Danny; Trying to get through PCL Recovery and needs our help.

 

Hello everyone, My name is Danny,  thank you for sharing your stories. This blog  has helped me to keep my eye on the prize for the last few months because, as you all know - there is little to no information about PCL Recovery on the internet.  

I am, however dealing with some setbacks.  Until 6 months ago I worked as an arborist in Seattle, and an old (3+ yr) injury kept giving me trouble while working.  I felt like I couldn't trust my leg (And I often use a chainsaw in trees).  Sometimes while out on a precarious limb walk, a client would ask me "have you ever fallen?" To which I would reply "only once, when my ladder failed while I was on the fourth step".  I hate ladders.  This fall resulted in a misdiagnosed ACL injury and finally diagnosed to PCL.  

I had reconstructive surgery (PCL-achilles allograft and PLC hamstring allograft) in March of 2020 in Seattle.  After the first hellish weeks, what with the numb, purple lower leg (I kept wiggling my toes and doing ankle pumps bc I thought I'd lose my  leg, still have hemosiderin stains on my shin from all the internal bleeding), my recovery was going great.  I graduated to cycling, and was walking without a limp!  My surgeon advised me to wear my brace "as much as possible".  I wore it all the time, but especially during PT, and cycling, where we were beginning to do some jumping and running in place.  That's when my knee started to feel really bad.  Crunching, pain with weighted flexion, just not capable of doing that kind of stuff.  

After a visit with my surgeon he noted 2+ laxity.  He also realized that I was wearing the wrong knee brace (Ossur CTi with PCL kit, not the Ossur Rebound PCL).He told me he'd be getting me the correct brace, but I still don't have it, or any way to stop the trend in my knee.  

It's devastating for me to have the last six months down the toilet because my team messed up something as critical as the brace.  I'm just trying to find out what others' experience was like.  

Did you ever run into laxity problems that somehow resolved with time? 

What model of brace did you use and for how long did you use it for?   

Anyone out there have a revision reconstruction?

I don't think I've ever had a mistake in my life produce so much nausea whenever I think about it.  I really regret having this surgery at all, because my laxity problems are the same, if not worse than before, plus I'm almost positive my meniscus is going to shreds.  I know that my care could have been better, but is it too late for my knee?  

I'm hopeful that at the very least, getting the correct brace will allow me to cycle, so that I can remain fit even if I have to hang up the spurs.  Also I'm not giving up having a functional left leg.  It's too important to me to let slide.  I had hoped to be up in the cascades munching huckleberries with my daughter by now.  Have to settle for blackberries down the road.  🤤

Mitch And His Bad Luck With That Truck! PCL Question - please help

Hi, my name is Mitch and I had PCL Reconstruction 8 days ago and  unable to move my leg at all.   I am looking for information to help me understand my doctors line of thinking. 

Is this normal? My surgeon told me he wants me in a locked brace and to just lay low,  no weight or bending for 6 weeks... I feel like he’s not telling me something. My surgery lasted 6 hours and my leg was numb for 5 days.. it’s so hard to find anybody who has gone through this surgery so all I have is myself and my research.   To me it seems  like something has gone wrong..

Mitch's Story

Last July I fell off the back of a truck. I knew the moment my knee hit the ground something major had happened.. Unfortunately before my MRI date came up,  the knee started feeling better so I told myself it’s healing, it can’t be major.   Couple months later the pain started to show up more and more so I finally did the MRI.  The MRI showed a full rupture but no other knee damage.. surgeon said if it wasn’t for all the scar tissue I could have tried a non surgical  route. From what I was told, my surgeon was trained in Germany from the inventor of the Ossur Rebound PCL Brace. Anyways, here is my embarrassing story of how I got hurt and why it took to long to fix lol.

 

Here we are at day 42

I've been assigned physical therapy for one month to help me with my gate and straightening.
The bending is worked on daily as well.  Yesterday the doctor  pushed me to 125!

Day 36

I'm finally able to use coconut oil on my knee and as you can see, the swelling is down just a little bit.
It's still very painful and my at home rehabbing is hard.  Push, Push, Push to gain one or two degrees at a time.  I'm still working on straightening my leg as well. I don't remember the PCL surgery being this difficult as far as gains but I had someone else actually pushing me.

