Active Community: Message List - Coming Back after ACL Surgery ?

Re: Coming Back after ACL Surgery ?

firechick9 — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 06:36:06 GMT

I had a complete ACL repair back in 1/04 using part of my patella tendon and well as medial meniscus repair due to a basketball injury. I had followup surgery in 4/05 to remove scar tissue that was hindering complete movement. In July 07 I was able to complete 60 miles of walking over 3 days as part of the 3 Day Walk for breast cancer. Last year I started running again and though I was never much of a long distance runner, started to train for a half marathon. Since then I have completed 2 half marathons and a number of 5Ks. So far this year I've completed a couple of 5Ks and am currently training for a sprint triathlon and the Marine Corps Marathon. Recovery was a slow and painful process but I had a great ortho and PT. Neither one is overly crazy about my running but my PT (I try to keep in touch with him), has wished me the best of luck with the first full marathon. I hope this never happens to anyone who has never gone through this but if you have, don't give up hope. Oh I almost forgot, I continue to play basketball (at times) and an avid alpine skier (again).

Re: Coming Back after ACL Surgery ?

nevergetaclrepair — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 05:40:17 GMT

what a mistake in getting my acl repair constant pain never will be the same..........use to love to ride my horses but now cant and have had to sell my horses as a result BAD DECISION FOR ANYONE TO GET ACL REPAIR!!!!!!!

Re: Coming Back after ACL Surgery ?

firelady06 — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 13:52:17 GMT

I had the dreaded triad back in 2000. I was in an ankle to hip brace for 6 months and then a smaller calf to just above the knee brace for another year. It was almost 2 years to the date that I could finally run pain free. I still prefer running on softer stuff. Tried running on a dirt/gravel bike and hike path only to have my knee swell and be sore for 3 days. Good luck. Oh, I am 50 yrs old by the way. The story may be different for younger people.

Re: Coming Back after ACL Surgery ?

skynickel — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:43:53 GMT

Hi !

Its' Skpenny (a/k/a skynickel) Bonxdave - that is AWESOME. I am so encouraged. The longest I have run since coming back was 10 miler befoer Thanksgiving. A race wodul give me a goal. My regular weekly total is closer to 15 - 20 these days but I do a lot of cross trainign so it adds up. My LR is usualy 5 or 6 - but maybe its time to crank it up again. I was just so happy to be back at all, with no pain. My 3 mile lunchtime runs are so great, especially in this cold crisp weather. Big news for me - this is my second seaon back on the alpine skis. (That is how I got injured.) Scary at first, but I stay on runs I can handle (tranmsalte - EASY ones) and I knock off after lunch instead of skiing all day like I used to. (There is a lot to be said for a post-ski fireplace at the base lodge, with a beer and some conversation) I am psyched to hear of your victory !

Re: Coming Back after ACL Surgery ?

briamarie22 — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 12:34:33 GMT

Congrats Dave!! That's awesome.

I've been doing great as well. I set a new half marathon PR in October, and am getting ready to run another one in a couple of weeks. I'm hoping to do a full marathon in october. After my half my knee did go kind of nuts, and I actually went to the surgeon after a few weeks of physio to make sure it was not my ACL or meniscus. She said she was pretty confident it was ITB friction syndrome (also what my physio said), which was great news by comparison. I do find if I run outside the side of my knee gets kinda sore but I am anything but religious about icing afterwards. The surgeon said my ACL was perfect and my knee did not test positive for anything to do with meniscus so with that relief I have been running like I've never ran before.

Hope everyone else is enjoying similar success!

Re: Coming Back after ACL Surgery ?

BronxDaveZ — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 02:52:04 GMT

Hey skypenny, and everyone else:

I've been reading and posting to this thread since late 2007. I had a complete tear of the ACL in my right knee with some miniscus damage as well. I had a new (dead guy's) tendom put in on Feb 2nd of 2008.

So, it'll be a year post-op next week. And today, I ran my first 1/2 marathon -- not just since the surgey, but ever. I iced it down later at home and all is well.

Hang in there. It gets better so much quicker than you think

Re: Coming Back after ACL Surgery ?

runs4fun — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:50:22 GMT

Could the shin pain be related to tightness in your calf and hamstring muscles? It's not uncommon for persons who've had ACL surgery to have some difficulty with that. Another possibility is that your biomechanics have changed due to the altered strength profile post-operatively. Are you wearing the same shoes you were before? Perhaps a different shoe is in order? It might be worthwhile to get a gait analysis done either by your therapist or perhaps you've got access to a technical running shoe store that has people there that can watch you run and see if the shoes you're wearing are correct?

Just some food for thought, Janet

Treat the cause, not just the symptoms.... http://www.runningstrong.com

Re: Coming Back after ACL Surgery ?

aamy2121 — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 21:01:18 GMT

Hi, I am 10 weeks post op and just started light jogging last week. I have been doing bike and eliptical to suppliment the cardio. I have been experiencing shin pain (sort of like shin splints but not). Anyone else experienced this?

Re: Coming Back after ACL Surgery ?

softcrush — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 20:12:49 GMT

Hi Everyone:

Been reading through all the touching stories. WOW... thank you all for writing such details and inspirational reports. Some of you sound sooooo very quick to bounce back.:)

I'm at the very edge of going through with the surgery I think. I haven't gotten a complete diagnosis yet, which is frustrating, but I think I'm headed toward a meniscus/ACL surgery. I have been through a lot in my life and WAS busy recovering from a long illness (years). I never let it get me down because I knew the whole time, I would get my running back. Just as I was getting really well again feeling like my normal self, things took a turn for the worse...when one injury begot the next. Now... I find myself in this unthinkable position.

I'm pretty sure that the twisting event happened six months ago, and that left me with the patellar subluxation, meniscus tear...and lax ACL. The MRI only shows a mild sprain with the ACL...but since the knee is unstable, I have to keep looking for a doc to take it seriously. I have chronic sharp pains that foster swelling in my joint line. Both legs are injured and the ankle is injured. I've got to somehow climb out of this mess. It looks so daunting...and I keep trying to unwind how it all happened...looking for an exit door.

Thanks for letting me post...

~S:)

Re: Coming Back after ACL Surgery ?

russhater — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:03:24 GMT

Hey guys

Just wanted to let you all know that I just completed my first post-surgery marathon this past weekend almost 9 months after my surgery to replace my right ACL and repair a torn meniscus. I had no knee pain and had a great time. My finish time could have been better had the rain and cold not have been so relentless, but I completed the 26.2 miles and it was a pretty cool feeling of satisfaction when I crossed that line. Just wanted to remind anyone going through this that a torn ACL/meniscus does not mean that your running days are over!