ACL...Watch the Knees!!

So I had reconstruction(Hamstring graft) about seven and half months ago and have had a really great recovery. Truly stuck to my rehab schedules and always was ahead at check ups. I was feeling so solid in my work outs. I was repping 305 in sqauts again, along side running, box jumps etc. Went to hit the water..took it slow and everything worked first 3 to 4 sessions, then 1 poor hit later I feel like Im back 3 months. Is this typical?? I feel like I'll have it all back in a few weeks or so, just nervous...don't want to blow the $ for nothing.

D.Day,

I am 8 months out and at 5 months I was doing inverts on my snowboard............did rehab to a "t" in excellent shape........... I boarded back to back days for the 1st time this weekend and took a nasty crash when the wake washed out on a switch crow and cased the wake on my "bad knee" Was able to ride some more and today I am SORE as can be. I never had trouble snowboarding from 4 months out on the surgery..... but with wakeboarding the jumps are more frequent and I think it is just more rough on the knees. I am going to get fitted for a CTI2 Vapor brace on Wednesday. My doc says I don't need a brace and I have a fitted Don Joy Defiance...... the Doy joy hurts the sides of my knee....... I would say continue the take it easy. I have been getting my water fix with wakesurfing and wakeskating. And I know that doesn't sound fun, but I am working on like things switch or regular till I can take those nasty falls and not swell up.

Rob..I work in Fishers..Will be checking out the site.

with my first reco, i had a really slow difficult rehab, but insisted on riding at 9 months even though i wasn't really ready. i cased the wake on a ts jump - it wasn't even particularly bad, but i ended up back on crutches for a week, and stretched out my graft. after that i cracked it and did nothing at all for a couple of months (including rehab), and then when i eventually started riding again things went a lot better. sometimes i think all you need is time... be careful out there, and listen to your knee. make sure you stop before you get tired! I've heard that the knee isn't really right til about 1.5 years out of surgery, so you need to treat it right while it keeps healing. good luck.
and yeah, I'm a strong supporter of wearing a brace - with extension stops!! when i stretched my graft i was wearing a cti - without extension stops, and i really think they make a big difference.

d.dAY,

That website doesn't exist anymore on my profile name. Hit me up on facebook, robriewoldt@yahoo.com.

I have read a lot on ACL stuff, and Alice's reply really seems to be true, it's different for everyone on recovery time.

i had to take it extremely easy, took about 10 months for me to even get on the water to ride, and i didnt really do much crazy stuff, just wake 2 wake jumps w/ maybe small grabs, i just listened to my knee, it took about a year and half- 2years to build my confidence back to doing 180's and trying new tricks, my knee still gets stiff after long sets being over worked, it also gets stiff when im sitting for long periods of time. but there is absolute no pain.

so just keep taking it easy, i would say dont try anything advanced until at least 1yr.