ACL Injury

[EMTSTUDENT25]

I just left the orthopedic doc to find out that I ,not only, had an alvusion fracture, I also tore my ACL...He said that many people, after recovery, go back to their normal jobs and plalying sports. I just got hired as a dispatcher and was going to ride on the truck part time...Just worried that this will put a damper in mobility out on the road....Has anyone else had anything similar happen to them? Doc said there would be about a year of FULL recovery time...

 

[Anjel]

About 7 years ago I destroyed my knee. hyperextended, dislocated, tore the ACL.

I had a year in a brace and physical therapy. I can do my job fine now, but still hurts, still easy to dislocate, and I have a hard time going from knealing to standing.

But I can work. So I will deal with the rest.

 

[EMTSTUDENT25]

Thanks for the reassurance. Did you already have the job before you had your injury? How long were you laid up before returning?

 

[Anjel]

Thanks for the reassurance. Did you already have the job before you had your injury? How long were you laid up before returning?

No I was in high school. I was on crutches for 4 months. I wasn't back to normal and walking without a limp for a little over a year.

 

[EMTSTUDENT25]

so its probably gonna work out good that I will be sitting in a comm center.

 

[fit4duty]

-76er’s center, Jason Smith tore his ACL last July and is now clear to play in the NBA (Source: @76ers__News via Twitter)

-Seattle Seahawk’s RB, Tyler Roehl had ACL reconstruction surgery performed by Dr. Ed Khalfayan on 6/11.Rehab is 6-8 months. (Source: @seahawksSpin via Twitter

-Dolphins’ reciever Greg Camarillo returns to camp just six months off his ACL surgery. His thoughts on rehab from sun-sentinel.com:

“It’s just a slow process,” he said. “You’ve got to [regain] confidence in your leg. You’ve got to get confidence in your abilities. You’ve got to heal mentally and physically. It’s just a matter of time.”

-Minnesota Wild’s (NHL) Andrew Brunette, who works his knee for more than 2.5 hrs. a day, sums up his ACL rehab in a recent article in the Star Tribune:

“It’s not fun. You’re every day in here. You’re like in a dungeon. You don’t know what’s going on outside. Driving in, it’s 75 degrees, sunny. You just want to go hit golf balls or fish, and you have to come in here instead. There’s certain days, I’m not going to lie, where it’s like, ‘This stinks.’ But I’ve got a lot to give and am very motivated because I still feel like I’ve got a lot of hockey left.”

Source: http://yeskneecan.com/2009/06/16/recent-famous-athletes-w-torn-acls/

Of course you can work the road if you want - just make the decision and put the work in

 

[Tigger]

Take your rehab seriously and you'll likely be fine. You will have to learn what your knee can and cannot do down the line and stay cognizant of that, but the vast majority of people with ACL tears eventually make it back to something close to their "old" lives.

 

[mikie]

If you need it, do it!

ACL surgery in '02; Out patient procedure, week of some not so nice pain (they make drugs for that) then 4-6 months of PT/rehab. I had the hardware (screw) removed a few years later from some minor pain. Today, zero issues lifting, moving pt's and everyday mobility. No scar (with time). Doc said the 'new one was stronger than the old one'...was an autograft.

Can't say the same for some other joints of mine though :unsure:

edit: ok i'll admit, i have a bout a 5degree loss of flexion; cannot get my heal to my buttocks like my other leg. Never been an issue though

 

[Akulahawk]

Pretty much as the others above have said. Take your rehab seriously, get seen by a PT that also does sports rehab, and follow their instructions following rehab. Also, start your rehab NOW (if possible) to give the surgeon the best possible knee to work on. Good strong hamstrings will definitely help with some of the instability, but if your ACL is gone, it'll have to be replaced to restore stability. Full rehab will take about a year. You may be able to return to FWB and work much sooner than that if you're able to wear a knee brace while out in the field.