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Post-Op ACL questions

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MissMontana
Posts: 971 - Karma: 42
About 4 months ago, I got my ACL replaced and my meniscus shaved. I got a cadaver graft in my left knee through orthoscopic surgery. I have a few questions for anyone whose had to deal with a shitty torn ACL.

1. How long did it take for your swelling to go down? Four months out and its still a good deal shorter. It seemed like at first, the swelling was going down pretty rapidly but its totally stopped.

2. They severed a bunch of nerve endings so the skin below my knee is completely numb. Like, if you touch it, I can feel pressure but not the top few layers of skin. They said feeling was supposed to be back by now, but its not. What happened with you guys?

3. I honestly feel like PT isn't doing shit for the bigger muscles in my leg (calf, quad, hamstring). I know I'm progressing in strenght and power in my ab- and adductors, plus my IT band, VMS or whatever its called and my shin but my muscle mass isn't changing at all. If you look at a picture of me, you can clearly see my left leg is smaller. Whats going on? I recently switched from "regular" PT to doing pilates-based PT with a cert physical therapist, plus going to the gym to do what I was doing in regular PT. So I'm in the gym or pilates at least 4 or 5 times a week, but I'm not feeling much improvement and I'm getting really fucking discouraged.

Any suggestions?
Aug 10 2007 2:52PM
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freezed
Posts: 12973 - Karma: 500
the only thing that sounds abnormal is the swelling. i had the exact same operation (except i had my own hamstring instead of cadaver). the skin numbness never quite goes away, but it keeps getting better. don't worry about seeing your muscles grow in PT, just know that you need to do it and keep doing it.
Aug 10 2007 2:56PM
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dylhole
Posts: 2925 - Karma: 939
i would talk to a physical therapist as I'm sure you aren't the first person with these type of symptoms. My suggestion, although I am by no means a doctor nor a physical therapist would be to ride a bike everywhere; that is what I did. To work, to the gym, to the store, school, etc. etc. Also, maybe tell your PT that you want to by pushed harder, I know they are thrilled to actually work with a patient who works hard rehabbing. best of luck...
Aug 10 2007 2:59PM
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JahSpriggs
Posts: 542 - Karma: 3,956

I didnt ski untill 7 and a half months, and my quad still isnt as big as my right one and its been a year n a half.
Dont get discouraged, i didnt feel right to ski untill i was at 7 months.

surgery feb 28 -went skiing oct 15
Aug 10 2007 3:08PM
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JahSpriggs
Posts: 542 - Karma: 3,956
o yea, and my feeling is back where it once was numb, give it time, dont ski untill u feal ready or u will fuck that shit up
Aug 10 2007 3:12PM
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R.Fahey
Posts: 8602 - Karma: 539
See... one of my buddies just got ACL surgery, and is having one of the fastest recoveries i've ever seen/heard of. Two weeks out of surgery he was riding a bike, running, and didn't need crutches or a brace or anything. Apparently he worked our a shit ton before surgery and that helped.
Aug 10 2007 3:13PM
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trent-star
Posts: 74 - Karma: 14
This may depend on the type of surgery, I had a Pattella graft, It is a much faster recovery if you get a cadaver graft. But in the end, it still takes the same amount of time for the new acl to become strong and part of your body
Aug 10 2007 3:22PM
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rocktheLPs
Posts: 2095 - Karma: 14
having your meniscus shaved sounds kinky
Aug 10 2007 3:34PM
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ChuckNorris
Posts: 45 - Karma: 10
I had my ACL reconstructed using an allograft as well. I still have a small patch numb patch. It doesn't bother me at all though.

I moved about 12 weeks after my operation and had to get a new physical therapist. It was the best thing that happened to me post op. She had me doing all kinds of difficult exercises like one legged squats while standing on unstable things. I progressed really quickly with her. The first physical therapist had be doing pretty basic things that got repetetive after a while. I would look into getting a new therapist.
Aug 10 2007 4:18PM
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shagalabagala
Posts: 2101 - Karma: 10
yeah, im about six weeks out and my knee is completely numb.  how long until you are suppose to be able to run?
Aug 10 2007 4:23PM
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MissMontana
Posts: 971 - Karma: 42
deep thoughts.


i'm glad to hear i'm not a total fuck up with this. i got really nervous i wasn't going to get anywhere! so thanks for helping me out, i appreciate it, guys! i'm curious to hear what exercises you found to be the most helpful, so if you think of one, let me know!