24 Days Post Op

Not much change in the size of my knee.  It's constantly stiff and the bends are difficult.
In just four days I need to be at 110 degrees.  I think I'm close.  Everyone knows how bad it hurts to force it to bend.  No different with a knee replacement.
For the most part I am using a walker.  I've found after pushing down on my knee to straighten it, my knee wants to buckle afterwards when I'm walking.  I can't risk that so the walker is always used.
If anyone has any tips on straightening I sure would like to hear them.  Mine isn't bad although it does take 3 rounds of pushing down to get it to about 2 degrees.  They say the straightening comes later and the bending is more important now.  I don't see any reason not to focus on both early on.

Getting up to speed. 2 Week Post Op and Scar

The first 3 days in the hospital I was really  drugged up.  Getting home and working on rehab has been different.  I had a team before and now it's Me pushing Me.

At my first post op appt. I was 5 degrees short of goal which was 90.  Next goal is 115 degrees in two weeks.  I  push myself so hard, I end up in tears on the final exercise/bend of 15 reps.  I can do this!

Day 15 First Thing In The Morning

Well, Here I Am Again.

Hi Readers!  Skinnygurl here.
On Valentines Day I had a complete knee replacement done on my left knee.  The pcl knee (right) is next and we'll talk about that later.
I'm home now and at day 14 doing rehab on my own.  My doctor appointment showed me at almost a 90 degree bend which is slightly under what the goal was.
I have another two weeks to get to 115 and be rechecked.  Then of course another goal 135? and another recheck.
The story is back in 1977 I had a bad horse accident and tore my ACL.  I was told I would be needing a knee replacement in about 40 years (it's almost exact) which of course I scoffed at.  Well, here I am!

Readers...

My journey is long ago over so 

if you want to share your journey, please email skinnygurl @ sprinter2fun@hotmail.com
We can help countless people with your unique recovery.

Thanks for reading,
Skinnygurl

Angus Had Surgery and Needs Our Help!

Written to me from Angus.
Let's see if we can give him some good advice in the comments section.

Hi , I emailed you earlier this year asking for some help on your 
blog about my pcl, and last week I finally had surgery which went better
 than I expected. It's been a week since and I can just about put all of
 my weight on it with crutches for reassurance. However it is still 
swollen and I can't bend it past about 30 degrees ( even with a small 
towel). I am doing all the prescribed exercises as well as ice and 
compression. I am keen to get the swelling down, is there anything else 
anyone thinks I should be doing or should it start to decrease within 
the next few weeks? Thanks 

Angus From South Wales needs advice

Hi it's Angus here from South Wales (UK). I've just seen your 

blog on pcl surgeries online and I am looking for some advice. 

Around two years ago I got tackled playing rugby and twisted my 

knee , it swelled up and I had difficulty walking on it the 

physio I had at the time examined it and said that it was only 

a minor sprain and to rest and ice it etc. A month or so later

 I noticed that I could move my shin bone back and forth by just

tensing my leg muscles , there was also instability when I tried 

to squat or bend my knee. The next physio I saw examined me and 

told me that I may have torn my ACL ligament and to book an 

appointment with a knee specialist who eventually ordered an 
MRI. Surprisingly the scan showed that I have a full grade 3 

tear of my pcl and the doctor suggested surgery was needed. I am 

due to have surgery in the next two months but I am back to playing 

rugby with some mild pain and instability (needing a knee brace ) ,

should I continue playing or stop ? 
Please don't hesitate to post this on your blog or to contact me back 
Many thanks 
Angus

M.S. and Her Journey

 I'm a 53 year old mother of 5 children, always been active but not sporty, just walking the dog several miles, body boarding with the kids etc. Four and a half years ago (23rd February 2010 to be precise) I was walking our dog on an extending lead when she ran off behind me, I didn't have time to think about letting go of the lead and basically I was twisted and pulled over causing a tear to my knee. I couldn't move at all, just remember seeing blades of grass very close to my face! My husband dragged me onto a sledge (it was still a bit icy) and got me to a&e where they said I hadn't done anything and would be walking fine in a couple of days. Fortunately we had a pair of crutches in the shed so I just about managed at home for 5 days but as the leg had swollen hugely and I still couldn't walk I decided a second opinion was in order. The GP sent me to an orthopedic consultant and after several appointments and an MRI they discovered I had grade 3 tears to my PCL and MCL.

