Discussion
Evening all,
Weekend before last while playing rugby I felt/heard a pop, no collision sort of slipped. Had an x-ray to confirm no break. Couple of days later I went to the fracture clinic but the doctor could assess it properly as it was too swollen and sore. The swelling has gone down a bit it's still a bit sore I can put a little weight on it but pretty immobile. I returned to the FC today and although I had a bit more movement it was much the same i.e couldn't tell what the issue was except he thought it would be my ACL. He explained if I didn't want to do sports such as rugby and skiing then it can be treat without surgery. I might be able to hang my boots up at 33 but hope to have decades of skiing ahead of me.
He's ordered me an MRI scan to confirm. I hate knees and when I look online it makes me feel queezy looking at pictures etc. Has anyone else experienced similar and can share their experiences? Fingers crossed it's something less serious still.
Cheers
Weekend before last while playing rugby I felt/heard a pop, no collision sort of slipped. Had an x-ray to confirm no break. Couple of days later I went to the fracture clinic but the doctor could assess it properly as it was too swollen and sore. The swelling has gone down a bit it's still a bit sore I can put a little weight on it but pretty immobile. I returned to the FC today and although I had a bit more movement it was much the same i.e couldn't tell what the issue was except he thought it would be my ACL. He explained if I didn't want to do sports such as rugby and skiing then it can be treat without surgery. I might be able to hang my boots up at 33 but hope to have decades of skiing ahead of me.
He's ordered me an MRI scan to confirm. I hate knees and when I look online it makes me feel queezy looking at pictures etc. Has anyone else experienced similar and can share their experiences? Fingers crossed it's something less serious still.
Cheers
hajaba123 said:
33 and hanging your boots up!?! Screw that, see a proper knee consultant and get it sorted
I'm with you in spirit, initially even when it was painful I was hoping to get back ASAP. After a week of struggling to do anything other than go from the bed to the bog, and there's only so many boxsets you can rewatch, taking a s
t is a real job, and the Mrs bring me all my meals will have used up all her goodwill for the rest of our marriage. I'll see. Work have been pretty understanding and have offered to do some remote working if possible now the pain has died down a lot. More for my own sanity really.
I've had exactly 2 injuries when playing rugby more more than 20 years, a cracked knee cap when I was about 18 and this.
Mojooo said:
worst mistake I ever amde was not having my partially torn ACL reconstructed as it failed 2 years later and caused more significant injury - have the surgery regardless
I would be cautious about skiing though as that is one of the worst sports for knee injuries I believe
I would also seek to see a physio as soon as swelling goes down as they will be able to assess quickly. the general doctors i dealt with were ste with one even doing and ACL test and telling me it wasn't my ACL (after second injury fully tearing it)
Thanks for the input matey. Skiing is a must!I would be cautious about skiing though as that is one of the worst sports for knee injuries I believe
I would also seek to see a physio as soon as swelling goes down as they will be able to assess quickly. the general doctors i dealt with were s
te with one even doing and ACL test and telling me it wasn't my ACL (after second injury fully tearing it)RCBRG said:
i was in college at the time, but i missed 3 days. i was on crutches for about 10 days, and limping for upto a month. from then on its all about strength building. depends on your job as to how it'll affect you i suppose
That doesn't sound too bad. I was envisaging weeks off with lots of physio. I'd say 80% of my work is desk based get paid sickness so it's not a huge issue.benaldo said:
I had ACL and meniscus surgery in Dec'11 after injuring it playing football and had about 2 weeks off but that was mainly due to having Xmas off. I could have been back in work just over 1 week later really. I also have a desk based job so it was ok except for doing a couple of days working from home and looking a bit odd doing rehab exercises at my desk..... After 6mths of physio I was able to run and had a go at football which was OK but haven't played regularly again as it was in the back of my mind and it was only a weekly kickabout so didn't really miss it. I have played a couple of times since and it is fine. I also went snowboarding 1 year after surgery and no issues at all. I've snowboarded since and have done weight-training with squats over 160kg and deadlifts of 180kg and my knee hasn't exploded across the gym (which is nice).