thanks again.
Aug 10 2007 4:26PM
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freezed
Posts: 12973 - Karma: 500
one legged squats. do sets of ten left, ten straight, ten right. when you are doing the twisting ones, you just twist your upper body and try to keep your knee totally straight.
Aug 10 2007 4:32PM
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VANULAR
Posts: 1930 - Karma: 5,131
yah word, i feel like 4 months is the shittiest time , i just hit 5 months now, and i deff dont feel up to par, just ice it a lot, when you ice make sure you leg is really elevated......also, one of the best excersises to do, is to find a tredmill, and put it on the highest incline and jog or walk backwards, that will tighten up you quads and hamstrings a ton. i know a lot of people who get through this kind of thing fast, but dont expect to feel good until atleast 6, 7 months cause if your at 4 months your body has just excepted the new ligament into your body a month ago. just take it easy and do PT.
Aug 10 2007 4:48PM
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WARP
Posts: 47 - Karma: 10
I got my 2nd ACL sugury on june 6th. What you feel is totally normal. Just do the everyday care. Train it, ice it, cycling is really good too. Do not mountain bike tough...Don't drink too much, you'll have more juice in your knee. When you stand up for nothing, pay attention you stand on your injured knee and not on the other one. That way you'll have your quad to stay in shape and so have a faster recovery...

Take care buddy, don't forget to work on the psychological side. It happens, be carefull but keep on going, that's just life.

Peace Brotha
Aug 10 2007 6:50PM
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eheath
Posts: 61091 - Karma: 118,105
I had swelling for almost 9 months after surgery. But i did start skiing after 4 months tho (mogul comps too).
Aug 10 2007 6:52PM
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aaron.ebner
Posts: 2868 - Karma: 61
find the acl survivors cult and join up. lots of good info and input from other people going through the same thing you are. it's a bitch but keep it up.
Aug 10 2007 7:07PM
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poofartpee
Posts: 7436 - Karma: 1,537
1. swelling not supposed to go completely down till about 1 year after surgery
2. i have no fuckin clue
3. im 6 1/2 months out of sergery and u can deff still tell my left leg is smaller then my right...my surgen said that should also take at least a year after sergery to even out if u keep doin physio, and physical activity
Aug 10 2007 8:20PM
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pclocal
Posts: 191 - Karma: 9
1.the last bit of swelling takes a while but circulation will help alot keep biking and keep icing
2. it seems everyone has loss of feeling right under the knee i have it just on the out side
3. you have to push past alot of what your pt says, go has far as your knee will let you because you know what it feels like that and when to stop
Aug 11 2007 11:46AM
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Naomi
Posts: 72 - Karma: 18
I had my ACL reconstructed 4 months ago too from a hamstring graft. I also still have some swelling but really not much.
I'm not going to be skiing till start of December, don't think I'd want to now but maybe will just do some mincy cruising in late October at the indoor slope near me to get used to it a bit before the season.
For building the bulk of muscles back up I've been cycling 10miles every day for the last 2 1/2 weeks and can notice a change already. Also squats etc are really good for building bulk (but so boring!).
The main thing I've found is my hamstring is still weak and not that great, but sounds like you shouldn't have that seeing as you didn't have hamstring used.

Hope it keeps getting better and just focus on the winter and how good it'll be then. That's what I"m trying to do anyway!
Aug 11 2007 12:02PM
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dish
Posts: 42 - Karma: 10
I had ACL surgery on june 29, my swelling has gone down alot but i recently fell in the shower and fucked it up, but pt has been helping a lot. Just keep going to pt and ice as much as possible it helps so much and keep your knee elevated that helps drain the fluid away so you can heal faster. My problem is scar tissue and not iceing enough.
Aug 11 2007 2:18PM
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Edward.
Posts: 9366 - Karma: 445
keep icing it, bend it and straighten it a lot so you spread out all the fluids in there that are causing the swelling. i had my acl reconstruction about 4 months ago. im done with my therapy now and im gonna keep working out at the gym and im seeing an improvement just by doing 4 leg excercises. and also wen you lift weights with your legs, only do it with your weaker leg until it is as strong as your right. so like for the leg press you should just do it with your leg you had the reconstruction on, but i dont know what the problem is with you and the muscle size. and also for the numbness, ive made a thread before asking about it. its normal to sitll be numb after surgery, even if its like 10 months after, and for some people they will never get the feeling back in certain spots.
Aug 11 2007 2:54PM
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