Ruptured ACL

[UTH]

Saw the consultant yesterday after MRI last week - ACL is ruptured. Seeing the surgeon next week.

Anyone been through it, what am I in for? Am I going to be totally immobile for an amount of time? Unable to walk or drive at all? The consultant didn't say much really, other than likely 6 month recovery 6 month rehab.

Mrs UTH goes back to work next week after maternity leave and I'm meant to be on the nursery drop 5 days a week as I work from home a fair bit. I'm assuming for a while at least I'm not going to be able to do that?

Any other info from people who have been through this would be great, outlook feels fairly bleak right now.

[UTH]

The_Doc said:

UTH said:

Saw the consultant yesterday after MRI last week - ACL is ruptured. Seeing the surgeon next week.

Anyone been through it, what am I in for? Am I going to be totally immobile for an amount of time? Unable to walk or drive at all? The consultant didn't say much really, other than likely 6 month recovery 6 month rehab.

Mrs UTH goes back to work next week after maternity leave and I'm meant to be on the nursery drop 5 days a week as I work from home a fair bit. I'm assuming for a while at least I'm not going to be able to do that?

Any other info from people who have been through this would be great, outlook feels fairly bleak right now.

I do 80-100 ACLs per year

Have you spoken to the ACL surgeon? The chap who's doing the operation? He should be able to answer all of your questions in detail. Don't leave the room until you are satisfied. I won't put answers here ahead of his answers, not fair on her/him.

IN the interim, you could do a lot with this:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/knee-ligament-surger...
https://oneorth.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/P...
https://www.uknlr.co.uk/acl-surgery.php

I'm seeing him this Thursday, so will ask him everything then. Thanks for the links will have a look

[UTH]

craig1912 said:

Ruptured mine 32 years ago. It was never repaired and whilst I gave up football its never had any effect on doing stuff (skied virtually every year for last 25 ish years).

Thanks for the replies guys, and especially this one as skiing is pretty much my only concern, so I'm pleased to hear this!

[UTH]

Yep had the op in May. Have been seeing the physio every 2-3 weeks ever since. Never ending list of exercises so strengthen the leg etc

I thought it was all going perfectly until a few weeks ago but now I’m getting a bit of pain below the knee. Physio thinks it’s strange as I can do all my ACL related exercises with no pain.
I might see the surgeon again soon to see what he thinks. Overall I’m walking like you wouldn’t know I had an issue, but I can feel things not right in there.
Summary is that I’m a bit deflated right now that I don’t feel I’m on the fast track to being perfect again, but it’s only 7 months since surgery and it’s not like I’ve been doing rehab like a pro footballer would be.

[UTH]

Beato said:

Thanks for responding.

Sorry to hear you have had a wee bump in the road on your recovery. Hope it’s nothing too serious and you get through the discomfort and continue your rehab and recovery.

I had my miniscus trimmed back in 2021 (left knee) so saw the same surgeon again as I had assumed similar injury and got the scan. He has referred me onto another specialist as it’s the ACL that’s gone and I see him in January.

Can I ask how long you were off your feet for and were you out of commission for work for a while? I do have a role covering a large patch but would be able to work from home on TEAMS if needed.

I’m frustrated that the knee is so weak and I just want to consider all options so appreciate your comments.

I was 'signed off' work for 2 weeks - TBH working from home mostly I could have logged on, but as the surgeon suggests it I thought why not take it as I might be in pain, on pain killers etc

Mobility wasn't too bad. I hobbled around for a couple of weeks, but it actually wasn't long until I was getting out and about, albeit with one crutch. I didn't use two crutches beyond those first two weeks I think.
I did leave it quite a long time before heading into London/the office etc though, as all it would take is a slip to do damage/undo the good work, so I'd say get moving around as soon as you can, but also hold off putting yourself in a 'risky' situation as long as you can.

[UTH]

Update: it's getting on for 10 months since surgery.

Been going to the physio every 2-3 weeks since then. It's still not 100%, I can definitely feel it's a bit 'messy' in the knee compared with the normal one. Physio seems very happy with progress, passing a lot of the 'tests' I need to pass etc. She's got me running a few 5 min spells before I see her next.

Not sure what to expect now though, should it be aiming to feel 100% and pain free like the other knee, or will there always been something not right? My leg is very strong, but I wish it felt like I had two normal knees.

[UTH]

The_Doc said:

UTH said:

Update: it's getting on for 10 months since surgery.

Been going to the physio every 2-3 weeks since then. It's still not 100%, I can definitely feel it's a bit 'messy' in the knee compared with the normal one. Physio seems very happy with progress, passing a lot of the 'tests' I need to pass etc. She's got me running a few 5 min spells before I see her next.

Not sure what to expect now though, should it be aiming to feel 100% and pain free like the other knee, or will there always been something not right? My leg is very strong, but I wish it felt like I had two normal knees.

UTH, it all depends on what else was damaged in your knee. The ACL doesn't 'hurt' usually, but meniscii, hyaline cartilage and scaring does.
In many cases the operation is about getting stable, and not always about getting prefect.

Yeah makes sense - it's not even pain as such, maybe 2 out of 10 at worst, but it does take my confidence away that it's a reliable knee! I've not done any sport yet, or anything really that would test it, so for all I know one bad twist and I'm back in surgery? Hopefully that's not true at all, I just don't have a clue what to realistically expect, either now or a few months further down the line.
Skiing was my main priority, and that window has closed until next March, so no rush I guess, but I was hoping it would feel close to 'good as new' by now....

[UTH]

z4RRSchris said:

i had ACL MCL PCL Meni back i 2012 with Fares Haddad, took up cycling to build muscle around the joint and all ok back to normal now.

Found running however to be a massive ball ache and recovery times hard.

Skiing was / is fine

Good to know, thanks. I did a 10 mins run on the treadmill at the physio's yesterday, so I must be getting somewhere

[UTH]

The_Doc said:

UTH said:

z4RRSchris said:

i had ACL MCL PCL Meni back i 2012 with Fares Haddad, took up cycling to build muscle around the joint and all ok back to normal now.

Found running however to be a massive ball ache and recovery times hard.

Skiing was / is fine

Good to know, thanks. I did a 10 mins run on the treadmill at the physio's yesterday, so I must be getting somewhere

With the greatest respect, z4RRSchris's injury is a football pitch size of complexity away from an ACL tear.

His recovery is no guide to anything apart from his good luck, his hard work, and Fares' skill. I've just published with Fares et al on the UK's 5 and 10 year results for plain ACL. He's a great mind.

ACL/PCL/MCL is a whisker away from "you'll never walk without a limp again" They only injuries I see worse than this are the arterial tears, which aren't too bad, (but who really wants to risk limb loss?) and the nerve tears which are essentially impossible to repair.

Push hard and long on the rehab. BOL

Ok thanks Doc.
Physio continues to be pleased with my progress, and my discomfort/pain is very minor, and pretty much vanishes as soon as I do the exercises, my frustration is that it's still not perfect, and if I skip a day of the exercises, I can feel it's still a bit painful. I hope that I'll get to a day where there is no pain at all?

[UTH]

Nearly a year since surgery, back to physio tomorrow, I very much feel like progress has stalled. I really am wondering if I just have to accept that will be a certain amount of discomfort/pain around my knee forever, but it shouldn't stop me doing things like skiing etc? Or am I still going to risk doing major damage even though 12 months have passed since surgery.