My advice is to get it done otherwise it will feel fine after the soreness has gone down but mine kept on collapsing every so often and will get worse I suspect. I was 36 when I had surgery and both knees feel fine now at age 40.
Thanks for the reply, I'm still hoping it's nothing that requires surgery.My advice is to get it done otherwise it will feel fine after the soreness has gone down but mine kept on collapsing every so often and will get worse I suspect. I was 36 when I had surgery and both knees feel fine now at age 40.
The_Doc said:
There are experienced physios and bad physios. There are experienced sports knee surgeons and there are general knee surgeons and there are general orthopaedic surgeons.
MRI's sometimes give an answer and sometimes not
Sometimes the diagnosis is obvious within the first two sentences of the description of the injury.
Sometimes I don't work out what's really wrong until I look inside a knee.
Just make sure you see a soft-tissue or sports knee surgeon if it fails to settle
Thanks of the reply, I'm maybe getting ahead of myself but do you know can recommend some more northerly based surgeons etc? I'm about as far north as you can go without being in Scotland, but willing to travel.MRI's sometimes give an answer and sometimes not
Sometimes the diagnosis is obvious within the first two sentences of the description of the injury.
Sometimes I don't work out what's really wrong until I look inside a knee.
Just make sure you see a soft-tissue or sports knee surgeon if it fails to settle
Maybe a how long is a piece of string question but how long would you expect someone to be laid up post injury? It's been a week and a half, it's still painful and can't put any weight on it, can't get around without crutches.
Mojooo said:
In my experience... if you want to see an NHS surgeon you will be waiting a long time - first you need to convince your GP to refer you. Then there will probably be a few weeks waiting.
The quickest way would be to drop £40-50 and see a private physio - you will be able to see one immediatley and they will hopefully be able to diagnose it. That way they can start any treatment with exercises to reduce swelling and they can also write a letter to force your GP to refer you to a surgeon.
You can also pay to see a private surgeon - they may ro may not be able to diagnose without an MRI but in my experience (having had 4 surgeries) they will normally want an MRI.
What I did was get a private MRI for about £250 and then see a private surgeon when I had the results - think that was £160.
If you go to the surgeon without an MRI you run the risk that he tells you to get an MRI and come back - in which case you have paid for 2 appointments when you could have had 1.
Good advice, I might leave it a little while to see if the swelling can go down a bit as I don't want to get the same response from the physio- i.e. too swollen/sore to assess/diagnose. I'll ask the lads down the club for a recommendation on a physio.The quickest way would be to drop £40-50 and see a private physio - you will be able to see one immediatley and they will hopefully be able to diagnose it. That way they can start any treatment with exercises to reduce swelling and they can also write a letter to force your GP to refer you to a surgeon.
You can also pay to see a private surgeon - they may ro may not be able to diagnose without an MRI but in my experience (having had 4 surgeries) they will normally want an MRI.
What I did was get a private MRI for about £250 and then see a private surgeon when I had the results - think that was £160.
If you go to the surgeon without an MRI you run the risk that he tells you to get an MRI and come back - in which case you have paid for 2 appointments when you could have had 1.
oldnbold said:
I completly ruptured my ACL at 25 and did a fair bit more damage as it was about 18 months before it was properly diagnosed. Had a reconstruction in 1987, I was told never to play rugby again, so I didn't. I then went on to discover skiing a couple of years later and qualified as a BASI Alpine instructor in my early 30's.
I was skiing about 8 weeks a season for 12 years or so always wearing a good knee brace. Loved skiing, long hard days, first lift up and last off, bumps, powder, etc. Eventually had to stop skiing in my mid 40's when my knee was just to painfull to continue.
I'm now 54 and my knee's are knackered, the ACL repair has broken and I have severe arthritis in both knee's, apparently I'm too young for a total knee replacement, about the only thing I am to young for, so have to limp along until I reach my 60's.
I don't regret a thing, it was very hard to stop playing rugby but I started coaching to stay involved, but skiing then took over.
