cadaver of hamstring tendon?

which of you had an ACL reconstruction? and did you use a cadaver or your hamstring tendon?

and will you please recap your experience/recovery post-op? did you have problems afterwards, were you able to ride pain free?

thanks.

next tuesday is the knife for me, and the doc has opted for the hamstring tendon.....

I've done both...without a doubt, allograft (cadaver) is a much better route. Why have to rehab two injuries vs one? MUCH quicker recovery and MUCH less pain involved. Make sure you get the CPM machine and that ice/cooler thingy....it will made recovery soooo much better!

You'll feel like wakeboarding long before you should!!

I'm 8 months out from autograft, and my experience was very good. The hamstring site hurt for about a week, but it was fine by the time I was really ready to use it again. I had some minor meniscus repair too. I was walking in a day, walking well in a week, and walking pretty much pain free in a month. I prehab'd for a good month before surgery and I think that helped speed recovery.

I didn't have the CPM machine but I did have the ice circulation machine and it helped a lot - very convenient.

I have been back on the board since May. I can't say I can ride 100% pain free at this point, but I will say that the pain isn't affecting my ability to ride. I tore my ACL on a BR attempt a week after I had landed my first one, so I haven't tried any more of those yet, but I feel like my 3's are consistant again, and my balance and strength are returning slowly but surely the more I ride. My knee gets sore and stiff after I ride, and riding 2 days in a row isn't really a good idea right now, but I can ride twice a week, no prob. Rode 2 sets Sunday am (and my first set was my best one since coming back), and the knee feels pretty good today.

My doctor said the autgraft had a significantly lower failure rate than the allograft (5% vs 25%, respectively), but the allograft does seem to be the lower pain option. For me, the autograft had a better statistical chance of success, and my experience has been very positive. I wouldn't hesitate to go that route again, as long as I had adequate donor tissue.

I opted for cadaver and couldnt be happier. PT was quick, very little pain, quick recovery. I do not have experience with Hamstring option. Did you doc tell you why he was opting for Hamstring?

He said the hamstring is stronger than the cadaver and it has a lower failure rate

I had this done 2 years ago and opted for the Hamstring graft. My doctor recommeneded it over the patella and cadaver options. The patella was out due to the graft location. The cadavar he didn't recommend due to the much higher failure rate. He said they usually do those for althletes that have contracts and have to get back out on the field asap. He said they usually get them replaced again down the road. I was walking good in a week and didn't have any icing machine of any sort.

I got a hamstring graft about 4 years ago now and that thing is a tank! I've bashed my knee's up so much and its held strong.

I've had hte hamstring graft twice, and i've been very happy with the result.
I've heard the cadaver grafts are a lot more prone to infection too?
I have no idea what I'd do if i ever do this injury again - i'm out of available hamstring, but don't like the sound of the patellar graft, and cadaver grafts are really uncommon here in australia....
hopefully i never have to find out!

I had both methods done on the same knee and would hands down get the achilles cadaver. My hamstring from my first surgery that i had 2 years ago is still not a 100%. Plus I tore it 8 months post op in a very fluke situation while wearing my cti. That was my experience, however everyone's is different. Go with what your doc is most comfortable with and you will be fine. Make sure you rehab it like its your job.

cadaver hamstring here... no problems except a little popping and soreness (but I ride every single day). I'm 1 year and 2 months out and shredding harder than I ever have.

I had patellar tendon graft done three years ago on my right and its doin well but i would recommend staying away from repetitive raley tricks.(may be obvious but i had to learn it for myself.) I am 5 months out on my left knee with the same procedure and cant wait to get back on the water in about a month. The left is a little stiff after prolonged sitting but muscle and flexibility are coming back pretty well. My doctor is very experienced with knee surgeries and actually gives seminars on acl reconstructions and meniscus repairs and he recommends the patellar graft if you want to be really active still in the future. This procedure is expected to be a little more painful but its supposed to be the strongest graft.

hrm. would you all agree i need to stop doing raley based tricks since i've injured both knees doing those kinds of tricks?

I had both at the same time, a double bundle double tunnel repair. Supposed to be stronger than a single, but rehab was long (P:T. for 4 mos) and it was not a painless or quick recovery. 7 mos out now, riding for last 3 wks, swells after riding and has some pain on hard landings.
I was surprised how quickly muscle mass left and how long it took to come back.

Um. I knew I shouldn't have come in here.

Just wondering, how do you tear an ACL? Is it from twisting it or stretching it, or both? Oh yeah, I'd google it, but I'm not interested in visuals.

Yo adam, keep your head up brotha. This will pass soon enough and you'll be in the wetsuit soon working it out. I'm no MD, nor have I had any knee injuries, but my advice to you good buddy is this... Stop riding in contests. At least for a while. Both of you're knee injuries were on Raley based tricks in a competition. I dont think this is so much a question of the tricks youre doing, but contests bring on the mentality of pushing a trick, forcing a landing, wanting to pull a trick bigger, or higher, etc. Now, I know I'm a old guy compared to you and most on here, and I freeride only. Maybe I'm different than most of you, but did you get into boarding to make a career out of it? I sure didnt. Are not the best outings when you're out with some bros and stick a new trick after bailing on it 20 times straight? Or is it when you place 1st in a contest? I'm in no way against contests, I support them very much. I believe they help the sport, and are good for its progression. But everyone has their own sitcho, and I've only seen you bust on maybe 2 out of 100 raleys I've seen you do. Thats why its hard for me to chalk it up to the trick.

Yeah you right Michael Paul. I was thinking contests aren't for me anymore especially cause i get so nervous and take the fun out them. And quit saying youre old.... I know plenty of older dudes in our hood who are shredding and killing it on the water to this day... Scott stevens, chip smith,etc.

Im more bummed because i was preogressing so much and then it came to a screeching halt. I learned that krypt, heel 5, backside 180, crail batwing, and just really started to add style to my riding, tweeking grabs and everything. Hopefully I can pick up where I left off. That's the biggest set back with injuries.... is getting tricks dialed back in.

Tuesday july 20 is the knife, then its the lengthy recovery and rehab before the winter riding. Ugh, the wetsuit. Feels like I just took that thing off.

aaaaahhhaha, I'm so not ready to think about chattering teeth during winter riding. but, we'll be steezin with gloves, hoods and booties in no time. For now, rehab dude. like it was your job. get the kinks worked out during the winter and Shred like its your last ride when the suits come off in April. thats what I did after last summers ankle injury. Kept a slight progression through the winter while doing 280 ankle extensions a day in the gym 5 times a week, and once the suit came off it was freedom. its a good feeling, small prize for the sacrifice of not being able to go all out for so long.