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Old     (jealous_soul)      Join Date: Sep 2007       12-23-2012, 12:15 PM Reply   
I'm 6 days out of surgery. Torn ACL, torn meniscus. Already had my first physical therapy session, my surgery follow up is tomorrow morning, and then PT twice a week for the next month. For those of you that have done this, do you still ride (hard)? I think I tore it doing a vulcan, and it is mostly because my bones were already bruised so I can't plant my feet for the landing as the impact made the muscles relax to ease the pain of the bones moving. I know it's going to be quite a few months before I do any heavy physical activity again, but how likely is it that I'll be able to do all my same tricks once this is all said and done?
Old     (captain_vilfo)      Join Date: Apr 2007       12-23-2012, 3:45 PM Reply   
I've only improved every year after tearing mine.. but then again I'm not doing vulcans.
Old     (ord27)      Join Date: Oct 2005       12-24-2012, 4:12 PM Reply   
My daughter had surgery last February. We did a lot of research on surgeons in the area. We finally went with the Texas Rangers' surgeon and physical therapy team. She is already back on the court playing at a very high level of club volleyball....without a brace!! We were told that her repaired knee is less likely to injure now than her healthy knee is. The toughest part for most athletes, we are told, is the psychological side of the recovery process.

Hang in there.....and don't skimp or miss therapy sessions !!!!
Old     (gnarslayer)      Join Date: Sep 2008       12-24-2012, 5:19 PM Reply   
i tore my acl mcl miniscus about 4 years ago and im riding better than ever! no knee braces! you will be fine, dont sweat it
Old     (wakebordr11)      Join Date: May 2001       12-25-2012, 9:49 AM Reply   
I wouldn't think.that riding hard this coming summer would be a good idea... Need a lot of pt and proper recovery time...
Old     (lfadam)      Join Date: Nov 2008       12-25-2012, 12:48 PM Reply   
I tore mine this summer (6/22). Didnt have surgery until 11/14 because of blood clots and other complications. Got a minor infection that required a quick surgery last week. Hopefully I'm all good to go now. Been working hard at PT and hoping to be back on the water in march or april, and wakeboarding at a high level by May so I can make Collegiate Nationals on 5/25. It'll be close but my surgeon thinks I can do it. That will be right at 6 months. He says full recovery should be in 5.

Dont get blood clots and dont get infections. PT is easy if you can avoid all of that
Old     (ryan_shima1)      Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Layton, Utah       12-25-2012, 6:58 PM Reply   
You'll be able to get back to your current riding shape and better, as long as you don't rush the rehab process. With a torn meniscus, that will add to your recovery time as well.

Everyone's healing timeline is different (some shorter & some faster), again make sure to not rush it. IMO, it's better to make sure your knee is completely healed and ready to take the impact then return too quickly and risk tearing the graft again because it wasn't ready. You'll lose even more water time that way.

I tore my ACL and my meniscus (which was almost non-repairable), but I was wake surfing at the end of 3 months, back riding on the board at 5 months (no jumping, just riding), full strength riding with a brace in 1 year and without a brace in 2 years.

Good luck!
Old     (ktm525)      Join Date: Mar 2009       12-26-2012, 6:27 AM Reply   
I tore my Acl last November and both my minicus are gone. They said I need a new knee but I am only 46 and I am too young. They want to wait till I am 50. I still ride. I just wear a CTI brace.
Old     (skiboarder)      Join Date: Oct 2006       12-26-2012, 7:31 AM Reply   
I tore my cal in 2001. I was riding as hard as ever in 6 months with minor aches after riding (double-ups and all). At about a 1 year, it was like it never happened. A decade later I have no long term issues.

