ACL Injury

[Originunknown]

NSC, I've spent my evening since about 8 o'clock in A and E after a pitch invasion match earlier. I came down at speed awkwardly and my knee completely gave way with a horrendous snapping sound.

Had a scan after waiting an age and turns out I've torn my cruciate ligament. Can't walk, can't drive no football for weeks may even need an op. anyone had this injury and can offer some optimistic stories I would be very grateful

 

[algie]

Speedy recovery mate

 

[bn1&bn3 Albion]

Good luck with the recovery, make sure you get a 2nd opinion if you have to have surgery.

 

[drew]

Did mine 30 years ago and never played again. But that was then and this is now. Most footballers that have this injury these days have an op and are playing again within 6 months. If you've got private healthcare through and employer then use it.

 

[Finch]

ACL reconstruction is a very common proceudre with a high success rate. I would get orthopaedic advice however and discuss the short term and long term implications of the procedure. Discuss your day to day activities when choosing a graft method (i.e. if you are a plumber kneeling a lot, don't go for a patella graft).

ACL reconstructions are effective at getting you back up and running if you want to return to sport etc, long term the outlook isn't as rosy for the overall knee health but that's the case for a lot of procedures.

 

[Stoaty Ferret]

I did exactly the same as you 2 years ago up at Pitch Invasion playing in goal. I dived to my left and ruptured my ACL and tore my meniscus. I got an MRI done and had the op at the Nuffield centre in Woodingdean under Dr Robin Turner who is brilliant. He did Alan Navarros injury a few weeks before mine. I was out of action for 6 months - 16 weeks on crutches then a lot of physio and leg strengthening exercise to rebuild muscle and muscle memory. I ran the Brighton Marathon and was back playing footy after the treatment so stay positive. Good luck with it all.

 

[Deleted member 2719]

My sympathy is with you.

I did mine at football at the age of 35 (13 Years ago) and wasn't ready to retire so was very pissed off. However on the positive side i had a matron style physio nurse who told me in no uncertain terms not to play football ever again or i would end up with a very painful creaking knee. I took her advice very reluctantly, but she was right. I also changed my physical job to one that would put less wear and tear on the knee.

I never had the op as i am self employed and would not want to lose 6 weeks plus out of work. I am very much a believer in don't have operations unless in constant pain or you have been disfigured, neither of the these applied.

So 13 years on i have had sharp pain intermittently to start with and now very rarely get any pain, not sure if i have caused more wear and tear inside, but i am glad i haven't had any drilling etc ( i hope i am playing the long game at this).

The main advice i can give you if you go the none op route is to keep trim, strengthen quads and hamstrings and lay off physical contact sport.


I feel for you cos i be honest it F*cked me up not being able to play footie every Saturday, but the Amex helps massively.

Good luck stay positive.

 

[grawhite]

Had the same injury when i was 21 which was 20 years ago, nutmeg the defender, who inturn smashed his studs in just above my knee snapping it backwards snapping both cruciates and shattered knee, which is now like made up of screws. If you get the right treatment and do as your told, you might just play again, but very dealtful, pro players get over this due to lots of money thrown at top notch specialists. But good luck with the injury and hope you have a speedy recovery.

 

[Gluteus Maximus]

From experience (mine went 10 years ago and my father in law is Denmark's top ACL surgeon, having treated most of the Danish footballers at some time or another) get it done! You can't live very well with a loose knee. I went too long and ended up messing up my meniscus (cartilage in between the knee) as well, which added another op and more pain than the ACL. ACL surgery is routine these days and although the rehab takes some hard work it is worth it, my knee was as strong after as before once I'd built it up again, ran the Brighton Marathon and played football again for a while afterwards. Not getting it done = more chance of arthritis later on and instability and worry everytime you do anything physical - and the risk of causing more damage, as I did. Only one recommendation from me....

 

[scooter1]

It seems like a very common injury these days, but was relatively unheard of until Gascoigne did his. Bit like a broken metatarsal, ala Beckham.
I tore mine 15 years ago and the best piece of advice I can give is, do the rehab properly. Whatever the physio says, do it. I was lazy in the rehab and subsequently managed 3 more seasons of playing over the last 15 years. 2 more operations and now I get terrible pain inside the knee when the weather is cold or damp, and the best I can manage is a kickabout in the park with my son. When what I really want is to be out there on a Sunday morning..

 

[Originunknown]

Thanks for the input guys, pretty depressed today. Seen a consultant and I've been referred to a specialist to discuss options for repair but there is an issue with cartilage and it's not looking too good at all.

Thanks guys

 

[Stoaty Ferret]

Thanks for the input guys, pretty depressed today. Seen a consultant and I've been referred to a specialist to discuss options for repair but there is an issue with cartilage and it's not looking too good at all.

