ACL Injuries?

[thephantomkitty]

Heya, folks. Wondering if anyone here has any experience with ACL injuries? My athletic hobby of choice has been parkour for six months now. Last week I made a catastrophic error and tore my ACL. Ruptured, actually. As in it is no longer connected to itself. I am doing research and trying to figure out my options. I have read a lot about it and I definitely want surgery. However, I met with an orthopedic surgeon yesterday and was not thrilled. I am getting a second opinion. A lot of the things I have read contradict what he told me. Now, I realize he has seen my injury personally, but he also didn't explain things well and I just wasn't a fan. I am hoping you guys, who don't really know me, my situation, or the doctor can give me some outside input... 

 

Also, if anyone has personal experience if you could share I would be super grateful! 

[spezzy]

Get a second opinion and a third opinion and a fourth if it makes you feel better. Find a surgeon you truly trust. Don't do anything you're not comfortable with. If you do parkour you're probably going to want the surgery, and it's a long recovery and a good physical therapist afterwards that you trust is key. Mine is partially torn but I decided against surgery for many reasons and have full stability, however I don't do parkour and don't plan on it. 

[thephantomkitty]

 

Get a second opinion and a third opinion and a fourth if it makes you feel better. Find a surgeon you truly trust. Don't do anything you're not comfortable with. If you do parkour you're probably going to want the surgery, and it's a long recovery and a good physical therapist afterwards that you trust is key. Mine is partially torn but I decided against surgery for many reasons and have full stability, however I don't do parkour and don't plan on it. 

 

Cool. Thanks for the reply. Yes, I do plan on the surgery. Part of what put me off about that doc was he was telling me I don't have to get it as lots of people have enough stability to "get by". I mentioned I plan to go back to parkour and it is hard on the knees. He didn't seem to care.

[spezzy]

 

Cool. Thanks for the reply. Yes, I do plan on the surgery. Part of what put me off about that doc was he was telling me I don't have to get it as lots of people have enough stability to "get by". I mentioned I plan to go back to parkour and it is hard on the knees. He didn't seem to care. [emoji20]

Well remember that to some people, a brace and getting by is more appealing than surgery - surgery and a year of PT is something a lot of people really don't want to do so he just might want to give you all your options.

[thephantomkitty]

 

Well remember that to some people, a brace and getting by is more appealing than surgery - surgery and a year of PT is something a lot of people really don't want to do so he just might want to give you all your options.

 

Fair enough. But this was after I had said I researched the surgery and rehab and I wanted to do it. 

[Zahirah]

I was training Capoeira back in 2011-2012 when I had to have my second meniscus repair done on my left knee.  When I came out of the surgery the doc told me that while in there he discovered my ACL was partially torn.

 

He advised me that many athletes and martial artists are able to continue practicing their sport even with a torn ACL as long as they still have stability.  As I did not want to have a third surgery at the time after just recovering from my second, we decided to go ahead and wait and see what happened.  My stability was just fine.  However, over the next months I started to have more and more pain.  Despite the fact that I didn't have any stability problems, I finally decided that I couldn't deal with the pain anymore, and opted for the surgery.  Doc went in, said that at some point my ACL had torn completely.

 

8 months of PT, but glad I had the surgery.  That said, I am also glad I gave it a little bit of time to wait and see before I decided to have it done.  Surgery fucking blows, and the recovery is no joke. It is not only physically exhausting, but mentally and emotionally as well, and it will likely take a huge toll on your confidence. I am happy that I exhausted my other options before choosing to have the surgery...I know that I did everything I possibly could.  It is likely that is your doctor's aim, and in my opinion a good doctor is one who doesn't jump to surgery as the first or only possible option. 

 

However, if you have any doubts at all, second and even third opinions are absolutely warranted.
 

 

[thephantomkitty]

 

I was training Capoeira back in 2011-2012 when I had to have my second meniscus repair done on my left knee.  When I came out of the surgery the doc told me that while in there he discovered my ACL was partially torn.

 

He advised me that many athletes and martial artists are able to continue practicing their sport even with a torn ACL as long as they still have stability.  As I did not want to have a third surgery at the time after just recovering from my second, we decided to go ahead and wait and see what happened.  My stability was just fine.  However, over the next months I started to have more and more pain.  Despite the fact that I didn't have any stability problems, I finally decided that I couldn't deal with the pain anymore, and opted for the surgery.  Doc went in, said that at some point my ACL had torn completely.

 

8 months of PT, but glad I had the surgery.  That said, I am also glad I gave it a little bit of time to wait and see before I decided to have it done.  Surgery fucking blows, and the recovery is no joke. It is not only physically exhausting, but mentally and emotionally as well, and it will likely take a huge toll on your confidence. I am happy that I exhausted my other options before choosing to have the surgery...I know that I did everything I possibly could.  It is likely that is your doctor's aim, and in my opinion a good doctor is one who doesn't jump to surgery as the first or only possible option. 

 

However, if you have any doubts at all, second and even third opinions are absolutely warranted.
 

Thanks for sharing! For me surgery was always what I wanted because I came out of the injury unable to bear weight on that leg whatsoever due to zero stability. The knee buckled under me at about 10% body weight.