Hit the gym hard and maintain your flexibility as soon as you are released and you will be fine. Also, don't let the injury get into your head. At your 6 month visit if you doc says you are good to go, go beat up your new knee. It is not going to feel right at first, but ride like it is.
Old     (bizzuck)      Join Date: Nov 2005       12-26-2012, 6:36 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by skiboarder View Post
At your 6 month visit if you doc says you are good to go, go beat up your new knee. It is not going to feel right at first, but ride like it is.
This is pretty stupid. Even for WW.
Old     (jealous_soul)      Join Date: Sep 2007       12-26-2012, 3:24 PM Reply   
thanks everyone. makes me feel a whole lot better about this whole thing. I think I'm good with riding with a brace, biking with it, etc. My PT dude says I'm doing really well and I'm not planning on skimping on it at all, as I'd rather be healthy than half ass it and re-injure it later. Do you guys/girls who do physical activity without a brace every worry about it? I've heard some people feel like their leg is much better after surgery (as some have mentioned) because of all the rehab conditiioning the surrounding muscles much more than the non injured leg.
Old     (gnarslayer)      Join Date: Sep 2008       12-26-2012, 3:53 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by jealous_soul View Post
thanks everyone. makes me feel a whole lot better about this whole thing. I think I'm good with riding with a brace, biking with it, etc. My PT dude says I'm doing really well and I'm not planning on skimping on it at all, as I'd rather be healthy than half ass it and re-injure it later. Do you guys/girls who do physical activity without a brace every worry about it? I've heard some people feel like their leg is much better after surgery (as some have mentioned) because of all the rehab conditiioning the surrounding muscles much more than the non injured leg.
i used kneebrace for 9 months after surgery and slowly eased away from it. my doctor said that the kneebrace is bad for your knee when you are no longer injured, because your ligaments get used to having that crutch and become weaker... i feel 100% and there is no need for a brace
Old     (spencercoon)      Join Date: Mar 2011       12-27-2012, 9:29 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by gnarslayer View Post
i used kneebrace for 9 months after surgery and slowly eased away from it. my doctor said that the kneebrace is bad for your knee when you are no longer injured, because your ligaments get used to having that crutch and become weaker... i feel 100% and there is no need for a brace
You must have had a good doc. My knee has never felt 100%. Since the surgery (8 years ago) that knee hasn't ever felt as well held together. I have occasional pain during and after riding. It hurts especially bad towards the end and after a full day of snowboarding.
Old     (jealous_soul)      Join Date: Sep 2007       12-26-2012, 4:38 PM Reply   
good to know. thanks.
Old     (deltawake)      Join Date: Sep 2004       12-27-2012, 9:19 AM Reply   
Just curious, What surgery did you all have? Cadaver graft? Patellar tendon? Hamstring?
Old     (Hooya)      Join Date: Aug 2011       12-27-2012, 9:50 AM Reply   
Why are so many ACLs going? What is the usual cause in wakeboarding?
Old     (spencercoon)      Join Date: Mar 2011       12-27-2012, 9:58 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hooya View Post
Why are so many ACLs going? What is the usual cause in wakeboarding?
I wasn't wakeboarding when I tore mine. The true story is too stupid so I won't go into details... The only injuries I have had while wakeboarding are concussions and chipped teeth.
Old     (ryan_shima1)      Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Layton, Utah       12-27-2012, 7:18 PM Reply   
I had the hamstring graft.
Old     (kmac1587)      Join Date: Sep 2012       12-27-2012, 11:11 PM Reply   
I tore my ACL first day out (first hit actually) this year and rode all summer on it torn. Im planning for surgery in the spring after snowboard season but I've been through PT and am now doing strength conditioning with the same facility. I go to Access Sports Health in Exeter, NH. They have an awesome facility and are super athlete focused.

I 've learned that you want to keep your legs, core and glutes conditioned. After wake season I took a month off from everything and found my knee got super sore. Once I started working it out the pain went away literally overnight. The biggest thing my coach/trainer works with me on is "proper form" and how to engage my glutes and core to help take stress off my knee. With your legs being super strong your knee has so much support that your not relying on the knee to support itself entirely on its own.

The biggest thing and its been mentioned in other posts is the mental aspect. Trust your knee. You know when its unstable and when it isnt, you will stop. But ultimately you need to trust it and go about things confidently. Like I said I rode all summer with just a brace and no ACL and my riding progressed actually. I dont feel my brace has had any negative effects. If anything I wish I had been wearing it prior to my injury. My brace is designed to keep my knee from hyper extending which is exactly how I tore my ACL in the beginning. With my brace I ride with so much confidence, not to mention am able to play football, basketball, hike etc. I also have a buddy that rides at a pro level and he says the same thing about his brace.

