Mathew's Story

Hi My name’s Matthew, I’m a full time university student, studying Agriculture in Adelaide, Australia.

I’m pretty big on my sports including Aussie rules football , cricket and just running and keeping fit in general.

My story started about 12 months ago, I was mustering cattle on a dirt bike, when I was knocked of by a cranky cow, my knee got caught underneath the motorbike, and was forced into some into some rocks. At the time I was more worried about making sure the cow wasn’t chasing rather than any pain in my knee.

That night I noticed my knee was quite swollen and it was sore, so sore that is was a struggle to take my boots on or off, running or lifting heavy objects was also quite a task.

The pain did ease over the coming weeks, but the swelling didn’t and my ability to run didn’t return and I guess my knee just didn’t feel right.

So booked into see an orthopaedic surgeon to see what the issue was, he initially though I had just torn a little bit of meniscus, but he sent me for an MRI just to be sure. When I returned he and I where both shocked to see that I had a completely torn PCL and it was an isolated tear so there appeared to be no damage to any other structures.

He explained to me that because I was young and active that he would recommend I have it reconstructed, he said that recently there had been a change from surgeons recommending straight physio, to recommending reconstruction for younger patients as the chances of doing further damage to the knee are high. So I booked in for surgery about 2 months down the track as this was during my university holidays.

Before my surgery the surgeon recommended I see a physio, and work on strengthening my legs in particular my quads and calves. I was able use a bike and cross trainer as well as doing light weights with no pain, so I focused on getting as fit and getting my leg in as good a condition as I could before the surgery. I truly believe this had a hugely beneficial to my recovery, so if I could give one piece of advice it would be if possible to see a physio and get a exercise routine to do before surgery

I had my reconstruction using on April the 8th 2013 using my own hamstring graft. The anaesthetist gave me a nerve bloke before I woke up so I felt very little pain besides a little tingling in my hamstring.

I was sent home the next day in a straight leg brace, with a pair of crutches and some pain killers. I only used the pain killers at night for the first week and was pretty well hobbling around without crutches in two days. The only real pain I got was when I stood up, I’d get an almighty pain in my shins, which would eventually go away if I just walked through it.

I was told to where the brace at all times except for a brief shower, and to just take it easy for the next 4 weeks before going back to the Dr, where I was fitted into a hinged brace and given an initial range of motion of 90 degrees .

I had to were this brace for a further 9 weeks taking it very easy on stairs and I was also not allowed to drive. I was able to some simple exercises.

After 9 weeks I went back to the surgeon took the brace off and the physio was the able to amp up me rehab. I was doing leg raises, leg presses and extensions, and also a lot of work of the stationary bike, and also swimming. The exercises all focused on building up my quad muscles, and being sure not to work my hamstring, which would pull against my graft.

I went back for my final visit to my surgeon in late September, where he gave me permission to begin straight line running and to basically start living normally again.

At the time of writing this it is the 27th of November and back running and kicking the football, and pretty well doing everything I was doing before the injury and I also passed university. I’m aiming to play football again in April next year. I’m not in the clear yet, but so far so good. It is certainly a time consuming injury, but if you don’t rush it, follow your doctors and your physio’s instructions there is no reason you shouldn’t be able to get back to living a pretty well normal life.

Any questions feel free to ask.

Yours Sincerely Matthew James

Melissa The Soccer Player

Hello and welcome to my blog. 
Melissa is asking for help. 
Please read her story and leave comments.

Thanks,
Skinnygurl





On June 11, 2012 I blew my PCL out during a coed soccer game. I went into a challenge with a guy on the other team and he nailed me, cleats up, straight in the knee. I felt an intense burning sensation. and what I can best describe as feeling like my knee bent the wrong way.
A trip to the ER resulted in a diagnosis of no tears, just some strain from the hyper-extension. I got an appointment with an orthopedist and a manual exam and MRI confirmed a torn PCL. Initially my injury was graded at a 1.5-2+, which I was told is right on the edge of what you can live with and rehab without surgical intervention. I was locked out and no-weight-bearing in an immobilizing brace for 3 weeks, but the tibial sag didn't seem to be improving at all. They locked me out for another 3 weeks, and felt like there was sufficient progress to be begin physical therapy. As with everyone else on here, my muscles had atrophied so quickly that I had to rebuild all of the strength in my leg. I made good progress, and within a few months my physical therapists allowed me to do some very tentative jogging to see how things held up.
Unfortunately, they didn't hold up at all. The tibial sag returned and worsened. By my next orthopedic appointment I was graded at a 3+ and told I had no other option but surgery.

