain on the hiking-injury front. Last summer I kicked up a terrible round of tendinitis in my ankle, and it lingered all year and forced me to skip the PCT this summer. I'm in that terrible gray area of "bad enough to to ruin all of your plans and totally mess up your life" but "not objectively bad enough for doctors to take you seriously." Ugh...

Not Sunshine
02-19-2011, 09:49
I doubt anyone will notice my addition to this tread nearly 2 years later, but I just recently tore my ACL, partial MCL, and both medial and lateral meniscus. (3 weeks ago yesterday while skiing on 2-3" of fresh, wet powder snow).

I had surgery 11 days post injury by an excellent sports medicine/knee surgeon. I required surgery because my joint was so unstable after injury any amount >10% weight-bearing caused my knee to buckle and flex medially (inward, toward my opposite ankle, even though I have always had excellent quad and hamstring strength).

I'm not sure if I'll ever ski again (although absolutely sure I'll never ski anything not groomed)...but I know I will hike again.

Someday I'd like to thru-hike and all the previous posts are enlightening to me.
I personally believe that knee will be stronger than it ever has been once I finish rehab.

If you believe it - it will come true, is my philosophy. Before my accident, I had always been an upbeat and happy person, but since, I've become a downright optimist!

Thank you for all your words of encouragement! I'm hoping to do a flat section/day hike in the Virginias come fall 2011.

Toolshed
02-19-2011, 10:42
So a torn ACl is one of the things old timers used to call a "trick knee" This was before surgery was available to replace the ACL.

Here is my experience....
I had a complete tear in 1993 in a climbing incident and lost 35% of my Meniscus. I saw several orthos and the first one said that I didn't need surgery and that I could wear a brace when I wanted to hike or do sports. The second recommended surgery. I then got lucky and hooked up with Dr. James out of Toronto who was the the Buffalo Sabres team surgeon. He recommended taking a center section of my Patellar tendon and creating a new ligament from it (one that now has it's own blood supply).

I had surgery in Feb 94, 4 months after the incident. I would have had surgery sooner, but my knee went out a couple of times after the accident and each time it would swell up drastically and my doc really wanted to wait until the swelling was gone.

Surgery was outpatient and I was laid up for a week. I got a large brace and wore it from thereafter for activities.
I immediately learned I need to re-train my leg muscles as I could no longer go down steps (became terrified of heights afterward).
In April that year, I started dayhiking again
In July that year I started backpacking again (nothing too strenuous though)
I didn't start to run until September or so. It was very difficult to retrain the leg muscles to run. It was like the leg did not know what to do at all..... really bizarre.

I started climbing Adirondack peaks again Memorial Day 1995 (15 months post surgery) and wore the leg brace for these activities. I then ended up jettisoning the leg brace in Fall 1995 and never looked back. I think my repaired knee joint is now stronger then my good knee joint.

So... long story short - I think 15-18 months you can pretty much do everything. but you really need to be careful 6 months post surgery and not get too overzealous.
I also started using hiking poles after my recovery to aid in walking (something to consider)