ACL Replacement

[FonB]

Hi people!!

It's now my 2nd week post Ops! I'm already off cruches and off meds. Manage to recover also from my allergies.
But still feels weird on my knees, is it normal to feel always stiff on the knee? Often experiences cramps on the thigh muscles. Is it also bad for me to walk/stand for a long time. Would it hurt my graft?
I'm still on my Home exercises program, doing Heel Slide, Quad sets and Straight Leg Raise. When walking, I'm trying to walk properly. Bending the knees the normal way..is this bad?

[UConnJulie]

It will feel stiff for a good long while ... it will subside gradually over time. Same with the thigh cramps. Standing and walking will not hurt your graft. Bending the knee is fine, but best at this point to do it as a heel slide and not a squat.

[FonB]

Thanks Julie!

Well, had visited my Rehab Doctor yesterday and honestly, he's quite impressed about my progress. My ROM were already acceptable (around 110-130 degress). Though for me, I'm a bit annoyed about my left thigh still skinny compared to the good leg. I'm religously following the given exercises, but still thighs were uneven
Thus this mean I should further intensify my workouts? I'm still on the Quads sets, Heels Slides and Straight Leg raise. Though he advised me already to do Squats and Lunges for the next 2 weeks. I did tried the Squats and stings a bit whenever I bend He did also point out my Glutes, as he noticed how week it is when I did the knee curl lying on my stomach. Maybe he noticed how flat my but was.. Any suggested exercises I could do for my Glutes? Thanks in advance people!

[eastcoastsurfer]

Don't worry about the uneven thighs. It'll take a good bit of time before they are equal again. As long as you're following your exercise protocol the strength and size will come back.

[UConnJulie]

Yup ... same with the glutes and hams ... it will take time for them all to come back, but they will.

[JudyA]

FonB:

I have read what people have said comparing Patella and Hamstring ACL replacements. When I was researching my replacement I researched the choice at that time. I don't agree that the Patella replacement if for those that want to return to sports and that Hamstring is not. I also don't think that the patella fix is necessarily stronger.

If you are a runner, then the patella is very important. I do triathlon and I did not want to fool around with my existing patella. The hamstring is a larger tendon and I guess you are supposed to be able to strengthen the existing left over hamstring to be able to match the one that was not used for a replacement. They use a small part of it where it is attached to the knee for the replacement.

I did triathlons without an ACL for 5 years before I had ACL replacement. I had the hamstring replacement and the ACL is very strong. I have had no problems with it. When i was at the end of my PT, I was able to bend my knee a lot further than a physical therapist who had had patella replacement. I also do Yoga and wanted to have full range of motion in my knee. I had to do a lot of stretching to get it all back. I am able to kneel and sit on my heels.

So, I don't think that the issue is which will make a better ACL only but what will be the effect of using your own patella or hamstring. You have to rehab the hamstring as well.

Before my ACL surgery I think that my hamstring in that leg already had some scar tissue and damage from overuse for taking over for the missing ACL for 5 years and probably from the initial accident. (i was run over by a semi truck). I would get some good hamstring spasms after racing 100 miles on a bike at high output... So, I don't know if my hamstring recovery would be the same as yours. My hamstring is not as strong in the repaired leg as in the other one after the surgery but that might have alreay been the case before surgery. But, I no longer get hamstring spasms. I work at strengthening the hamstring in the gym but don't want to over tire it so that it effects my running or cycling. There is a fine line to that.

I can still run and cycle and swim with no problem. As well or better than before. I have done half marathons and 1/2 ironman triathlons and a 450 mile climbing cycling tour of the Pyrenees since the surgery 5 years ago. My hamstring is very strong and my knee is much more stable and I no longer have to worry about landing on it funny. I can jump down from heights now with no worries.

Judy

Originally Posted by FonB

Greetings to all,

Just found out this forum through Google search, and I wish I found this earlier before I went through an ACL Reconstruction. I'm at my 6th day now post Ops and quite feeling better now from the operation. Not until I've read this thread and kinda made me sad on all the insights I've read regarding the use of Hamstring as Graft, as this is the one that was used for my reconstruction. The choice between the Patellar-Tendon and Hamstring Tendon Graft were indeed presented to me by my Ortho, but was advised that the main difference will be mainly as to how big the incission on the knee will be.
The reason I went through the reconstruction is to bring back myself to a more active lifestyle, and that is mainly in sports activities. Sad that I didn't manage to chose the stronger fix...

[Oneder]

Ah, the good ol' ACL. I'm at 1 year since injury, 11 months post op having a dead-guy-graft. I'm pretty intensely athletic, and I feel like I'm at about 85%. In some cases, I think part of my apprehension is mental fear, which sucks. My biggest problem though is my range of motion. I have "full range" according to when I was done with PT and a few months ago from my doc, but I still can't sit on my heel (like in child's pose in yoga, for instance) on that side. I can finally pull my heel to my butt without tons of pulling pain, but just to give you an idea...before the injury I could pull my foot PAST my butt. It feels like something needs to just...not "pop"...but it's like something is a little too tight or something. Or full...or something. Has anyone had this feeling? Did I go away after more time?

[UConnJulie]

Keep working on the heel sit and it will come ... just takes time. I couldn't heel sit for a long time, but now regularly do it with no discomfort (nearly 16 years post-op).