Thanks guys

Try not to get too down about it. Knee surgery has come on massively in the last few years. I might have been lucky but they repaired my cartilage without removing anything so I hopefully won't get athritis in later years. I was in and out of surgery in one day at the Nuffielf and thsnkfully had private medical cover. I was back playing football within 9 months and I'm fitter and stronger now than I was before the injury. It made me look at my lifestyle and make some positive changes. Good luck.

 

[GreersElbow]

You're lucky to have been diagnosed so quickly...

 

[StillHateBellotti]

God luck bud, did mine in March, just had full reconstructive surgery, hurts like f***, aches like f*** and never want another injury like it.............Hope that helps. PS buy loads of strong painkillers.

 

[Originunknown]

Thanks again guys most of these have been quite comforting.

Yes very lucky to get referred so quickly, I know people who do physiotherapy and one ladies husband is an orthopaedic surgeon who does knee replacements so I've been very lucky. Appt on Saturday morning to review MRI. I've been recommended a very good knee specialist and luckily my healthcare is covering it. Loaded with diacodeine which has taken the edge off but it's massively f***ed up

Thanks again guys, anymore stories good or bad will be most welcome

 

[darters74]

NSC, I've spent my evening since about 8 o'clock in A and E after a pitch invasion match earlier. I came down at speed awkwardly and my knee completely gave way with a horrendous snapping sound.

Had a scan after waiting an age and turns out I've torn my cruciate ligament. Can't walk, can't drive no football for weeks may even need an op. anyone had this injury and can offer some optimistic stories I would be very grateful

I did exactly the same thing at exactly the same place about 10yrs ago. No-one near me and it just went. Was up A&E for about 4 hours and they made me go home without crutches or anything. Could barely walk. Had a minor op so not as bad as yours, about 80% ok now. Good luck pal......

 

[Hampster Gull]

Sorry to hear about this. You will feel down for a while for sure but once you've talked to the experts you need to make a decision (to have replacement or not) and then get on with it.

I ruptured my ACL last September (I was 44). Had the op in January this year. They used 1/3 of the patella tendon and drilled a hole through both leg bones and threaded that through and then screwed it in place. Was a long operation and was in hospital for three days (a day longer than expected) but as others have said its a straightforward op nowadays. I was off work for 3 weeks (office job - some working from home towards the end but first two weeks a bit drugged up). I have 18 stitches, 12 in the front, on and below the knee cap, and 6 on the outside of the leg.

Need to do loads of physio. As someone else said, just follow what they say. Ask the surgeon who they recommend as they are likely to have seen lots of post op legs. It was going fine for me but pushed a bit hard 4 weeks ago and knee stiffened up and wont straighten now. Taken it easy and getting better. Starting slowly to get back into it. Aim is to ski next March and paid for ticket so incentive is there. Can always feel the knee though, a bit stiff and seems to throb a bit.

Pleased I did it though.

 

[drew]

The other thing, if you have healthcare, do some research on the consultant and see what others are around. As I said, i did mine 30 years ago, by surprising coincidence, at Brighton Poly as it was then, probably less than 300yrd from where the Amex is. Thought I had just badly sprained the knee so drove home. At A&E the next day they drained it with a syringe, bandaged it heavily and was told to leave it for a few weeks before training again. Did that and got fit and broke down again in a match. As at that time I didn't have health cover, I waited about 9 months before seeing a consultant, about another 6 months for an exploratory which also repairs a 'bucket handle' tear in the cartilage and then another 8 months before having the Post Cruciate repaired at the Royal Sussex using carbon fibre, staples and a lot of stitches. Injured in Feb 84 and finally operated on in July 86! Plenty of physio and then it went again. This time I did have healthcare and was seen promptly by a surgeon in Harley st. He repaired the Anterior cruciate using the tendons but after several follow ups advised me not to play football. Quite depressing but then I took up volleyball and played that for 10 years. My knee grates when it's bends but luckily I don't get any arthritic pain associated with damp or cold weather. However, consultant has said that I will need a replacement knee in due course. I'll deal with that when it happens but I do know people that have had and say it is a godsend.

My advice would always to be to have the op as techniques and recovery times are far better know than they were 30 years ago. Other people I know that had the op subsequent to me (about mid 90s) went on to continue playing football for many years.

 

[StillHateBellotti]

Luckily my ACL rupture rejoined (One of 10% of people) so did not require the graft, but they did drill and screw and spike to allow for scar tissue to grow as it was out of place. It does hurt, sick as a dog after the operation and on codeine for months.

 

[Originunknown]

Just wanted to say thanks again for all the comments and advice at the time.

10 days ago I had a patella auto graft using the tendons from my other leg for the graft, full arthroscopy, MCL repair and meniscus repair. I'm on the way to recovery now. Waking up after OP was pain I had never felt on that level, IV morphine was a dream. Long way before football again but back in physio and walking without crutches again so happy days.

Thanks again guys