I got a call on December 27, 2012 that a donor ligament had come available and I had the surgery on January 15, 2013 during which my surgeon removed my PCL (apparently one end of it had completely torn off the bone, and there was a tear about 3/4 of the way through the middle of the ligament as well) and used the tibial inlay technique to replace it with the allograft in addition to tightening my LCL and MCL, which had both been stretched enough during the accident to not really provide much in the way of stability anymore.

The first few days were brutal. The polar care was the only thing that kept me sane. I was locked out with no weight bearing for 3 weeks. After that I spent 3 weeks still locked out, but able to bear 50% weight on my bad leg using crutches. At the 6 week mark my surgeon told me to lose the brace and crutches and go my own. It was really weird- my nerve endings had been severed and then I hadn't put any weight on my foot at all for weeks- it felt like my foot was all pins and needles for the first few days. I'd say it was a week before I felt comfortable enough to really walk without being overly tentative.

My first few appointments post-op were great and my physical therapists were happy with my recovery. I was able to get through my wedding with no issues, took a 2 week break from physical therapy to head to London and then got back to work. However, at about the 4.5 month mark I started to notice that I could feel a little shifting in my knee at times. It wasn't anywhere as bad as the initial tear instability, but enough to worry me given what happened the first time through my PT sequence. I went in for an emergency check with PT, and they confirmed that I had regained some tibial sag. While they said a little of loosening was to be expected after the transition from lock out to ROM exercises, this was more than they felt comfortable with. No one has ever been able to explain to me why this happened- their only guess would be a fall or a blow to my knee, but I never experienced either of them.

Around this time, I was cleared to jog for 1 minute intervals at PT to try and regain my running form. I never had any pain in the back of my knee, but I started to have a stab of pain in one spot on the front of my knee (right over the top of my fat pad) upon impact while running. After ruling out fat pad issues and instability resulting from muscles that weren't quite back to 100%, my therapists had me run with a tape job that pulled my tibia forward when i flexed my quad- I was able to run with little to no pain. The working theory is that the sag is causing my femur and tibia to contact each other "off" from where they normally would in a solid knee.

So that's where I am right now- 5 months out and fully functional in day to day activities, but only able to run with a tape job or my playmaker PCL brace. It's pretty devastating to make such great progress and work so hard, only to have everything fall apart for no apparent reason twice. I have my next appointment with my surgeon in a month and a half, at which point I can bring up my concerns, but there isn't much he could do short of redoing the surgery. Instead, my therapists have me working on strengthening my quads, hamstring and glutes as much as possible to try and provide the maximum amount of stability to my knee.
I guess my questions would be:

1) Has anyone else had a PCL repair kind of flame out after progressing perfectly for months without experiencing any sort of impact injury or other factor that would stretch the ligament out?

2) Is anyone else competing at a high level in soccer or running moderate distances (I was running 5 miles a day pre-injury) with a sag of probably 1-1.5+?


Thank you,
Melissa

4 Years Ago Today Skinnygurl Had Surgery

Hello and welcome to my blog. Yup, that's right. Four years ago today I woke up and wondered what hit me. Had I done the right thing? What happens next? My most nagging question was "When Can I Run Again"? Well as most of you know we all have to learn to walk before we run and oh boy what a journey this has been.
The biggest question after all that? Would I do it again?

YES!













My knee hurts occasionally, I walk up and down stairs normally. I still protect my knee and probably will for the rest of my life. I can run again but don't press it. It feels stable and most of all safe. For that I thank with endless gratitude my tissue donor my medical team, all of you for your continued support and of course my buddy Dagan, who never left my side.

We now have many coming to find answers and seek support. Glad to have you all.

