partial ACL tear- no surgery. knee brace?

47 days ago i was at OWC and came down from a heel 9 with my right leg locked out. ended up being a low grade partial ACL tear. At first the doctor said i should do surgery, but then he decided i would be able to heal on my own.
So i have been biking and swimming almost every day along with some paddleboarding, and it feels really strong. I gave the doctor a call and he said if i feel that it's strong enough then go for it, but if it starts to hurt just give it a rest and ease back into it.
I'll probably do a little trampoline time and running before i ride just to make sure its good. But i'm wondering if i should get a knee brace? I would call the doctor back but he's out of town and in conferences

other advice would be appreciated as well
thanks

I was diagnosed with a partial tear of my acl about 10 years ago. Still have not blown it out completely yet (kock on wood). But then, i dont ride much at all anymore, although i do participate in other physical activities. I say go with what your are comfortable dong, and ease up if you feel pain. Chances are you are going to blow it out eventually though. Just be prepared for that to happen.
I wore a brace for about a year after, but ditched it when i felt strong enough without it.

I've been riding for the last couple months with a completely torn acl. Went to 3 different doctors the suggested I work my knee out and wear a brace. With a cti brace I have no problems, and as long as you have no other tears and you don't have day to day problems with locking it out I would wait on surgery till you hurt it more. You are going to have to wear a knee brace after surgery anyways so whats the difference? For me its 6 months worth of recovery that I don't have to go though

Originally Posted by mxflyer281

I've been riding for the last couple months with a completely torn acl. Went to 3 different doctors the suggested I work my knee out and wear a brace. With a cti brace I have no problems, and as long as you have no other tears and you don't have day to day problems with locking it out I would wait on surgery till you hurt it more. You are going to have to wear a knee brace after surgery anyways so whats the difference? For me its 6 months worth of recovery that I don't have to go though

True, but i'm kind of hoping that i'll never have to go through surgery. Right now i have full range of motion, and i can lock it out with no problems. C
How does it feel to run and do other activities with no acl?

Originally Posted by ttrigo

I wore a brace for about a year after, but ditched it when i felt strong enough without it.

Did you just wear a brace while wakeboarding, or while running and stuff as well?
Thanks for the advice

I wore if for soccer and wakeboarding. It hindered me more than i think it helped. Keep in mind, this was 10 years ago. The braces nowadays are way better. If you have decent insurance, t cant hurt to get fitted for one and try it out.

If you have heel 9 in your bag, it's just a waiting game till your ACL goes, if you plan on continuing to ride at that level. Once the ligament has been initially injured anything from getting out of bed the wrong way to a hard landing in the flats can strain it enough to tear it. Wear a brace, spend the money and protect yourself. ACL is no joke, but the worst part in the months and months of recovery

Alright, so from what i've read i should ask my doctor to prescribe a CTI vapor for me.
Is this the right one? I weigh about 160 lbs and i'm about 5'10

I'll probably give it a few more weeks before i ride just to be safe.

Blew out my ACL/MCL in april. I now will be wearing a CTI knee brace everytime I wakeboard and snowski. If it tears again, i'll prob be done. So the brace gives me confidence and longevity HaHA

Originally Posted by tonyv420

Blew out my ACL/MCL in april. I now will be wearing a CTI knee brace everytime I wakeboard and snowski. If it tears again, i'll prob be done. So the brace gives me confidence and longevity HaHA

Did your insurance company cover the brace?

Usually the brace is under the "durable goods" category. My CTI custom was completely covered, but they would only cover an OTS CTI for my other leg because it didnt have an ACL repair....each insur. co. will be different. Give them a call, get the name of the person that says your level of coverage.

I have double coverage, and my brace was 100% covered! I was thrilled!

I had a partial tear of my Meniscus. I know that isn't nearly the level of an ACL but I wore a brace for a while until it got better and it has been fine ever since. Definitely get a brace IMHO.

I can run and do light sports without a brace but it gets a little sketchy doing stop and go sports basketball, volleyball, etc without one

thanks everyone

i have been working out both legs pretty hard in the last couple of weeks to strengthen them up before i ride again, but now i have a pain in my left knee(the one that i didn't injure.)
its not a really bad pain but it is pretty much constantly there and when i am walking it feels stiffer than my right knee(the one i injured.)
there is no swelling or anything, so i guess if i just give it a few days off it will get better?
does this usually happen because of overcompensating for the injured knee or what?

the worst part about my surgery was having to sit around and do nothing.. i cant do that. so i was pretty active and was doing A LOT of overcompensating with my good leg. after like 2 months i noticed i was getting pains in my non injured knee and in like my hip flexor on the non injuried side. after i talked to my doctor he said the same thing. overcompensation will def do it. just take some time off and let your body rest