RRC Archives

Yeah, I've got some experience with a torn ACL! I ripped my ACL and partially tore my MCL about ten years ago. It has been a long road of rehab and re-injury.
Extensive rehab initially worked wonders but 3 years of running has unhinged it a bit. Stability is not great (and I think I may have retorn my ACL) and I can predict the weather with my new on board barometric pressure tester (my aching knee).

My ACl was replaced from a patella graft rather than a cadaver's ligament but would choose otherwise if I have to get it redone.

It was no fun.

Legion wrote:Have any of you ever torn an ACL? What was it like?

In a nutshell it hurts and will take a long time to heal, if ever. Lots of them get surgery and some never really get better even after transplants from organ donors. The best advice I could offer would be to ask why exactly you want to know.

Rags, what would you chose to do otherwise?

I am wondering because I wrecked my knee after pitching off a boulder earlier this week. Dropped about 12' onto an awkward right leg which promptly bent a way a knee shouldn't go with a pop and a grind. Hurt quite a bit but I was able to walk a little that night. Next day couldn't walk more than 30' and if I twist or pivot, well, it makes me really wish I hadn't done that. I'm on crutches now waiting to see a doc on Mon, but everything points to ACL. How bad is really the question at this point.

Climbing and trail running are my life, so I need this thing fixed right.

Yeah, you definitely need to see the Doc & get it fixed right. One of my climbing partners tore his ACL playing Ultimate Frisbee. He had surgery and it took him about a year to recover. This was a number of years ago so I'm sure surgical techniques have improved greatly since then. The good news is that as far as I know he has no problems now.

legion...I would choose to have my ACL replaced with a cadaver's ligament rather than the patella graft. It seemed to me that the injury caused by taking my own patella doubled my recovery time. I do have a pretty cool scar though and two screws in my knee.
Dude, you will have to be patient with your recovery and rehab---if you rush it you are just going to have to start at square one again.

One additional option is to suck it up and not get cut. This is a last resort though and would cause years of ache and resulting meniscus damage (and I'm facing this right now)

how's you kid doing BTW?

my kid???? either you are thinking of someone else or nobody filled me in on the events of a drunken night in the monestary.