PCL and LCL Injury

Let me introduce Caroline,

In August 2011 I fell off a push bike and hurt my knee the MRI confirmed a Complete PCL and grade 2 Lcl, Finally seen Consultant who told me I had a end point on my PCL and therefore it was only a grade 2 and grade 2 LCL therefore, a unstable knee.
I started Physio weekly and the professional thought I would manage without surgery. It has give way once, but I dont trust it and have had to stop cycling, swimming due to pain. Stairs are a challenge going up and down with pain in the outer aspect and the knee cap pain. Dr now say surgery is my best option he will use Le Prade technique, He is unsure if he will have to do a oestomy first therefore surgery will be in two stages. I have lots of questions

1.How long I will take before I can return to a sitting job then a walking job.

2 Will I after surgery/ recovery be able to cycle, swim and hit a uneven surface most pavements without the pain I get at present.

Thanks any Help or advice gratefully received

Recently my knee gave way half way down a flight of stairs, I would have fallen but lucky grabbed the rail and since then It is more painful than ever on uneven surfaces and really feels unsafe, I have gone back to wearing my brace. Therefore my decision is Surgery

I welcome all comments and thank you in advance.

Jeanette's Journey

On November 5th 2011, I hyper-extended and dislocated my knee. After the results of the MRI came back I found out I ruptured my ACL and PCL and my MCL was hanging on by a thread.. It was no wonder I felt like my lower leg was not connected to my upper leg.. anyway I had to wait 12 weeks before my surgery because I had so much blood in my knee area and all the muscle behind my knee was torn and they wanted to see how well my MCL would heal on its own.. So Physical Therapy started November 30th 2011 for range of motion.. It was amazing, I got full range back before my surgery on January 27 2012.

On January 27, 2012 I went in for surgery, They replaced my ACL, PCL with cadaver parts and tightening my MCL with a screw.. It was a 4 and a half hour surgery with 2 surgeons and they ended up doing a double bundle for my ACL so that was a lot more extensive..
On Jan 28 the first day post op I was not sure I was going to make it. I have never been in that much pain, I was sick to my stomach, the pain pills every 4 hours were just taking the edge off for a little while.. Sunday Jan 29th was a little bit better but not much, I was thinking there was no way I was going to make it out to the car on Monday to get to the Dr’s, But Monday came and I was a little better and I did make it to the DR’s.. Wednesday Feb 1, 2012 I went to Physical Therapy to start Range of motion again.. Thank goodness for the pain pills J.. PT will be twice a week again for just range of Motion. I started Back to work on Thursday Feb 2, 2012 for a half day then back full time on Monday Feb 6th.. Sitting at my Desk all day was a chore but I would put my leg up on a chair, then my desk, then down on the floor, I basically move it constantly J Feb 20th Dr says weight baring as tolerated. That was my OK to get rid of the crutches I had been using since injury date of 11/5/11. By March 2nd I was down to one crutch and by March 9th I was not using my Crutch much at all anymore and I was able to get the peddles around on the stationary bike J Huge Milestone for me. .. On March 13th Dr gave me the ok to start some weight and aerobic exercises with restrictions ( NO Open Chain and NO Plyo) .. I was also given a smaller brace which is nice.
Today is March 21, 2012 I have no crutches, I ride the stationary bike for 30 minutes every other day I am at Zero degrees with my extension but do not have Lockout yet L I am very upset about that.. , and I am at 125 degrees in my flexion. My Knee still is really sore and swells up a lot and gets very stiff but it is getting better every day..


Thanks for sharing your story Jeanette. Keep us posted on your progress.
Skinnygurl
UPDATE...............................
So I had a Dr’s appointment today 88 days since my surgery.. I have gotten to 132 degrees in my flexion and no lag in my strait leg quad sets at Zero extension.. Dr say I can start back to my workouts at the gym just no Plyo and no agility. And the best part is that I can start weaning myself off my brace J On the road to a full recovery.   J

UPDATE....................................  May 21,12
16 weeks post op.. 135 degrees in my flexion and went on my first 3.5 mile hike yesterday J It was so nice to be out in nature again.. its been a long time but I am really felling I am going to make a full recovery after all the damage that I did to my knee.. I still am not allowed to do any agility or plyo but just getting out and hiking is a great improvement from the stationary bike in my office.  J

