I've hurt myself...again

Ringo · 04-09-2009, 12:21 PM

Yep -stuffed my right knee skiing a few weeks ago and have had it confirmed by the specialist that I need a reconstruction. bugga.

:

It hurt a lot when I did it and swelled to the width of my thigh but now it is quite OK - just can't walk on it, or drive.

Ive done quite a bit to it in what the specialist called a typical experienced skiier injury -read as bent and twisted at the same time. I have 4 issues in the knee now 3 of which should repair themselves, the 4th one being a busted ACL, which equals a reconstruction.

Since then it has been amazing how many people I know or know of have done their knee as well. Skiing, Football, Netball, running. One person told me their reconstrcuted knee is better than the none reconstructed knee. No wonder my specialist drives a Beemer !

I have negotiated to be able to do some work from home plus will be able to get into the office at least one day a week with help from others but gee the boredom of being housebound is driving my crazy.

I also made the mistake of looking up a reconstruction on you tube and watched them do one - yikes - wished I hadn't. This will make the second time I have put myself in hospital and needed weeks off work in the last ten years. Last time was when I opened my wrist down to the vein on a broken bit of ceramic pipe that had a razor sharp edge.

Who else has had a reconstruction? How did it go? How did you do it? How is your knee now?

Fev · 04-09-2009, 12:32 PM

Both of my parents have had shoulder reconstructions in the last 10 years, my mother had both shoulders done. All the surgeries went well but there is alot of rehabilitation involved, they'll never get the range of movement they once had back but it had to be done. I can imagine it only being harder to have the knee done.

2 of my mates have recently busted their knee's aswell. One during the first soccer game of the season - he had surgery and a few weeks later and he's walking again but being very careful - 21yr olds are pretty robust lol.
The other put his knee out when he went to scratch his foot in the shower hahaha although im not sure if his is bad enough to warrant surgery.. Atleast you've got a good reason!!

SB076 · 04-09-2009, 12:42 PM

I have had three on my right knee - When I first did the injury it hurt an incredible amount but only for a second or so then I felt nothing (apprarently I did it properly and tore the ligaments from the bone) Apparently a reconstucted knee is better (stronger) but not so in my case (might have something to do with the number of reconstructions) They used hamstring grafts for my reco's.

Best bit of advise I can give you is keep moving your knee and keep doing approved excerises as you need to keep your strength up - I didnt I did my knee at the end of footy season (playing basketball) and my doc gave me a splint and told me to keep my knee in that which i did - anyway due to the wait for the op I lost a huge amount of muscle mass and movement which makes recovery difficult

I made the same mistake and watch a knee replacment on tv the night before my op - wish I never did that (even though it was a different op it was to close to the bone)

Mine didnt go that well - I had one reco (sporting injury) the other two were due to problems with the first op (picked up an infection stuagh?) and they had to redo bits and pieces so it was annoying - but I know lots of people that have had a knee reco and they have been fine.

But good luck with it all - after one of my ops I went to Gold Coast and watched Indy, still had the surgical bandages, splint and crutchs - it hailed that year and I had to travel 3 k's - body was stuffed afterwards but knee felt fine.

How did I do it someones knee went into the side of my knee. My knee went sides.

Ringo · 05-09-2009, 07:31 PM

Yeah I've got almost my full range of movement back now but it hurts a little at the extremes. My muscles in the right leg will drop away a little I'm sure - the left leg is getting the workout when I'm on crutches...blah....so over this.

Another 4 weeks till my op....4 weeks till I can really start recovering properly.

4Vman · 05-09-2009, 07:44 PM

Had a full ACL knee reco about 7 years ago, all i'll say is do all the physio and work your butt off afterwards, because it will effect how your knee and leg will work for the rest of your life.
the biggest hurdles are regaining quad strength and getting it straight.
Good luck with it.

KPOJ · 05-09-2009, 07:51 PM

I tore the acl, went to a very pricey doctor (not allowed to name names). Was better within 2 months. Felt a little loose for a bit longer Ie move thigh and knee felt a little sloppy. After this short stage it was fine.

Psi-Pop · 06-09-2009, 10:23 PM

I busted my knee while skiing in France over Xmas, wasn't the most fun or pleasant experience i have had. I didn't need a reco though only a quick arthroscope. I dislocated the patella, tore the medial ligament and smashed up the cartilage.

Its getting better now, just getting the full quad strength back, its still clunky some days though.

SB076 · 07-09-2009, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ringo

Yeah I've got almost my full range of movement back now but it hurts a little at the extremes. My muscles in the right leg will drop away a little I'm sure - the left leg is getting the workout when I'm on crutches...blah....so over this.

Another 4 weeks till my op....4 weeks till I can really start recovering properly.

Try not to lose too much muscle mass or range of movement. See a physio and do some excercises. I really really wish I did that as it took me forever to get back to a decent amount of strength and range of movement (I started with a just over 5° according to the physio. Finally got some movement and strength back and then they re operated. Then cause I was such a good patient they throw a third one in........ not happy stopped me playing some sports.

