ACL, MCL, meniscus - what do I do?

[hebegebes]

This sucks. A little over three weeks ago I low-sided in a third gear right hand corner. My right leg folded under me and because of the strength of my Alpinestars all the twisting forces that would have been expended on my ankle and knee were concentrated on the knee only. You guessed it - no knee braces. The knee area immediately went numb and because I felt hardly any pain I thought I would be in the clear after a couple of weeks of healing. WRONG. Today I went in to see the orthopedist because the MRI I had performed a week ago was ready. Here's the great news: partially tore MCL, partially tore ACL, damaged medial meniscus, and bone bruising.

The doctor recommended surgery, of course. Anyone else have any opinions or experience with this group of injuries? He said it would be four to six months after the surgery that I would be 100%! Am I looking at a half year or more before I can ride again? Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[DougMXer]

bitchin, I did the same thing last October, partial ACL, MCL and medial meniscus tear. Check out Prolotherapy. there are a few specialists in America who do this type of treatment.
Your meniscus can either be shaved (rapid return to activity but loss of valuable meniscal cartilage) or repaired (like stitched up) better option but out of action for 4 months while meniscus heals.
Also buy Asterisk Cell braces -
don't rush into things- think it through and take it easy while you decide on a course of action
Good Luck
Dougie:)

 

[suzuki_nick]

yo! did the same thing last Sep 5 while practicing. I completely tore my mcl and my acl. I had surgury and worked hard at pshyical therapy. I got back in three months where they were telling me 6 months. I rode or putted around for awhile and it still hurts when i race.
It can be done quicker than 6 monthes, so good luck.
Nick

 

[Jon Sosa]

Make sure you work hard at your physical therapy! You will thank yourself later. Also I wouldn't do any surgery until I got range of motion back into your knee. Remember, the faster you start your pt after surgery. The faster you'll get back on your bike.

js

 

[Lope426]

The Medical Doctors will tell you to give up Dirt Bikes! Well, thats the advice I got a number of times 25 Years ago when I had an injury similar to yours. But, I'm still racing motocross at fifty years old. If you continue to ride without having the surgery (and some serious therepy) you'll just make things worse!
Keep in mind that your Sport requires a constant fitness level. So try to keep in shape! The better shape that you are in, the better and quicker you will heal, if and when you decide to have the surgery on your knee.
I wish Knee Braces were available when I started Motocross racing in the 70's. I wear two custom fitted knee braces now, and I would give them up for anything! A little prevention goes a long way. Think about it. GOOD LUCK.

 

[bizzow]

How much is the ACL torn? How much is the MCL torn? What is the damage to the meniscus, and how severe is it?
A torn meniscus may or may not affect your knee by catching/popping and/or preventing you from being able to bend your knee, and may or may not cause pain. It all depends on the injury. Some people are fully functional with meniscal injuries. But, right now you may be so impeded by the total trauma to your knee that you may not be able to tell how the meniscus will affect you.
Here's a positive scenario: If your ACL and MCL have enough tissue intact and are ALLOWED SUFFICIENT TIME TO HEAL, then they may provide some semblance of the original stability that you had in your knee before the injury. Given that, you could have the meniscus problem repaired by arthroscopy and have a relatively quick return to action.
No matter what, I hope you recover fully and get back to the track. Good luck.

 

[nephron]

Whoah, baby, that's the "terrible triad". Surgery is the only way. AND, not ALL doctors say no more riding. :D

 

[DWreck]

Wow, thats a lot. I tore my ACL in half when I was 12 years old and tore cartiledge. I had surgery to clean things up (My knee kept locking up) but because of my age couldn't have reconstructive surgery until I was done growing. I went 8 years with no ACL and had all kinds of trouble with it. I could hardly play tennis without is buckling on me. When I was 20 I had surgery to and its the best thing I ever did. I have played basketball, softball, and rode for the last 5 years and haven't had a problem with it since that time. Yes rehab stunk and I still try to keep my feet on the pegs at all costs. So my recommendation is to have the surgery if you plan on staying active and get braces. I haven't because of costs but realize that I am dancing with the devil on this matter.

