Anyone done their anterior cruciate...

[Bozza]

...and had to have some hamstring taken out of their leg and screwed into their knee to replace the ligament?

Or know someone who has.

Sounds, frankly, scary.

 

[tricky]

Yup - had mine done last year. The strangest thing was that at first my leg ballooned hugely, and then after 2 weeks of not using it, I had suffered loads of muscle wastage and so it then looked much smaller than my other leg.
Supposidly most sportspeople are up and about on the new knee after just a few days to stop this happening. I have no idea how they do it, as my leg was bloody painful.
Like many other people that I have spoken to, I just wish I had had it sorted it earlier, as my other knee is knackered from months of overcomponsating.

 

[Bozza]

You described everything that the surgeon did re: ballooning and muscle wastage.

How long 'til you could drive and how long until sporty full-on again?

 

[Deportivo Seagull]

Yup - had mine done last year. The strangest thing was that at first my leg ballooned hugely, and then after 2 weeks of not using it, I had suffered loads of muscle wastage and so it then looked much smaller than my other leg.
Supposidly most sportspeople are up and about on the new knee after just a few days to stop this happening. I have no idea how they do it, as my leg was bloody painful.
Like many other people that I have spoken to, I just wish I had had it sorted it earlier, as my other knee is knackered from months of overcomponsating.

Snapped my Posterior Cruciate ligament in '88 playing Rugby, wasn't diagnosed until two years ago (I knackered my medial and laterial ligamnets as well). Too late for surgery but was informed by a consultant that it is very effective providing it done within two weeks of the injury. They can do it be keyhole surgery rather than hacking your knee open.
Apparently if you are a shortarse and are keep yourself fit then it's not essential to have surgery. I'm alanky streak of piss and so I am condemed to go to the gym to strenghten my knee for the rest of my days otherwise my knee gives way.

 

[Barnet Seagull]

One of my best friends got battered at a work do and got "piled on" on Brighton beach. Did BOTH knees

Not pleasant.

 

[Ned]

Had mine done 12 years ago. Lovely 8 inch scar down front of knee with 30 stitches. That was before they started using keyhole techniques. 8 weeks in plaster by wich time my leg loloked like a twig at the side of my other (having played prop forward I have big quads). Took months of physio to get back to being somewhere near normal but it still gives me trouble even now (especially when damp weather is due).

 

[*Gullsworth*]

think Mouldy boots had an injury like that, but never had the op!












Where are you Moulders...................ticket success

 

[tricky]

I was back driving after 2 weeks, but it took quite a while down the gym getting the knee back into shape. It was also a bit psychological, as I had to learn to trust running full pelt again without fearing that the knee was going to give way beneath me.
All in all, I guess I was back playing sport after 4 months.

 

[Deleted member 2719]

Yep i done mine as Gullsworth said i have never had the reconstruction and it gives me sharp pain every now and again.

I gave up football when it happened as i was in my mid thirtys and after the swelling went away i had muscle wastage as well and had to have the tens machine to get my quad working again then lots of physio which 7 years on should still be doing physio to compensate for a weak knee joint.

I then played squash for a few years on it as the doctors said no contact sport allowed.

But i am near the point where i will have to have reconstruction as my knee not that stable.

I know another guy who played football that did the same as me and he was 44 and a self employed builder - i think he had 6 months off work to recover.

Good luck if you have it done as i have bottled it and can't afford to take 6 months out, i sympathise with you.

 

[Deleted member 2719]

I was back driving after 2 weeks, but it took quite a while down the gym getting the knee back into shape. It was also a bit psychological, as I had to learn to trust running full pelt again without fearing that the knee was going to give way beneath me.
All in all, I guess I was back playing sport after 4 months.

You done well tricky how old are you?

 

[tricky]

I'm 30 now, and injured it a couple of years ago. Playing squash is fine but i never went back to playing regular football.

 

[rool]

I had a jones reconstruction 15 years ago. Sounds similar to ned's whereby they slice the middle third of the tendon at the front of the knee, drill a hole and then screw and pin it in place. I tore mine twice before having it done privately.

I was ok for a few years after playing badminton and stuff ( I never went back to playing footy properly) but found that I was having increasing difficulty in standing back up after going down for low shots. Can't really do anything that involves turning quickly anymore and my 'good' knee seems to getting more painful with age.

 

[Deleted member 2719]

I'm 30 now, and injured it a couple of years ago. Playing squash is fine but i never went back to playing regular football.

Did the NHS do it for you or did you go private?

It's just the doctor was trying very hard to put me of by saying there is a long wait as the elderly would get priority.

 

[rool]

It was an expensive operation when I did mine and each time all the NHS did was keyhole surgery to clean up the debris and stick me in plaster from hip to ankle for 8 weeks with no weight bearing. I got no advice as towards how long it would take before I might be able to play again and the response was 'suck it and see'.

18 months later I thought I would suck it and see and played hockey at Ardingly and lasted 10 minutes before it tore again. I had the same procedure again whereby I was just cleaned up and patched up by my leg would just randomly collapse.

Luckily my wife got a job at BUPA and I finally got it sorted but I think those three years since the first incident took it's toll.

 

[Deleted member 2719]

Yes my real leg is the one on the right!!

Two days after my keeper decided to clatter right through my leg without even a shout.

 

[Johnners]

Had mine done in 2004. Just wish i'd never gone bloody skiing. Never been the same since.