ACL Rehab - 7 month report

Triathlon Forum
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ACL Rehab - 7 month report

I’d been planning on doing a 6-month report, but it got so far behind that I decided to wait until the fairly arbirary 7 month anniversary, but anyway, an update on my knee:

It seems good.

I blew out my knee last August (ACL completely torn, loud ‘pop’ and all, some torn meniscus as well). Surgery 9/16. It was pretty bleak right after that, walking around on crutches with a huge brace, living on percocets (for the pain) and white grape juice (for the calories)… and watching my right leg swell up after surgery till I couldn’t even see the kneecap, then shrivel down to half the size of my left leg. The strength just goes away… around 2 weeks after the surgery I was lying on the floor with my brace off trying to do a straight leg lift, and couldn’t. No weights at all. I could lift the knee up but my foot would droop towards the floor.

I guess I was in PT for around 4 months. My first therapist wasn’t very good. My best move was switching therapists, my second one was great. Super knowledgeable, very creative, and a bit of a sadist. I think that’s what you need in a PT. And I was good about not going too fast… Don’t know how many hours of leg exercises I’ve done, but it’s a lot. Actually, the most annoying part is the 10-minute warmups each time. But I did it. I built the running part up slowly. At first it was just one mile on the treadmill, broken down into 1/4 mile walking at 4mph, 1/4 running at 5.2mph, then repeat. Kind of hard to take. But the idea, via Galloway, is to build up your run fitness by alternating walking and running at progressively longer distances.

By December I was running 2 miles, I think… Around that time I got a trainer so I could ride indoors. Turns out that’s boring as all get-out, though. And I got back to swimming.

At this point, I’m not in the shape I would have been without the injury. But, I am in better shape than I was last year. Ran 8 miles last Friday, biked 75 miles Sunday, swam 2000 yards today. All are new post-op highs. I’m not sure if I lost any speed or not. I’ve only had one track workout thus far, and it didn’t feel natural, but I’m thinking that I’ll get used to it. I don’t push it, some of the time, because I know I’m still rehabbing - but I’m beginning to wonder if that isn’t just an excuse now.

Anyway, that’s where I stand. Thanks to everyone on this board for inspiring me to keep training!

-Charles

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you go urban!!! I did both ACLs in a younger, pre-endurance sport, life. Long term, I don’t think they bother me at all. I’ve done up to Oly distance tris, am training for my first marathon, and have both 1/2 iron and full iron distance races in sight over the next 2 years. I’m still looking for a race with a “reconstructed knees” category. If I find one, I’ll be looking for you out there!

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I’m still looking for a race with a “reconstructed knees” category. If I find one, I’ll be looking for you out there!

that’d be cool…
Like you, I’m hoping to do a 1/2 ironman this year (late summer/early fall). I was signed up for a 1/2IM last year, and had to cancel.

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what kind of graft did they use?

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Allograft - it’s the achilles tendon from a cadaver. kina wierd…
no bad reactions yet, although it’s pretty disconcerting w/all the reports of body parts scandals around here.

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all you guys “hoping to do…” will be fine. Don’t let that silly surgery hold you back once you reach the “all clear” point of rehab. I’ve had my right ACL reconstructed twice, partial meniscotomy the second time, and have no problems training for/racing IMs and lots of 1/2s. I actually feel worse (in my knee) when I don’t run! (and I’m 36 so don’t have the recuperative powers of the superhero twenty-somethings on ST)

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Sounds like you are doing pretty good. I’ve had 2 ACL reconstructions on my left knee and some meniscus damage. Actually I have a meniscus tear in that same knee again that I need to get fixed someday…

Like Don mentioned, my knee feels better when I continue to work out. If I get into couch potato mode then things start getting sore.

Not sure how you tore your ACL but the hardest thing you will have to do is learn to trust your knee again. For the athletes that I work with, that is always the biggest hurdle to get over. The best way to do it is achiveing those small goals during rehab that lead to bigger goals. Which btw it sounds like you are well on your way to doing with your recent gains.

Good luck

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Not sure how you tore your ACL but the hardest thing you will have to do is learn to trust your knee again. For the athletes that I work with, that is always the biggest hurdle to get over. The best way to do it is achiveing those small goals during rehab that lead to bigger goals. Which btw it sounds like you are well on your way to doing with your recent gains.

The trust is a big issue.
The first time that I tried to run on a treadmill it scared the hell out of me… the thing that really helped was having a somewhat sadistic PT that I trusted. So when she said jump, I jumped - literally - even though I hadn’t jumped in months and was scared to do it.
The track workout was scary, that’s going to take some getting used to. I have a brace, but haven’t gotten used to it.
Oh, and I tore it while playing ultimate (aka ultimate frisbee) - my cleats didn’t catch on the grass, so my foot slid forward and my knee hyperextended.
I’m taking the year off from playing ultimate. Last summer, even before hurting my knee, I’d realized that it was pretty much tri or ultimate. I’d tried to do both and say that the ultimate was speedwork, which made sense, except that I kept getting nicked up and feeling beat down. it’s hard on your body, a lot of sprinting, jumping, changing direction. I still don’t trust my knee to do that, but I’m also not in a rush.

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I find that I can’t do a lot of direction change sports anymore. I tore my ACL 2x while playing soccer. Once in college and once while working a camp. Now its 13 years post op from the first tear and 7 years from the second, I find that my knee just can’t take that kind of beating anymore.

Some of that may have a little to do with the current lateral meniscual tear in that same knee that I’ve had for coming up on 2 years now. I know that I should get it fixed because it probably isn’t doing my knee any good, but right now I can function at a pretty hig level without much problem, other than not being able to bend my knee all the way on some days…

A year off from ultimate sounds like a good plan. Your knee will be fully recovered by that time and getting stronger the whole time during your tri training.

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Yeah, direction change seems to be the big issue.

But even if I never do them competitvely again, I at least want to be able to play soccer with my nephews (8 and 5), and tennis with my gf.

And I’d really, really like to be able to just have the one ACL surgery.

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congrats on the improvements… must feel nice. Hang in there :slight_smile: and I hope it keeps getting better.

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That kind of thing is well within your reach. Don’t get me wrong, I can do those things at a fairly high level and you will be able to as welll, I just pay for it the next few days after.

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A torn ACL is what got me into multisport! Tore it playing soccer (I should have known why 32 men don’t still play competitive soccer). Part of the rehab was stationary biking and treadmill workouts. This turned into entering a duathlon. Probably atypical path (but then again, maybe not).

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congrats on the improvements… must feel nice. Hang in there :slight_smile: and I hope it keeps getting better.

Thanks! It does feel nice.
It felt especially nice to be able to bike for 5 hours this weekend.

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The good news is that there is no aspect of a triathlon that requires a functional ACL. On the other hand, if i had a significant part of meniscus removed, i would not be running marathons…

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Yeah the meniscus thing for me needs to be taken care of soon. Maybe this fall… Not sure how much of my lateral menicus is left. The inital injury resulted in 2 lateral tears and a medial tear and I’m sure the second tear damaged it as well. This “new” meniscus tear is very likely in a spot that was previously repaired. I’m hoping it can be sewn back together again but who knows.

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Good job on the knee rehab! It sounds like all the hard work is paying off and you’re coming back to the racing season strong. Keep it up!