My situation is a little different since I havent had my ACL repaired yet, but I hope this was a bit helpful. I am definitely interested in hearing how you do with recovery and how long it takes you to get back to 100%. Im hoping I can time my surgery just right in the spring so I dont miss much of the wake season. Good luck with your PT and recovery!
Old     (Laker1234)      Join Date: Mar 2010       12-28-2012, 5:38 PM Reply   
JB, your surgeon told you not to wear your brace? I'm 4 years out and still have to wear it.
Old     (detonate69)      Join Date: Apr 2001       12-28-2012, 5:48 PM Reply   
I had my acl (patellar tendon) replaced about 7 years ago. 6 months post OP was fully released but it took a while mentally to trust it. Wore a cti custom for the first year during wake and snowboarding (as per dr orders), then took it off and haven't wore it since. I hurt mine snowboarding. Mine has been solid, no problems.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 2
Old     (ord27)      Join Date: Oct 2005       12-28-2012, 5:52 PM Reply   
my daughter's surgeon told us that after rehab, there is no medical reason for the brace. It was 6 months, twice a week, of intense rehab. He won't "release" an athelete until they are ready to get back on the field/court/water....
Old     (Laker1234)      Join Date: Mar 2010       12-29-2012, 11:11 PM Reply   
I'll have to talk with my doctor. He advised me to wear the brace and stay off the trampoline.
Old     (jealous_soul)      Join Date: Sep 2007       12-30-2012, 1:03 AM Reply   
Peter, I had the cadaver graft done. The surgeon said considering the extent of the damage, he would rather do that because he can use more tissue for the repair without increasing my rehab time to build up any muscles they would have taken from, and the patellar tendon was out of the question due to the pain during bending your knees and high probability of early onset arthritis from that.

Kevin, I appreciate the insight. I'm surprised you rode all summer with it torn. I could probably manage to cruise around, but I couldn't land on mine as it hurt far too much for that.

No trampolines ever? Or just a certain period of time?
Old     (Laker1234)      Join Date: Mar 2010       12-30-2012, 9:30 AM Reply   
He said that he would not recommend it--didn't say anything about never-- but that was a year ago. I'll have to hit him up again. I do notice, however, that the pros who have torn ACL still wear their braces many years out--Parks and Harris come to mind.
Old     (tonyv420)      Join Date: Jul 2007       01-02-2013, 2:21 PM Reply   
two words, Adrian Peterson.....
Old     (wakebordr11)      Join Date: May 2001       01-02-2013, 5:46 PM Reply   
I think they gotta check Peterson's knee for some sort of banned substance. He came back stronger and faster! haha
Old     (lfadam)      Join Date: Nov 2008       01-02-2013, 7:37 PM Reply   
Hooya,

I did mine wakeboarding. I did it hitting the biggest double up of my life. Hit the 3rd roller perfectly and got launched. Without exaggerating, it was probably 10-12 ft to the bottom of my board (I just did a tweaked out Stalefish). Never felt such a rush wakeboarding as I did when I was flying up that high. I was so stoked. Then I realized I was going to overshoot the downslope of the second wake and land right in the trough. I figured-well this is going to be a hard impact, but I've done this before, I should ride away no problem. I came down exactly as I wanted to and my knees started compressing, then I just felt my front knee (left knee) explode. I mean it shot inwards (to the right), as I felt my ACL pop, then I felt what I believe was my femur smashing into my lower leg with my knee off to the side. I just crumbled. I was in excruciating pain for about a minute and knew that I had definitely blown my knee out. Definitely wasn't the "tear your ACL and walk into the doc the next day/keep wakeboarding anyways" type of thing. I couldnt put any weight on it and it swelled to the size of a cantelope. I thought I might have torn my MCL, not ACL with the way my knee buckled inwards. By the time I got an MRI and correct diagnosis, it was declared a completely torn ACL, minor damage to my Lateral Meniscus (just shaved a little piece off), a strained LCL, and a possible small tear or strained MCL (If it was torn it had already healed by my MRI which was 2 or 3 weeks after the injury).