This is it, I love playing rugby, but I like the crack etc almost as much and could keep involved in other ways. I've skied for 20 years also BASI qualified but just to do odd weeks teaching kids etc as a paid hobby. I hope to have 30 years plus skiing ahead of me though so will have to do something about it if it is ACL. I'd like to play rugby again but as convalescence drags on I'm starting to re-think it.I was skiing about 8 weeks a season for 12 years or so always wearing a good knee brace. Loved skiing, long hard days, first lift up and last off, bumps, powder, etc. Eventually had to stop skiing in my mid 40's when my knee was just to painfull to continue.
I'm now 54 and my knee's are knackered, the ACL repair has broken and I have severe arthritis in both knee's, apparently I'm too young for a total knee replacement, about the only thing I am to young for, so have to limp along until I reach my 60's.
I don't regret a thing, it was very hard to stop playing rugby but I started coaching to stay involved, but skiing then took over.
Cheers
The_Doc said:
Thanks for the recommendation 
, I do a weekly clinic in Carlisle and will see someone with a physio or GP referral the next week. I pick up referrals from the Lakes.
How do I go about doing this? I didn't see my GP, still waiting on my MRI (assume it's best to come armed with that at least?). PM me if preferred. Cheers, I do a weekly clinic in Carlisle and will see someone with a physio or GP referral the next week. I pick up referrals from the Lakes.Edited by The_Doc on Friday 9th October 12:08
Winky151 said:
What do you do for a living that means this injury prevents you from working? The only time I had off when I did exactly the same was the day (a Friday) of my op. MRI was 8pm so no time off for that either.
Good enough explanation for you?
joeg said:
Yeah build it up and depending if you want to get back to sport would strongly recommend just getting it reconstructed. You can ty and make do with physio but if you want to have an active lifestyle reconstruction only way to go
Yeah I think this will be the way I go. Realistically I don't have that many years of rugby left in me but hope to have decades of skiing ahead so will certainly be pursuing the best course of action. Hopefully get some advice from the physio but need to do some form of exercise to keep me fit and sane-was thinking swimming might be good?
Winky151 said:
Yeah, sure.
Don't get me wrong I wasn't telling you to man up just my experience was nothing like yours.
Fair enough it came across that way but no offence taken. Was yours a tear, rupture any other damage? How did you sustain the original injury?Don't get me wrong I wasn't telling you to man up just my experience was nothing like yours.
Everything I read post Op suggest 2-6 weeks before you can drive, properly back on your feet etc. I guess the limiting factor on the driving is if you could perform an emergency stop.
joeg said:
Yeah front crawl is good but watch breaststroke. Skiiing is one of the sports you can do without an acl. But i had me acl reconsructed, it was big decision and a long time out and a lot of physio but im very glad I went ahead. Don't notice a difference between the two knees.
Good to know you've returned to normal activity, I've always thought skiing is something that requires an ACL ideally but from what I've read it's entirely up to you whether to risk it or not.I've not missed a ski season in over 20 years but not to optimistic to keep this record!
Winky151 said:
Disagree with that based on my own experience detailed above but then I've never ski'd & have no intention to. Warm weather holidays for me.
Good to hear info for varying points of view/experience. Everything I've heard suggest after repair it's a long rehab period until you can return to your same level of activity (6-12 months) which made me wonder if your's was a slight tare etc.My understanding is you need an ACL for rotary stability-basically anything where you're not going in a straight line.
I had no ACL to speak of looking at the MRI pictures.
Bit of an update as it's been a while.
Went to see a certain resident knee surgeon and got the problem diagnosed. In addition to a ruptured ACL some cartilage in my knee became 'displaced' so was flapping about preventing me from getting back to a normal range of movement in the joint/leg. This was corrected by surgery the week before Christmas, hopefully get the ACL reconstruction in the near future.
It's been a difficult few months, essentially not being able to live a normal active life style since sustaining the injury at the end of September. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but if I had the time again I would seen a specialist knee surgeon as quickly as possible as it might have put my a month or two ahead of where I am. I initially waited 4 plus weeks until the swelling reduced enough before an initial diagnosis then a couple more weeks for an MRI.