 

[yo its matt!]

how does your knee feel? i tore my acl and meniscus last year and my knee was so loose i could hardly walk, going without surgery wasnt an option, i have heard gymnasts partially tear theirs all the time, and let them heal and continue on, think about it like this if you wait worst thing that will happen is it wont heal, check out some of the great acl web sites
learn as much as you can, you may have a few options depending on how severly torn things are, my doc says partially torn is like not having one at all but.....

 

[bbullet]

i completely tore both of my acl's in two seperate incidences. One riding one not. I think the key to complete rehabilitiation is the physical therapy after the surgery. I had a an acl graft off of my patella tendon. This procedure takes a full 3 months to recover from. At best you might be 80 % after 3 months. Both of my knees feel pretty good at this point , but I always wear both of my CTI-2's when I ride. Most insurance will cover the cost of a CTI-2 if you can get your doctor to PRESCRIBE it to you. Both of mine were covered by my medical insurance. They even offer a motocross brace which is much heavier duty than the others (I should have gotten this one)It is gonna take some time to recover from , but you can look forward to being as good as new when it is all done.

 

[crankin355]

I tore the medial meniscus cartilage in my right knee. I made the mistake of waiting 10 months before I had surgery. During the 10 months I unknowingly favored my injured knee because of relatively minor and inconsistent pain and swelling. This caused a serious loss of muscle in my right leg and more damage to the joint. I now have arthritis that will probably never go away. Cartilage will not grow back and must be surgically repaired. The longer you wait, the longer your recovery time will be and more potential for further injury to the joint. Get it taken care of. Good Luck.

 

[AnneBrooks]

Hang in there hebegebes! I suggest getting the surgery right away! I, too, am on the injured list with a knee injury (severed ACL, MCL & PCL, torn LCL and torn cartilage, bone contusions), so I know what you are going through. Do what the doctor and therapist say. Range of motion is important AFTER surgery, as is straightening it. Feel free to email me, if you want to chat more.

 

[WoodsRider]

I am (almost) three years post-ACL (patellar tendon) reconstruction. After six-months of rehab and physical therapy I was back on the bike. My knee still bothers me for a few days after a difficult ride. This pain is mainly in the front where the piece of the patellar tendon was removed. It also bothers me to kneel down on a hard surface like concrete. Other than that my reconstructed knee is more stable than my non-reconstructed knee.

 

[Cisco43]

Hang tough! I feel your pain! I'm recovering from ACL reconstruction as we type. I tore my left ACL in half on Feb. 19, I really had no idea what I did to myself and what I was in for. I just figured after a week or two I would be back in the saddle.

The next day I went to an orthopedic surgeon the next day and he told me the bad news. My two options where deal with a bum knee that will be unstable for life or have ACL reconstruction and (hopefully) get back to normal. Well after talking with friends and researching info online I decided to opt for the surgery.

I started PT one week after the injury and researched for a good orthopedic surgeon. I ended up going to PT for a total of four weeks before the surgery. My surgeon highly recommended getting a fully range of motion before the surgery. On April 2, I had arthroscopy ACL reconstruction with an autograph, which consisted of harvesting the central third of my pattellar tendon.

After the surgery the first 48 hour was the worst of it. You basically need to take at least a week off of work and limit yourself to bed rest. Following the first two day you can start to get around a little. I’m at PT once again and I’m starting to see an improvement. Yesterday was the three week mark from surgery and each day is getting better and better. From what I’m hearing it’s going to take 3 to 6 months to get back to some activities, but probably 6 months to a 1 year to really feel myself again.

I hope I informed you of one of your possible options, but ultimately you need make your own decision. This was my first injury and it has been quite an experience. I’m really anxious to get back out there once again and do the things I love. If you have any questions drop me an e-mail.
Good Luck