Ringo · 07-09-2009, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2n I L8

I busted my knee while skiing in France over Xmas, wasn't the most fun or pleasant experience i have had. I didn't need a reco though only a quick arthroscope. I dislocated the patella, tore the medial ligament and smashed up the cartilage.

Its getting better now, just getting the full quad strength back, its still clunky some days though.

Sounds like near identical damage to my knee...

I can't do much about the muscles at present but I am working on keeping my range of movement because I can feel the tightness in there already and that is not because of the busted ACL - its other issues healing in a bent position.

This sucks....

:

Psi-Pop · 07-09-2009, 10:39 PM

Mine happened 2 days before Christmas Day and I had to limp around London on a busted knee for a 4 weeks after that and didn't get into surgery until early March which slowed my recovery down a lot.

I did physio/gym 3 times a week for a few months and it was surprising how well it started getting better with more work i put into it. I have only just started being able to run and feel secure on it, with a patella brace though. I was cleared to ski this season but told to avoid any large jumps or crashing so I only skied two days just from fear of ruining it further.

It sure does suck though, I wasn't in the best of moods when the specialist told me ill have a weaker and clunkier knee, when I had only just turned 21.

Matty4 · 08-09-2009, 08:48 AM

I did my left knee ACL playing basketball 15 years ago (OMG...has it been that that long already??..time flies...but I digress..)
I initially wanted to avoid the full reco and instead went in for an arthroscope and a bit of a clean out of the cartiledge. After that I spent 4-5 times a week in the gym just gaining strength and bulk in the legs to support the knee. My legs never looked bigger or had more definition.

Anyway, 6 weeks later felt strong enough to return to the court with the knee heavily strapped for support. Within 5 minutes I'd undone all that work with an awkward landing after a lay-up, bummer...

Had the full reco a week later using a patella tendon graft with one end screwed to the bone and the other stapled. I can still feel the staples through the skin....

1 month off work and fully 6 months of physio got me back to full range of motion. There's nothing I can't do with the reco'ed knee that I couldn't do before.
(My goal was to get back to being able to comfortably kneeboard behind my boat. If you don't know, a kneeboard requires you to sit back on your heels whilst having a strap hold you onto the board going across your quads.)

I understand that the surgery these days is all pretty much keyhole stuff rather than a 20cm scar down the knee like I have.

My advice....do everything you can to gain full motion back, otherwise it will more than likely hamper you in the future.

Cheers,
Matty

Bluefreak · 11-09-2009, 03:38 AM

I did mine playing football, landed awkwardly on another player and another bloke landed across my leg hyper-extending my knee... The sports medicine specialist did the surgery and then had my leg strapped straight for 6 weeks before I could start rehab exerises, took 12 months to regain full strength and range of motion and 20 years later I still have issues with it...

Ringo · 14-09-2009, 01:07 PM

Thanks for the comments guys. I am feeling very positive. I can kinda walk on it now (with brace on) and it supports my weight ok. I haven't fully tested it because of the risk of going backwards (which I'm sh*tscared of now) but its easy enough to live with now.

Went out for lunch on Sat and had a few wines...crutches and grog are dangerous - nearly fell over.....Ooops Didn't reliase that I was effected till I stood up.

I have surgery on the first day of Bathurst - the 8th of October so it will work out nicely that I'll have something to watch while being bed ridden and sore. It will mean I won't comsume the same amount of beers though.

XC-351 · 14-09-2009, 08:31 PM

Ive just spent the past 5 months on work cover because i disaloctaed my left knree for the 3rd time in 3 years,,,

Had to get a tibular transfer and knee realignment surgery, they pretty much cut out a huge pice of bone in you leg and move it to side, screw it down,, and hopefully it makes the ligiment tighter etc etc,,,

also broke a chunk out of my knee cap when the guy tried to "put it back in place"

its the most boring time ever being in hospital, then the long boring days home alone, then the painfull phisio, which im still doing 3x a week...

im not even back at work full time yet!

good luck mate, stay strong

cool65 · 16-09-2009, 05:57 PM

Guys, you've been lucky till your injury - but now you have to respect what the surgeons have done.
I've had an arthroscopy on each knee for torn cartilage but the left one was torn so much that after putting up with the pain of bone on bone for two years (24/7 pain), on 16th June, went in for a total knee replacement at The Valley Private in Dandenong. Was treated great by all staff and my surgeon Mr Ton Tran is a legend. 3 months later, there is still a way to go with muscle rebuilding but no joint pain and am looking forward to being an active couch participant at next olympics

Animated video of surgery via link (kept my own patella intact)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqtOQ...eature=related

Ringo · 10-10-2009, 09:02 AM

Had surgery on Thursday...went well and had a great bloke in the room with me with a similar injury but worse than mine (he came off a dirt bike) which made the time in Hospital a lot more pleasant.

Hamstring hurts like a mother and I'm in a bit of pain but I can put some weight through the leg which is pleasing....going to be a long week but i'm glad to be in the next phase of recovery and no longer waiting for the surgery in limbo...