I did a patellar graft. My surgeon told me that hamstring grafts can be unpredictable, as some people have smaller tendons which means they sometimes have to take multiple tendons and lace them together. Hamstring also has a longer recovery time. Lastly, I have always had weak hamstrings, so I figured it would be an even harder recovery. He said cadavers are not as strong as patellar/hamstring so he would never do it for a young person trying to play sports again (more for 40/50 year olds who won't be hitting double ups). Patellar grafts can make it painful to kneel/be on your knees (how often do I do that? Practically never) and the arthritis risk is small and won't be a factor until I am old and probably have arthritis anyways. Recovery is also the fastest and he says Patellar is usually the strongest, which is why I decided to go this route.

Im 7 weeks out now and am walking normally, about 80 to 90% Range of Motion and have started making good strength gains. Adding weights to all of my PT exercises. Still gets stiff after sitting for a while (or after the Bassnectar/Pretty Lights concert I was standing at for 5 hours on Saturday...) Just working hard to get my quad strength back
Old     (bcd)      Join Date: Jun 2012       01-03-2013, 3:52 PM Reply   
I tore mine wakeboarding 4 1/2 years ago. I was doing a tail grab big out into the flats and tried holding it as long as possible. I must not have gotten the board back in position because when I landed the nose dug in and stopped the board while my body kept going. I had my muscles tight to brace for hitting the water hard since I was landing out in the flats, and when the board stopped in the water, I felt my femur shift sideways and then snap back in place. I had a torn ACL, bone contusion (bruise), but my meniscus wasn't torn. I had surgery in July (patellar tendon graft), hit rehab hard, and was snow skiing black diamonds before New Years. There was some pain while doing it and at night, but it was manageable.

By the next wakeboard season, I was able to go hard at it with no pain. I got the CTI custom brace and still usually wear it when snow skiing and wakeboarding. I don't wear it for basketball, softball, or anything other sports I do. It doesn't bother me to have it on. I don't think of it as a crutch, and I question it's ability to protect my knee from any kind of twisting injury, but I think that it would help protect me from the type of impact that I had when I tore my ACL.

I don't have any pain in my knee ever, which I attribute to not tearing my meniscus at all. The only issue I have is some discomfort when kneeling on hard surfaces from where they cut out my patellar tendon.

I did crash hard on a scarecrow last year where I didn't come off my edge, left a little too early, went out the back instead of over the top, and when I came around, I landed kind of on the nose of the board and my one (surgically repaired) leg took the whole impact. My knee was pretty sore for a couple of weeks from that, but I think the pain was actually from bruising from my brace digging into my leg to prevent it from twisting/bending wrong. I was starting to not wear the brace, but that crash scared me back into wearing everytime out again. I can't say if the brace for sure helped prevent injury or not, but nothing ended up torn from a pretty bad crash.
Old     (jealous_soul)      Join Date: Sep 2007       01-03-2013, 8:39 PM Reply   
I'm 15 days out of surgery, walking normally (mostly, though I still have to wear the immobilizer), am doing weights at PT, and I have a fair amount of my range of motion back. I'm happy with how things are going, but I know I have a ways to go. The quad strength has really been the tough part so far, and I still have some pain when trying to engage the muscles around the knee. Trying to stay positive, and as someone else said, AP obviously came out just fine, I plan on sticking with PT and hoping for the best.
Old     (Hooya)      Join Date: Aug 2011       01-04-2013, 1:54 AM Reply   
AVD, thanks for the info. Fingers crossed you get it back to full health (or as best a poss)

" I landed the nose dug in and stopped the board while my body kept going."

I can see this happening a lot on big tricks - wouldn't know yet as I am still fairly new to this. But, do you think there is anything you could have done to avoid this? Or is it just a case that during that wipeout everything happened in such a way it was just a one off fall.

I remember when I broke my wrist snowboarding last season I thought to myself I had fallen a lot harder and fast before and for my wrist to break this time there must have been multiple factors that all lined up at once for it to break how it did.

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