Torn ACL

by johnw on Jan 3, 2008 6:58 PM EST

I just tore my ACL over the holidays.

I am wondering if anyone here as torn their ACL, and how long they were off their bike? Also, which procedure did you go with? Hamstring graft? Patellar graft? Cadaver?

I really want to minimze time off the bike.

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I did, I did!

First, I'm really sorry to hear it. Hope you heal quick.

Second, tearing my ACL is what led me to taking biking up as rehab. I can't tell you how long you'll be off the bike but my guess would be 8-12 weeks before it's healed enough to accept any strain. I was completely non-weight bearing for 6 weeks, but I was also in a passive motion machine to prevent scar tissue and adhesions from building up. Then I transfered to very light stationary bike work to continue that process. I was playing hockey again (with a brace) in about 5 months, but that may have been an aberration.

This was 14 years ago and they've made great strides in recovery and rehab so your season won't be lost. I had the Patella Tendon transfer and 4 Ti screws put in, and I haven't had issues with it since I took up riding back in 1996. Good luck and keep us posted, I'd be very interested in hearing how you progress.

"That rug really tied the room together. "

by Drew on Jan 3, 2008 7:29 PM EST reply actions

Me too! Me too!

Well, not so much tore as popped that MF'er in two. Among many other fun things, of course, courtesy of the slopes of Killington. I've got stories and details in spades. But mostly, they don't matter, because we're all a bit different.

But, to answer your questions:

Patellar graft (same knee - don't screw your spare up).
Took me about three months before even thinking about a bike. I had a lot of other broken things complicating the recovery, though.

Check out Bob's ACL board. Looks like 1996 all over again, but the community is top notch.

Also, make sure you get all the PT you need (and DO THE HOMEWORK). I was lucky enough to have gold-plated health insurance at the time, so got all that I needed, but I was pretty appalled at what others (in a similar position) were getting. If that's going to be a fight with your insurance co, start it now rather than later.

by Sui Juris on Jan 3, 2008 7:40 PM EST reply actions

Killington?

Bahh, Mad River Glen, that's where the skiing is!

Seriously, thanks for the advice and links. I hope I don't have to fight my insurance, but I've got a PPO which does seem to be a bit better option tan an HMO.

I guess we'll see...

by johnw on Jan 3, 2008 7:46 PM EST up reply actions

Killington

sounds like a better place to do your knee, at least in terms of opportunity. It's been a while, but I seem to recall a heavy dose of road furniture...

by Chris Fontecchio on Jan 3, 2008 8:24 PM EST up reply actions

Get well JohnW!

by Chris Fontecchio on Jan 3, 2008 8:24 PM EST up reply actions

Killington

You know what Killington was? Killington was my first ()@#@#!ng vacation day in almost three years, and I did it on the last run of the first day. And even better, I don't even get a good story out of it. Cut and pasted from the last time I told it:

[I did it on] a ()@#@ blue run, no less. About half way through that turn, my ski caught an edge, and my right foot managed to turn allll the way around. Yeah. As in pointing backwards while I was moving foward at speed. Long story short, multiple fractures to the leg, shredded ACL, meniscus pulverizing, and (this is what made it really fun) spinal cord tear. In short, I bit it. Really f'ing hard.

This little moment of glory on the slopes cost me a couple of surgeries, nearly half a year out of work, and no end of complications.

by Sui Juris on Jan 3, 2008 10:24 PM EST up reply actions

umm

not sure where the odd formatting came from. Wasn't me. Ran out of oxy a lonng time ago.

by Sui Juris on Jan 3, 2008 10:26 PM EST up reply actions

That's just wrong

Wow, that really sucks. I can't imagine the pain you must have endured in that process. I have done some pretty hard wipe outs on the slopes, but yours really is over the edge.

If I may ask, have you completed your recovery? It sounds like you are still dealing with problems from the accident.

BTW, I wasn't trying to make light of your injury in my previous post about MRG.

by johnw on Jan 3, 2008 11:19 PM EST up reply actions

oh, it's easy to laugh about now

Yeah, recovery is complete in as much as this is as good as it's going to get. And frankly, it's pretty good - I compete in road and MTB races without fear (well, you know, no fear related to my knee. I'm still pretty fearful of DFL :)).

