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March, 2024

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Having my Acl surgery on Friday

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ArgJib
Posts: 24 - Karma: 95
Winter is almost here on the southern Hemisphere and found out a few weeks ago that I had torn my ACL overshooting one of the PC kickers on my summer trip the US, pretty bummed and frustrated about it so I'll just have to figure out any new hobbies for the season and focus enough to come back motivated and with my legs stronger than ever!
May 27 2013 11:13PM
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ILB15
Posts: 39 - Karma: 21
Had mine on Tuesday, hurt like hell but straight on to the physio. Target is to be back for this winter!
Jun 14 2013 6:48AM
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_____alfredo____
Posts: 1123 - Karma: 2,503
omg you guyz both have 19 posts
Jun 14 2013 7:25AM
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HWW
Posts: 3084 - Karma: 3,436
Are you having a local or general anaesthetic? What kind of graft? Did you fully tear the ACL or only partially?

Don't worry about the pain, you will manage it, and you'll be surprised at how quickly you get back into shape if you focus on it and push yourself with physiotherapy.
Jun 14 2013 8:49AM
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CashmereCat
Posts: 2211 - Karma: 2,394
I know it's no where near as serious but I'm getting my meniscus put back together next month. It's been torn since January and I haven't had time to fix it. They first said strained mcl until about early may when I finally got an MRI. They then found out I tore my medial meniscus, but by then it was too late for surgery due to high school baseball season starting. I am now playing the rest of the season with it and fixing it two days after the season ends. Vibes to both of the people who posted about ACL tears, and best of luck.
Jun 14 2013 11:04AM
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ILB15
Posts: 39 - Karma: 21
19 posts? So what?

Yeah i fully tore my ACL two months ago, im from the UK and it happened at the end of the season in France, my insurance wouldn't cover the medical care out there but luckily i came home a week later. Was on a waiting list for an MRI but it was going to be a 6 week wait so had to get a private scan and then there was a slot open for the operation (on NHS so free). Had a hamstring graft, they seem to be doing more of them than the patella graft over here. And it was under general anesthetic.

Pain is being managed ok and on basic exercises already focusing of getting the movement back, I had a femoral nerve block which took a while to wear off..

To be fair im surprised how quickly it is healing, was expecting to be in a bed for weeks.
Jun 14 2013 2:50PM
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nagger
Posts: 1576 - Karma: 882
what kind of jig ass 3rd world doctor gives someone local anaesthetic for knee surgery
Jun 14 2013 5:25PM
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nagger
Posts: 1576 - Karma: 882
hamstrings graft quicker and have a less painful recovery but patella graft has less chance of reinjury.
Jun 14 2013 5:28PM
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ILB15
Posts: 39 - Karma: 21
There are good arguments supporting all the different types of graft, each one has a few downs as well.
I looked at a lot of the research before the operation and whilst the patella tendon graft is the often a favorite,....so is the hamstring to others.

There are many other choices out there people are now use abductor tendon, doing autogrtafts using patella, quad and ham, allograftt using patella and Achilles, even a synthetic can be used.

There are a load of studies that have been done but as yet no have found strong evidence to prove which is the best choice of graft...there probably will be but as yet there is no clear winner.....There have been marginal advantages found in both choices of graft but also disadvantages like the risk of anterior knee pain and risk of weakened patella leading to patella fractures etc.... hamstring tendons often dont grow back () thats why they shave a bit of more than one tendon) and there is normally a permanent loss of hamstring (round 10%). The hamstring graft is also apparently more demanding for the surgeon?

Its all about the Physio afterwards and not being a dick and running before you can walk......
Jun 15 2013 5:23AM
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HWW
Posts: 3084 - Karma: 3,436
I recall seeing TJ Schiller in a video during his operation. He was fully awake with a local anaesthetic of the leg. I think you're completely out of your depth when talking about knee operations, especially as you simplified many of the resulting problems of choosing different graft. There's a lot more to it than you think.
Jun 15 2013 5:34AM
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ILB15
Posts: 39 - Karma: 21
I would agree with you that I am out of my depth, but probably not as much as you think. You probably know a lot more than i do on the subject, which is cool i would have a load of questions for you about my knee!

I apologize for simplifying the side effects....not sure that is why im not really qualified to talk about knee operations? Personally I think its because medicine is not my profession, and by the way i would never give advice on the subject to someone, i was just trying to get across more or less what you just said...."there's a lot more to it than you think".

I had a hamstring graft because after talking to the surgeon and being examined, he felt that the hamstring graft was the best option for me, each case has variables to consider.
Jun 15 2013 7:03AM
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HWW
Posts: 3084 - Karma: 3,436
No, that's wrong. You're fine and everything I've read from you has been good information.

Check my post, I quoted smalldick and was replying to what he wrote!
Jun 15 2013 7:18AM
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ILB15
Posts: 39 - Karma: 21
Ok no worries....

On another note, what do you think about the two? Patella or Hamstring? Have you had the op?
Jun 15 2013 7:23AM
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HWW
Posts: 3084 - Karma: 3,436
Well at the time of my operation I didn't look into it much. I allowed the doctor to choose and his opinion was that patellar grafts are better if sports, especially action sports like skiing, were in my plans for the future.

So yes, I had the op and had a graft from the patella. It hurts, still, even after more than 16 months, but the pain gets less & less gradually. It's only bad when I have to kneel, basically it makes your kneecap more sensitive to pressure, but in hindsight I'm glad that he chose this graft because it apparently holds a little stronger than hamstring (I don't know how accurately this kind of thing can actually be researched, I would guess it's very much a personal experience though).

Nonetheless a correctly performed hamstring graft is surely a good thing, and will likely be able to withstand tension very close to the amount of tension a normal ACL is subjected to.

Another thing that happened during my surgery was that the left side of my knee lost some nerve connections, just because certain incisions have to be made. It means I have slightly a numb feeling on that part of my knee but I feel that it slowly is coming back.
Jun 15 2013 7:43AM
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ILB15
Posts: 39 - Karma: 21
Yeah i did talk with the surgeon about what sports i do and what sort of life i have, which made me think that he might do a patella graft but he opted for the hamstring. Maybe because I am 25 and doing less of the mad stuff than i used to, the risk of the anterior knee pain and the slight strength that the patella graft has (still not really confirmed) vs quicker recovery and reduced painful side effects, this was a better option? I think that a lot of it has to do with the surgeon, they normally prefer one method to the other (so I am told).

One of his main arguments was the risk of anterior knee pain and recovery time as most of the work i do requires me to be on my feet and i need to get back to work!

With the nerve damage, is it an area about the size of a tennis ball?

I have a friend that is a ski instructor that had a hamstring graft and has found it to be good, i also have friend that has had a patella graft done on both knees who tells me he doesn't really suffer from anterior knee pain.

At the moment there doesn't really seem to be a clean winner?




Jun 16 2013 6:17PM
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