UPDATE................................September 6, 12
7 months post OP, Went on a 10 mile hike on Monday, Knee was a pretty sore for the next 2 days but that was it. I have been doing some agility work for about a month and have jogged a little.. Things are slowly getting back to normal Still NO Horseback riding which I am really upset about but that will come Also.   J

UPDATE............................October 29,2012
9 Months post Op update , Still in pain most of the time, Knee is very stiff but working on strength every day.. My agility work is not coming a quickly as I was hopping because of the pain but its getting there.. The Dr released me to do anything I feel comfortable with so Horseback riding here I came.. Went on a 10 mile hike yesterday.. Still use my brace when I know I am going to be on rocky, slippery ground but other than that I am brace free.   J

Jordon Has A Question-Let's Help

Hi,
My name is Jordan and I guess the best reason I can give for sending this email is I'm looking for advice. Last September to June (2011), I was captain of the UCLA ultimate frisbee team and known as one of the best ultimate frisbee players in the Los Angeles area. I'm not sure if you know much about the sport at all, its somewhat obscure, but it basically requires the same type of athleticism and movements as soccer, football, and basketball. In May 2011, the last and biggest tournament of our season, I suffered a knee injury. Running at full speed I fell and landed flat on the front of my knee/shin. An MRI revealed I had managed to tear my PCL and only my PCL. It is a complete tear. My orthopedic recommended physical therapy and discouraged surgery because he thinks that intense physical therapy will be able to hold my knee in place. The test for a PCL tear, pushing/pulling on the shin forward and back, reveals about a half inch of movement..... I'm now 5 weeks into my physical therapy and that movement has not gone away at all. I'm beginning to wonder if my orthopedic and physical therapist know anything at all about PCL tears, because they're so rare. Right now my exercises are a lot of holding my leg out straight with ankle weights, and light lunges/squats with just my own body weight. I'm just wondering if I'll be able to return to sports after just physical therapy or if my doctor just doesn't know whats going on.
Thanks,
Jordan

Lil Needs Some Advice

Hi guys



Although I've chatted to a few people who have torn their ACL, I've yet to speak to anyone who has torn their PCL and needed surgery.

My story is this - I felt something snap in my leg when I was skiing in March this year. My leg went floppy and caused me to fall (I think I hit an icy patch and turned badly but I really don't know). I was stretchered off the mountain and an MRI scan confirmed it to be an isolated PCL complete tear. My holiday was ruined and I was pretty much housebound for five weeks following my return to the UK.

I started with physio and hydrotherapy in April shortly before returning to work and almost (but not quite) have full movement in my knee five months down the line. I still have pain though (mainly on the inside of my knee) and swelling, and some days are better than others - some days I limp, some days I don't. I can sit cross-legged although not comfortably for very long and I can almost touch my bum with my heel whilst doing a hamstring curl - although I have to release it very slowly as it hurts to do so!! I had started to get a cracking/clicking in my knee when walking which I found really uncomfortable and I have no idea what this could be?

I'd started swimming (although sometimes this was uncomfortable but I'm just desperate to get fit again) and had even tried running both with and without the bulky brace. The running was hard though and I've sadly had to pull out of the half marathon I was due to run in a couple of months. Despite this, I thought I was doing ok but then a few weeks ago I stood up, my knee cracked and it completely gave way. It has been very delicate since and I feel like progress has stopped.

My consultant has tried to put me off surgery. I know what's involved and understand it's a tricky procedure and a lot less common than an ACL reconstruction. But because I ski, dance and run he said I'd be a good candidate and agreed to do it. My surgery was booked in for 27 October but has just been brought forward to two weeks time! I'm feeling very nervous about it all now and I just wanted to know that it's all going to be worth it really! If I don't have it how long until my knee will feel as normal as it can do? And will I end up with arthritis, scar tissue and other problems if I leave it? If I do have the procedure, how long will the rehabilitation be? When will I be able to drive (it's my right knee). I'm hoping that since I've been working hard at physio it won't be too bad. What do you think?

Would you absolutely recommend surgery?

It would be really good to have some feedback about it as I feel I've got no point of reference. There's also very little information on the internet.

Any advice you could possibly give me in the run up to my surgery would be gratefully received.

Lil