  I was told surgery wasn't an option, presumably because of my age, and after 8 months of physio I was able to walk without the brace and only used the crutches occasionally. Obviously a very long and painful process but at least I was managing. Recently though as I've started walking further - 2 to 3 miles max - I'm having pain in both the damaged left leg and right knee. I've been seeing orthopedic surgeons and physios privately for the last few years but I've now been referred to another surgeon in Derby who wants to reconstruct the ligaments. In addition he has identified PLC damage and says to prevent further damage and arthritis to my left knee and limit the wear in my right knee surgery is the best option. I'm in total agreement with him as the discomfort is getting worse but the thought of going through all the pain and physio again isn't something I'm looking forward too. Reading all the stories on your blog makes it all very real again but at the same time it's encouraging as so many people have seen the benefits of surgery.

  I'm on the waiting list for surgery, the surgeon will take hamstrings from both legs as it seems there won't be enough from just one leg for all the repair work. It's a strange thought, going from little pain to extreme pain but I'm trying to concentrate on the end result and not get too scared. I'm trying to find loads to do for those long and boring months after surgery and am setting goals to measure my progress by. For anyone having this injury I'd say surgery at the time of the accident or pretty soon after is a much better way of dealing with it, I wish I'd found out about it sooner. I'll let you know how it goes if anyone is interested.

  Someone on here mentioned creaking and cracking when they bent their knee? I have it too, it's crepitus and is wear of the knee joint.
 
  Thanks for setting up this blog. This seems to be an unusual and difficult to repair injury, I've had to go miles to find a surgeon capable of and willing to do the surgery, so it's really good to be in contact with others in a similar situation.
UPDATE:
Well, 10 days post op and I've just had stitches out so it doesn't look as bad as the photo. I'm relieved to be on this side of the operation, I had all the usual doubts before - could I go through all the pain and physio, what if it didn't work etc but that's all behind me now. Still haven't got an answer from the surgeon as to whether he minds me posting my experiences, I'm seeing him on Thursday and if he doesn't give an answer then I think we'll just go ahead and use a different name, don't you?

I had a spinal anesthetic for the operation so was able to watch, really fascinating and very clever. It lasted two hours, I can give details if anyone is interested. First few days were pretty uncomfortable but morphine is a great help, down to codeine now so things are improving. Lots of numbness in my lower leg and loads of bruising to my foot, made worse because I'm on heparin injections to prevent blood clots but hopefully this will pass soon. Physio starts next week, static quads and straight leg raises I believe to begin with although I've been told to remove the brace once a day and get someone else to bend my leg to 90 degrees ( they've got to be joking!) as it stops the knee stiffening. This was meant to be done daily from 3rd day after surgery, I haven't managed to pluck up the courage to have it done daily though, every other day more like.

Deigo's PCL Surgery And His Struggles, Let's Help

Sorry for the long story, I have two questions at the end please help me


I am looking for some advise. Over ten years ago when I was in my teens I crashed training for a mountain bike downhill race and completely tore the PCL in my left knee. The doctor at the time told me the same story that most of you may be familiar with. That I could function without my PCL as long as I kept my leg muscles strong because they would act as the stabilizers in the absence of the PCL. He said I could have the surgery much later if I started feeling pain and instability. I listened to his advise. I have always been extremely active and an adrenaline junkie so I worked out my legs pretty hard at the gym and when riding my bike. My quads and gluteus grew and my legs got very strong which also helped me during my Downhill races and for protection I would ride with a custom PCL Cti brace for my knee which became my best friend. All was fine and dandy till last year when during a strenuous hike I felt like something was not right with my knee, it just did not feel stable and I remembered what my old doc had told me a long time ago.



