I had ACL recon w/bioabsorbable screws not metal ones and allograft and partial menisectomy where 30% of my medial meniscus (cartilage) was trimmed or "cleaned up."  Post-op was !@#%^*, iced the knee a lot with that cooler contraption thingy.  Did PT when I came to after general shortly after they wheeled me out of OR,  !http://www.coolrunning.com/forums/eek.gif|src=http://www.coolrunning.com/forums/eek.gif|border=0! , also at PTist site, PT homework at home and oh had that CPM machine for a few weeks at home.  Gradually did more PT both home and at gym w/PTist, stationary cycling, nothing hardcore, always ended with icing and elevation which felt good.  After workouts at home I'd use frozen peas or corn and elevated knee, leg, foot for 1/2 hr.  Exercise was moderate with bike riding w/o traffic around neighborhood for short workouts, some walking.  Again, nothing strenuous and I never over did it.  At 6 months post-op I was given the go-ahead to run but again OS (orthopedic surgeon) said to do the walk-run-walk thing keeping in mind that workouts shouldn't be too long otherwise I'd go backwards in my recovery/rehab.  I'd walk for a long time, incorporate some running and ended with a walking warmdown.  This went on for weeks, months until eventually I could run more and walk less.  I always run every OTHER day and rest on non-running days and if I insist on exercising on non-running or rest days, it's some easy bike riding, walking the dog, swimming and non pounding on the joints exercise.  Knee feels good, no pain.  I only get pain if I increase my mileage too suddenly instead of gradually so I've learned.  Also, I'm very careful now.  No slipping, twisting, stepping off a curb absentmindedly, no tripping, falling or doing anything clumsy.  No stopping-on-a-dime sports such as basketball, soccer, tennis, baseball, etc.  Remember good hydration.  Dehydrated joints will hurt more.  Drink water, eat healthy and less.  I keep my weight down since even a slight weight gain will hurt my knee or so I've noticed.

I'm so glad I found this thread! You guys are great!!!
In July of '05 I was riding through a fog bank on my Sportster at about 9:30 at night when I slammed into a horse standing in the roadway. The doctor diagnosed me with a sprained MCL and sent me on my way. I sucked it up until about four weeks ago and made another appointment. They did an MRI(finally) and found that I had trashed my miniscus( both sides) and torn my ACL, but only sprained my MCL( I guess his first guess was accurate).
I had the surgery last Monday, 7/10/06, a ACL reconstruction (via the Patellar) and both miniscus were repaired (I'm not sure of the procedure or the extent). I started PT the day after surgery.
I had stopped running about four months before the accident. I had just became a full time single dad, had burned out and just couldn't seem to find the time to run. Needless to say NOT being able to run has really fueled my fire to get out on the road.
Since my doctor and PTA's arent runners I find it hard to relate my concerns to them, so I did a search and found you guys. Isn't the internet great?

A few questions:
How strong will my knee be when it's fully healed?
What should I expect as far as stability?
Once I'm able to start running again do I need to wear a protective brace?
I used to run trails and gravel roads a lot, will this be a no-no?
Will there be a time when my knee will feel like it used to?
I'm really afraid that every pain and twinge will play mind games with me, what sensations are normal on the way to recovery?

Anyhoo, thanks for all of the informative posts! You guys are truly inspiring!!!

Skypenny, thanks so much for the info!
You are so right about patience and compassion, very well put.
The part about your other knee had me rolling, sounds like something I'd do!

I awoke this morning to a very stiff knee, my PT said that this could be expected after five days and to expect a drop in recovery before it rebounds back.

I'm off to therapy now and looking forward to it.
I hope everyone has a great day!

SoccerPlayer8-
Sorry to hear about your injury.
I didn't have a choice as far as sedation went, I was put under with general anesthesia. I did get a femoral block and it did help with the pain. I have a pretty high pain tolerance, but when I first awoke from the sedation my first thought was "what the hell did they do to me?". The pain was intense at first but that may be due to my patellar being the donor ligament.
I hope all goes well!!!

Hey everyone :-P

My PT keeps telling me that I'll soon experience a sharp decline in strength, mobility, and stability. She showed me a graph that illustrated a period of growth followed by a sharp decline before rebounding. Had any of you experienced this after the surgery? If so what can I expect? I feel like I'm making great progress, but when I confessed to the PT that I was not using my crutches all the time at home she freaked a little. Now she has me paranoid. LOL!!
Anyhoo, I hope all is good with everyone. You all are real spirit boosters!!!!!!!!

Hey guys!

I just have a few thoughts relating to the previous replies...

I've heard of the decline in the strength of the ACL repair that was mentioned before...i've learned that it occurs when the vasculature that 'grows' after surgery (in order to repair and heal the damaged caused by such a surgery) declines, therefore decreasing the blood supply to the ACL. at this time the ACL is more vulnerable to reinjury until the muscles as well as the ligaments strengthen. Although i've heard of this, i didn't notice it in my ACL. I used crutches for about a day after surgery. Then i simply waddled around in the knee imobilizer. If i were to leave the house, i would bring the crutches just in case i felt weak or something. (luckily i wasn't too busy at the time of my surgery!!)

I had my surgery at the beginning of Jan 06, so I am almost 7 months out. A few weeks ago, i began playing basketball once a week with my college team. It's on a smaller court, so there isn't as much running involved, but consequently there is more pivoting! I've played in 3 games so far. I've found that i am unable to do everything that i could before (and believe me i knew that would happen!) For instance, i'm not strong enough to drive to the hoop, but i can shoot, run, play defense, slide...with no problems so far. After each game i ICE ICE ICE! it's sometimes sore the next day, but that's expected. I also do excercises to strengthen my quads/hamstrings and jog 3x a week when weather permits. So although i'm no where close to normal, I am happy so far with my recovery, and i'll keep you guys updated on how the season in the winter goes!

i do have one question/comment...
I had the hamstring graft, so i have a 2" scar on the inner side underneath my kneecap where they harvested the muscle. Does anyone notice that the scar aches after excercise or simply sitting in the same position for a period of time? My knee/ACL itselft feels fine, but the scar actually hurts! Any thoughts?

Thanks a bunch!  And GOOD LUCK to everyone, especially those training for marathons! (something i could NEVER do!  )