The knee thing is pretty straightforward - whatever remaining problems I have are functions of the other injuries. There are long term knee things, though. For me, it'll do whatever I need it to for as long as I need it to, but man do I pay for it afterwards, in terms of aching (and no amount of advil, vioxx, etc. ever really helped that). Also, I can't kneel on hard surfaces anymore. What gets me about that is that I might have been able to avoid that had I been more diligent in doing my PT homework.

In any event, I guess my primary point is that it's something that you can fully recover from, if you're committed to it. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

by Sui Juris on Jan 4, 2008 4:18 PM EST up reply actions

I'm impressed that

you tore your spinal cord and can still bike. That's a neat trick.

"That rug really tied the room together. "

by Drew on Jan 4, 2008 4:31 PM EST up reply actions

strictly a

one-off performance, I'm afraid. No matinée.

by Sui Juris on Jan 4, 2008 5:24 PM EST up reply actions

Wow...

what a nightmare. I was on a ski trip in Utah with some friends, first time ever pulling off sych a trip, and two guys' knees went out on day 1. Just cruising bumps...

by Chris Fontecchio on Jan 4, 2008 10:50 AM EST up reply actions

Don't get me started on skiing and knee injuries..

My only ski injury was 1970 and it was a fractured fibula. Back then with ankle high leather boots and cable bindings that didn't always release, that was the typical ski injury. 6 weeks in a cast about 2 weeks for the strength to come back and it never bothered me again. Now with higher rigid boots, the lower leg fracture is almost a thing of the past but the ACL is the unfortunate victim. I also blame the ski industry as a whole with the need to speed the sport up for a lot of folks who just weren't made to carve high speed turns after they're way past their run limit (thank you high speed detachable lifts).

Vlaenderen die Leu

by Peter Fontecchio on Jan 5, 2008 8:00 AM EST up reply actions

As my rehabilitation guy told me

"once you hit 19, you're an old fart from a knee's perspective."

"That rug really tied the room together. "

by Drew on Jan 4, 2008 11:49 AM EST reply actions

the uni-ACL

complete tear in 92, and never bothered to have reconstructive surgery because my doc convinced me I wasn't making money on my knee and cycling would be a good way to build up supporting muscles etc. The procedure and duration of rehab were deterrents to repairing it back then as well. Had to hang up the skates, but have been riding comfortably since 96 or so.

I hope I didn't just jinx myself.

get well / good luck

by cmec on Jan 4, 2008 12:35 PM EST reply actions

The Seatbelt

One of the first things my doc said was that he considered the ACL the seatbelt. That is, you may not need it 99% of the time, but the one time you do, you'd regret not having it.

I'm pretty sure that I have had a compromised ACL for many years. I played keeper in Soccer, and I think that was the source of the initial tear. That would have been 5+ years ago. A number of smaller incidents followed, then the next major incident on Christmas. The catastrophic failure happened on New Years Day.

I'm still pretty active, even at 45, so I think that I'll have the repair. I'm just not sure which procedure. The reading I have done so far seems to indicate that the PT repair is the "gold standard" but comes with much more pain than a Cadaver transplant. The hamstring tendon is not an option as far as I'm concerned. I don't like the idea of weakening the hamstring.

by johnw on Jan 4, 2008 12:46 PM EST up reply actions

PT repair

Back when I had mine done ('94) the options were cadaver and PT graft. I went with the PT, since the tendon is so damn wide it fills itself back in over time and retains its structural integrity. As for pain, that's all relative. It hurt when you tore it, right? I'm sorry to say it's going to hurt to fix it as well, there's no way around it.

The good news is a) they'll most likely have you on a morphine drip while in hospital (Mmmmmm, morphine) and b) you'll get used to the pain in a day or two. After that it's completely manageable with the appropriate amount of percocet. Cyclists know what real pain is all about so I suspect you'll be better at that part than Joe Average. In my estimation if you can have it done, do it and get back to having a fully functional knee joint that you won't have to worry about in your 60's.

"That rug really tied the room together. "

by Drew on Jan 4, 2008 2:20 PM EST reply actions