I will tell you that February of last year I had my first bundle of joy so the working out all the time had to be replaced with taking care of the baby and going for walks and not sleeping enough and changing diapers, which by the way made me extremely happy and I enjoyed being a first time dad. But as my schedule changed my leg muscles started shrinking; I was not able to work out as much. I decided to go to a doctor to see what would be the verdict. I knew deep inside that the time for surgery had come. Long story short I ended up needing surgery to avoid wearing off my knee and developing arthritis later on. Fortunately since I worked out pretty frequently my Knee was still in good condition with no cartilage degeneration. Surgery was a no brainer since I would not be able to work out my leg as much and keep my muscles strong would mean a life of being tied to the gym and with a family that can be a challenge.



My surgery was a success according to the doctor. He used an aquilles tendon from a cadaver since it is a very strong tissue. I had a nerve block so the first 2 days were not painful at all and I started taking the pain meds the moment I got home the same day after my surgery. I was very excited and motivated and the first 3 months I was doing great going to PT 3 times a week, my quad was getting its definition back I was doing light leg work outs at the gym doing different type of light leg presses with different angles, calf raises , light weight squats in addition to going to PT 3 days a week and my knee was at 90% compared to the other according to the Physical therapist. But then one day I started feeling a lot of pain under my knee cap, like something scraping the crap out of it when i would bend it or tried to raise my leg and bend it. That is when i started getting worried, I started reading stories about people and patellar arthritis and how the instability degenerated their knee cap etc, etc... so obviously i was thinking that was happening to me. The doctor said that was not my case since i did not have arthritis to begin with according to MRIs and when he performed the surgery he said the meniscus and knee cap looked very clean and healthy. He said it was a case of my knee cap not tracking correctly. Seems like i may have over done my excersises trying to get better so my quad was getting stronger but my hamstrings were not so my quad was grabbing my knee cap and causing an imbalance not letting it track correctly. I was concerned and still am. Since we are no supposed to do any hamstring exercises like leg curls and don't even mention leg extensions because that one is the worst, it will stretch the graft, or open chain ones because they pull on the graft it is quite a challenge to get that balance back.



The pain lasted for 2 months and I had to pretty much go back to the basic exercises with the PT guy, it sucked. Finally it got manageable and i was able to start working out at the gym but my quad definition was totally gone it is like jello, the leg is getting stronger but no matter what i do the quad is being very stubborn and not wanting to come back to life therefore my knee cap is not being able to track correctly. I can walk normally and ride my bike with my baby in the child trailer but i still can't go hiking or go snowboarding or do more fun stuff. Some days it hurts some days it does not. Working out definitely makes me feel much better, at least for a few hours following the workout.



It has been 7 and a half months since my surgery and I am trying to stay patient because the doctor says that my tracking issues will get better but sometimes it takes a year to 18 months for my knee muscles to get back to normal. At first he said 9 months.



SO... my question is, has anyone experienced the knee cap tracking problems due to the quad being weak? Is it just a matter of time before it gets better or am I screwed?



Thank you!!

Suspect PCL Tear

I'm hoping you can share this on your blog and your readers can give me some advice. I injured my PCL in a collision on the soccer field. I fell hard on my bent knee and had immediate pain. To my surprise I was able to get up and jog and played a few more minutes before coming out. That was 2 and a half months ago. My knee hasn't gotten much better since then. The most pain is in sprinting and cutting hard, kneeling with my knee fully bent, and pulling down on my foot like taking off a shoe. I finally went to the doctor who suspected a torn PCL due to some movement and possibly a torn meniscus. He prescribed an MRI which I had and returned today for consultation. The diagnosis is a high grade tear and he suggests surgery. I can see on the MRI image what looks like a pretty bad tear, but not complete. I'm surprised because the pain doesn't seem that extreme and I'm not having a lot of instability. After reading the comments I think I will get a second opinion. My main questions are around the options. I'm looking for experiences using a graft from quad vs hamstring vs cadaver. Thank you! *PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS FOR JOE Thanks, Skinnygurl

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