Glad to be on the road to recovery now.
Went to see a certain resident knee surgeon and got the problem diagnosed. In addition to a ruptured ACL some cartilage in my knee became 'displaced' so was flapping about preventing me from getting back to a normal range of movement in the joint/leg. This was corrected by surgery the week before Christmas, hopefully get the ACL reconstruction in the near future.
It's been a difficult few months, essentially not being able to live a normal active life style since sustaining the injury at the end of September. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but if I had the time again I would seen a specialist knee surgeon as quickly as possible as it might have put my a month or two ahead of where I am. I initially waited 4 plus weeks until the swelling reduced enough before an initial diagnosis then a couple more weeks for an MRI.
Glad to be on the road to recovery now.
Winky151 said:
Good to hear your recovery has started. How are you getting on after keyhole (I assume keyhole) to sort the cartilage?
It's not too bad, it was keyhole. I was pleased that the cartilage was repaired rather than removed but it means a longer period of convalescence (6 vs 2 weeks of partial weight bearing) but short term pain for long term gain is the way I look at it. It's just that it's on top of the 3 previous months being spent on my arse 
I invested in a cryo cuff thingy with a cooler which was a worth while investment, generally just took it easy for a few days, more discomfort than pain really for the first few days to a week.
Good to hear other experiences, it makes you realise how one injury isn't the same as another. The NHS is great but for this sort of thing it can be a waiting game, if I'd have known what I know now I could have shaved a couple of months off. Possibly.
If I go back to rugby I'll be looking closely at private insurance etc. I'll probably get it in the ear from my wife with a baby on the way... Do't think 2 bad injuries in 20 odd years of skiing and playing rugby is too bad!
Interesting comments about the ski injury getting immediate surgery, my experience is that in UK they like for things to settle down before operating. I suppose there are porbably pros and cons/risk in doing it either way.
If I go back to rugby I'll be looking closely at private insurance etc. I'll probably get it in the ear from my wife with a baby on the way... Do't think 2 bad injuries in 20 odd years of skiing and playing rugby is too bad!
Interesting comments about the ski injury getting immediate surgery, my experience is that in UK they like for things to settle down before operating. I suppose there are porbably pros and cons/risk in doing it either way.
Time for an update!
I had the ACL reconstruction last week, I was worried it would be cancelled due to the junior doctors strikes but glad to say it went ahead.
Out of hospital the same day, spent the first 2 days using just the one crutch to hobble around the house getting to the toilet etc then dropped using it and started trying to get on with the physio exercises. Removed the outer bandage swelling isn't too bad, been using a cryo cuff and while I've dropped some of the pain medication sticking to the ibuprofen to help with the swelling. The pain and discomfort is less than the cartilage repair I had before Christmas, it certainly helps I can put weight on the leg as previously I couldn't as I had to let the repair take.
Little twinge and discomfort in the hamstring but otherwise OK.
Will see how the rehab goes but everything I read online seems to suggest returning to normal activity (back to twisting sports etc) takes 6-12 months, the doctor I spoke to that morning (not the surgeon) indicated he'd expect I won't be playing rugby this calendar year, will just do as I'm told and see how it goes!
I had the ACL reconstruction last week, I was worried it would be cancelled due to the junior doctors strikes but glad to say it went ahead.
Out of hospital the same day, spent the first 2 days using just the one crutch to hobble around the house getting to the toilet etc then dropped using it and started trying to get on with the physio exercises. Removed the outer bandage swelling isn't too bad, been using a cryo cuff and while I've dropped some of the pain medication sticking to the ibuprofen to help with the swelling. The pain and discomfort is less than the cartilage repair I had before Christmas, it certainly helps I can put weight on the leg as previously I couldn't as I had to let the repair take.
Little twinge and discomfort in the hamstring but otherwise OK.
Will see how the rehab goes but everything I read online seems to suggest returning to normal activity (back to twisting sports etc) takes 6-12 months, the doctor I spoke to that morning (not the surgeon) indicated he'd expect I won't be playing rugby this calendar year, will just do as I'm told and see how it goes!
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