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-   -   torn ACL and wakesurfing (http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=719032)

littlelady 07-23-2009 7:41 AM

I tore my ACL while wakeboarding on July 1st and I've started walking again....a few days ago! YAY!! <BR> <BR>I'm scheduled for surgery, but only in about 3 months. Do any of you think that I can get away with wakesurfing with a brace before surgery??

sailing216 07-23-2009 2:32 PM

I had a bad sprained ankle where I was limping bad and I wakesurfed. I kept it to cruising and carving, no spins. Try and if it's too much, just stop. The colder water helped while out, and I iced again when home and swelling started up. I was ok the next day and much happier (:=

bigshow 07-23-2009 8:49 PM

I've been wakeboarding twice since I fractured my ankle in 2006. I back to normal, well normal for me, but I've just completely switched to wakesurf.

deepcove 07-23-2009 8:57 PM

MF <BR> <BR>Only you can answer that question. If it hurts like hell you obviously should not be doing it. I am currently surfing with a minor tear to my MCL &amp; torn meniscus ( it was a fun filled night that invloved tequila!). It hurt a lot when I tried it a couple weeks after my injury so I gave it a rest for 4 weeks. Now I am doing it with a brace and slight pain when getting out of the water....once I am up it is golden, but my doc is not impressed. Had my MRI last week and waiting to find out if they need to dig in.

toadieboy13 07-24-2009 10:25 PM

I snowboarded an entire season with a torn ACL. I tore it wakeboarding in August. Ortho surgeon was not too excited about me trying to snowboard, but basically said it was my knee and I could do what I wanted with it. He sent me to a physically therapist who gave me exercises to strengthen the quad &amp; hammy. I did wear an over the counter DonJoy brace that winter. There was a lot of swelling and some pain involved after a long day of riding that winter... but I was able to ride. <BR> <BR>It basically comes down to how much pain you are in and willing to put up with. Another thing to consider is that your knee is going to be unstable without the ACL. This could lead to more serious injuries to other ligaments in the knee if something did happen. <BR> <BR>Good Luck with your upcoming surgery and recovery.

bigcatpt 07-24-2009 10:48 PM

edit.. While I was typing my reply Chad ^^^^^ gave you some solid advice. <BR> <BR>I have a couple question first and then will answer yours.... why are they waiting 3 months to do surgery? Usually they will wait maybe 1-2 weeks for some of the swelling to go down and then they are good to go in and do the surgery. <BR> <BR>Did you have an MRI? Any meniscus damage? Any other problems found? MCL OK? <BR> <BR>That info will help.... <BR> <BR>But here is my advise without knowing how you will answer the other questions... <BR> <BR>If you were to come into my therapy clinic and ask me if you could surf I would want to check a few things out first. <BR> <BR>1. How is your quad muscle firing? Can you get a good contraction. This will help you control the motion of the knee joint <BR> <BR>2. Are you walking well? With a limp? If so then move to #3 <BR> <BR>3. Can you do a squat down to a 90 deg bend in your knees? And then return to standing without much pain? <BR> <BR>If you think about the motion of the legs while getting pulled out of the hole on a surfboard... You are basically starting in a squat position and then having to press up from the squatted position as the boat pulls you on top of the board. <BR> <BR>This kind of motion takes a lot of quad strength and that kind of quad contraction will want to cause the tibia to slide forward at the knee (the motion the ACL prevents). If your Hamstring muscles don't contract at the same time (the HS muscles pull back on the tibia actually helping the ACL do its job) the tibia will translate forward and you will feel like your knee is slipping out and going to dislocate. You won't like that feeling. <BR> <BR>So bottom line... work on Quad muscle control and Hamstring strength. Wnen you can do a controlled squat without pain I would say you can try surfing... If you wear a brace that will help prevent anterior tibial motion. <BR> <BR>And don't even get any idea's of doing anything that involves strapping on a boot! Surfing will be your safest bed. <BR> <BR>sorry for the long answer. Hope that helps! <BR> <BR>(Message edited by Bigcatpt on July 24, 2009)

littlelady 07-29-2009 8:04 AM

Thanks for the info bigcatpt. <BR> <BR>I have no intentions of wakeboarding...or strapping in anytime soon. <BR> <BR>I have 2nd degree MCL tear and a full ACL tear in my left knee. I tore the ligaments on July 1st. <BR> <BR>I still have a slightly swollen knee, and I almost have full range of motion back. I can walk, with a limp...I only started walking a few days ago. I was hoping that I could go for short sets on the wakesurf in about a month. <BR> <BR>I've been working like a mad-woman at physio and at my excercises after physio at home. My physio says that my improvement is much better than most (maybe she's just trying to give me encouragement). <BR> <BR>I live in Canada, therefore, there is a bit of a waiting time to get surgery on my knee. I've only seen a sports doctor so far, not yet the surgeon. I have my pre-surgery consultation on August 10th and then the surgeon will give me a date surgery date...which I'm assuming will be in late September. <BR> <BR>I will work on my quads a bit more before surfing - my legs have degenerated quite a bit already since my injury even though I've been doing lots of physio exercises working on those quads.

bigcatpt 07-29-2009 8:52 AM

Your welcome! Good luck with the surgery and rehab. You sound like you are very motivated to get well. I love patients like you! Hopefully you can spend some time surfing between now and the surgery to get your fix before the surgery and dreaded winter... You will be good to go for spring though!

littlelady 08-04-2009 5:38 AM

I went wakesurfing this weekend and it was SUPER fun! My left leg muscles are sore today but my knee is holding up great!! YAY!!! Had soooooooooooooooooooo much fun!!!!

bigcatpt 08-04-2009 7:09 AM

very nice!!!!! Good work!!!

jon_tollefson 08-04-2009 1:36 PM

Glad to hear you got back on the board. As long as you don't get cocky on the board, I think you will be fine. It might even help strengthen your leg. Just always remember that it is still Torn, Keep working hard though!! Good Luck <BR> <BR>Jon T

05mobiuslsv 08-07-2009 9:35 AM

I surfed for 6 months on a non-existent ACL that became detached from the Femur wakeboarding. Was the best thing I ever did as my legs were very strong as I went into surgery. I was walking less than a week later without crutches.


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