Current ACL Injuries?

Just wondering how everyone was progressing who had their ACL fixed this summer. What graft did you use and how far out are you. I had mine fixed August 5th and they are still holding me back on hamstring strengthening due to the hamstring graft. Mainly just doing squats, leg press and balance and stability exercises right now. Range of motion is almost complete I'm to around 125 degrees now w/full extension. No jogging or leg extensions yet.

ACL, repaired meniscus, and repaired patella cartilage on Aug 27th. This Thursday marks 8 weeks out. Had a patellar tendon graft. Full range of motion at around 4 weeks, right now back on the weights, balance, and bike. Cleared to jog but haven't tried it yet.

My patella tendon is a little tender after a workout, but that's to be expected at this stage in the game, otherwise I have no pain at all.

Pretty stoked on my progress thus far....

I had mine done on August 5th also. I got the achilles allograft and had full range of motion in 3 weeks. It is my second acl surgery on that knee, so the doc could use my original tunnels. It is crazy how much faster I am healing compared to my first surgery. This surgery has been by far a way better experience than my first which was a hamstring auto.
My strength training sounds right in line with what you are doing. I will be cleared to run on Nov 5th and should be cleared to lightly snowboard on Feb 5th which is 6 months out.
Since this is my second time around with this let me give you some advice. Listen to your doctor!!!! I did not after my 1st surgery and stretched my acl without even knowing it. I started snowboarding 4 months out and was also doing leg extension. At 7 months my graft tore from a slight knee knock while I was lightly shooting hoops. I was even wearing my CTI Pro Sport!!
Soon your knee is going to start feeling great and that is the most dangerous time in this process. Be patient and rehab like it's your job.

Peace.

hey josh, that's great to hear things are easier the 2nd time around. i'm pretty sure i just did mine for the 2nd time on the weekend... unfortunately i can't get in to see my specialist for 3 weeks, so i'm left in suspense til then.
I'm pretty sure though. it felt the same - i heard it pop and the sort of pain i'm in now is feeling pretty familiar.
it always happens just when i'm riding my best
i got almost 6 years out my last graft, so i guess that's ok.
i was wearing my cti2 when it happened - i think maybe it would have been worse without it, but i'm still disappointed.

Nice Dustin! Sounds like it's going good. Stick with it and you'll be ripping again this spring.

I'm 5.5 months out of surgery and have been shredding now for a few weeks (basic w2w stuff and lots of rails). I had a hamstring allograft with medial meniscal repair, lateral menisectomy, and a nice little crack at the base of my femur.

I went to therapy 3 days a week for the first few months, 2 days a week for months 3-4 and then therapy 1 day a week plus about 2-3 sets behind the boat for months 4.5-5.5. I will be fully cleared to shred hard November 3rd and I'm stoked. Rode OWC this weekend for like 5 hours on Saturday with basically no problems (no kickers though). I still get a little soreness after lots of activity and every now and again my screw at the base of the graft will hurt. I rehabbed like a freakin' champ and it definitely paid off. Much love to the crew at Alabama Orthopedic Specialists for getting me where I am!!!!!

Had my ACL surgery Sept 3rd and graft was from my patella tendon on the same knee. I did my rehab exercises every hour that I was after the 1st week for three weeks!! after 3 weeks full extenstion and 140 on flextion, good leg flextion is 148.. I was able to wake surf three weeks after my surgery with the invoved leg as my front leg. 4 weeks out I wakeskated with my involved leg back, just rode no shuv's or anything. Started weight training 4 weeks out, along with bike, stair stepper, and elliptical for 15 min apeice, at 6 weeks doing 20 mins apeice ever morning 7 days a week. At 6 weeks out my hamstring strength is 100% of my good hammy. My quad is about 75%. Before surgery I was able to have 100% flextion and extention, and that was key! My strenght was equal as well. A lot of people get surgery and do not have equal flexibility and strength. This makes the rehab much faster.

Like Dustin said the only soreness and aching I get is in the graft area. I have really massaged my knee a lot to get rid of scare tissue

Like others have said you have to be careful when the knee feels good. In all the board activity I have done I didn't do anything that involved impact and no way would I strap into bindings on a snowboard or wakeboard. At my 8 week check up I hope to be 80% strength of bad leg versus good leg. And be released to start jogging on a teadmill.

This is a super fast timetable but I did my rehab like crazy. I pretty much didn't get anything done at my real job for about 6 weeks.

I don't plan to hit any kickers or rails in the terrain park till 5 to 6 months out.

Hoping to wakeboard a w2w set at 7-8 months out.

Just got over a MCL took like 8 weeks to get better. Hope to go out again soon.

On day 8 post-op. Back to work yesterday. Same effect as Rob at work. lol Did the hamstring graft. I have full extension, but my calf wont stop swelling?? It stops the flexiion. Going to the doc to see whats up.

(Message edited by dwday on October 21, 2009)

13 days out. I did the Cadaver allograph. Pain is minimum, still doing basic therapy. Have 107 deg, of heel raise. Still cant get quite straight laying it flat. But doing well so far. I would def recommend the cadaver allograph, all ready cleared off crutches, and no rehab on the hammy due to the hamstring tendon this time. Thats what i had done on my left in 2006.

ACL reconstruction August 4th. had hamstring graft. i have been doing great. doesnt bother me at all and im almost at the half way point. just ready to ride again

D.Day,

A lot of times the swelling will trickle down to the calf. I actually pulled my Gastrocnemius muscle in my calf a bit. That muscle tries to compensate for the lack of an ACL. Some people have trouble with the hamstring muscle as well, due to compensation for no ACL. It will be important to keep that leg elevated as much as possible to get rid of that swelling. I would basically move my calf to the side when doing heel slides. Also, if you put a rolled up small towel in the crease of your knee during heelsides you can get your heal closer to your butt. My physical therapist gave me all these tips.

Good stuff, Rob

ACL Reconstruction, Hamstring Graft on Sept. 11, so it's been about 6 weeks. Everything's been going really well so far, I started PT yesterday and I was at 140 flexion with 1-2 degrees to go on extension. Just starting some basic exercises, biking, squats, walking backward on the treadmill, lunges. Should start some more aggressive muscle building in 2 weeks & possibly some jogging.

The pain has not been too bad so far, mainly just some sharp pain under my knee cap when putting weight on it while it's bent, but it seems to be getting better.