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May, 2025

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Torn ACL (again)

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ScootSkiLyfe
Posts: 1073 - Karma: 5,782
Okay, once again on Newschoolers asking for advice… Medical advice!

This past spring pass I twisted my left knee coming off of a rail and heard/felt the dreaded popping sensation. There was some pain, but nothing horrible. I sat on the ground for 20 minutes trying to decide if I was completely fucked. Something felt wrong for sure. I skied down (slowly), but any sort of twisting motion with my knee caused a lot of pain, so I pretty much just pizza’d with my right leg to make it down to Norms.

I went into ski patrol. They did a “lachman’s” (half-assed ski patrol version) and said that I was mostly okay, likely just sprained or tore my LCL or meniscus. They wrapped me up and told me I should probably get it checked out if insured (I am).

The entire trip was pretty fucking baked. I didn’t have a car this year and was sleeping out of a hammock.

So I pretty much just gave away all of my groceries, left my skis with a homie, and took my backpack on the bus down to Portland, where I stayed a night at a friend’s before taking an early flight back home to MN.

Fast forward a few weeks, I got an MRI. Here is the radiologist report:

FINDINGS:

Menisci: No discrete tear.

Cruciate ligaments: Proximal ACL appears irregular and discontinuous compatible with high-grade tear. PCL is intact.

Extensor mechanism: Intact.

Collateral ligaments: Intact.

Bones and cartilage: Bone marrow edema at the posterior lateral tibial plateau without discrete fracture line. Bone marrow is otherwise normal. Cartilage appears maintained.



Not good. The dreaded fucking injury. ACL. Fuck.

How can this be??? It has only been a month out from injury and I am walking around pretty much fine with minimal symptoms, except for some soreness and certain knee positions, and feeling a bit weaker/less mobility.

Here is my situation. I just got a new job in Duluth, MN. I have been working as an engineer on a project for the feds for the last month. Duluth does not have a lot of knee surgeons, especially ones I would trust for a pretty intense operation like an ACL.

If I go down to the cities, I would have at least a weekly visit with my surgeon post op for a while. This would make it pretty hard with my new job.

Does anyone have any ideas/suggestions on how to move forward? I know I need to talk to an orthopedic person and get them to read the MRI, rather than just going off of what the radiologist has told me. I just wanted to hear if anyone has any suggestions/has had a similar situation.

FYI I had an ACL reconstruction in 2016 with my patella tendon on my right knee. It took about a year to get back to skiing.
Jun 9 2025 3:48PM
9 0
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Abe_Froman
Posts: 8 - Karma: 126
Yoo sorry to hear this my man, I am currently 6 weeks post op my second ACL surgery, and have had one on each knee. It fucking sucks fa sho, but here are some things to set yourself up for success:

1. Setting- healing at home, have a good couch you can post up on, and someone who’s able to help you for a couple weeks, cause it sucks by yourself, this is probably most important. Stay with family or friends if you can, and somewhat close to the spot you had surgery for post op check ups.
2. PT twice a week most likely for like a month or two and someone who can drive you the first couple week. both of mine have been petalla tendon grafts used as my new ACL and it took a year for my knee to feel back to normal ish.

set some easy goals each week for yourself and try and stay motivated towards getting back at it. Take the pain meds/anti inflammatory/stool softeners as needed and get/rent an ice machine. books are kinda hard to read when you in pain so set yourself up with tons of little distractions to make the days go by.

mentally it sucks, but the time will go by and you will get stronger so just keep reminding yourself that.
Jun 10 2025 12:59PM
2 0
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VT_scratch
Posts: 8854 - Karma: 6,725
damn sorry to hear. 9 months out of acl and mensiscus surgery over here. first and hopefully last time.

Curious as to why you would have weekly follow ups with the surgeon? In Canada the surgeons focus on the surgery and then a 9 month follow up. but after theyve repaired the ligaments its all on the physio to see where you're at and gradaully shift your workouts for strengthening appropriately.
Jun 10 2025 1:45PM
2 0
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partyandBS
Posts: 5955 - Karma: 92,516
god is just punishing you for being a scooter kid. seems justifiable honestly. good luck tho!
Jun 10 2025 5:59PM
2 1
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Way*Mo
Posts: 773 - Karma: 3,194
If it’s a government contract you can for sure figure out a way to take off half a day to run to the cities. It’s 2.5hrs.

schedule your appointment at the end of the day and leave after lunch on a Thursday or Friday.

its worth it to put in the effort to get good medical care.

i also dont believe there is no good option in Duluth. They have a medical school there. Someone has to teach those kids
Jun 11 2025 2:40PM
2 0
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JAHn
Posts: 501 - Karma: 2,685
Yoo Sage. That sucks. Sorry to hear this.

Prioritize your health above the job. Find the care that you need and then work with your job to figure out how to make it work whether that's shifting hours, using PTO or sick time for appointments, or working from home occasionally. Ideally, your job will be accommodating and you won't need to do any of that. Hit the PT hard. Best of luck.
Jun 16 2025 12:43PM
0 0
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yungSB
Posts: 297 - Karma: 3,391
ScootSkiLyfeOkay, once again on Newschoolers asking for advice… Medical advice!

This past spring pass I twisted my left knee coming off of a rail and heard/felt the dreaded popping sensation. There was some pain, but nothing horrible. I sat on the ground for 20 minutes trying to decide if I was completely fucked. Something felt wrong for sure. I skied down (slowly), but any sort of twisting motion with my knee caused a lot of pain, so I pretty much just pizza’d with my right leg to make it down to Norms.

I went into ski patrol. They did a “lachman’s” (half-assed ski patrol version) and said that I was mostly okay, likely just sprained or tore my LCL or meniscus. They wrapped me up and told me I should probably get it checked out if insured (I am).

The entire trip was pretty fucking baked. I didn’t have a car this year and was sleeping out of a hammock.

So I pretty much just gave away all of my groceries, left my skis with a homie, and took my backpack on the bus down to Portland, where I stayed a night at a friend’s before taking an early flight back home to MN.

Fast forward a few weeks, I got an MRI. Here is the radiologist report:

FINDINGS:

Menisci: No discrete tear.

Cruciate ligaments: Proximal ACL appears irregular and discontinuous compatible with high-grade tear. PCL is intact.

Extensor mechanism: Intact.

Collateral ligaments: Intact.

Bones and cartilage: Bone marrow edema at the posterior lateral tibial plateau without discrete fracture line. Bone marrow is otherwise normal. Cartilage appears maintained.



Not good. The dreaded fucking injury. ACL. Fuck.

How can this be??? It has only been a month out from injury and I am walking around pretty much fine with minimal symptoms, except for some soreness and certain knee positions, and feeling a bit weaker/less mobility.

Here is my situation. I just got a new job in Duluth, MN. I have been working as an engineer on a project for the feds for the last month. Duluth does not have a lot of knee surgeons, especially ones I would trust for a pretty intense operation like an ACL.

If I go down to the cities, I would have at least a weekly visit with my surgeon post op for a while. This would make it pretty hard with my new job.

Does anyone have any ideas/suggestions on how to move forward? I know I need to talk to an orthopedic person and get them to read the MRI, rather than just going off of what the radiologist has told me. I just wanted to hear if anyone has any suggestions/has had a similar situation.

FYI I had an ACL reconstruction in 2016 with my patella tendon on my right knee. It took about a year to get back to skiing.


lowkey always forget how fucked american health care is. like wdym you ate shit and fucked ur season and if you dont have insurance u need to pay 20 grand
Jun 17 2025 2:22AM
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