zcookie49

Seven OUT!
Dec 21, 2000
860
0
Just wanted to put up a post about riding with a torn ACL knee ligament. My question is has anyone rode for some time with a torn ACL?
This is my 3rd ACL tear over the years, and none of them have occoured while riding my bike. I tore it last october loading up some equipment when my foot slipped (had oil on my shoe-unknown to me). I didnt think I tore it at the time, but it has poppped out many times and went and saw my doc and confirmed it.
I was planning on postponing surgery till about November, when it gets colder on the east coast and the holidays bear down on us.
BUT....
I have popped it out the last two times riding with my CTi2 knee braces on.(probably popped it out 8 times total now)
Both times have occoured while jumping, in the air, my foot has come off of the footpeg, and both times I came up short and my foot slams down on the footpeg and the knee "pop, pop" and it flares up. Have to ice it for a week or two then it swells down. It freakin hurts bad when it pops out on the track.
I rode last week like a total puss, was soo tenative and in the back of my mind knew I had a blown knee. I havent rode like that since I started riding. Then I finally started to pick up the pace and bam, knee pops out. I know its not the end of the world, but if I schedule surgery now, the summer is over. I go with the cadeavor knee graph, so recovery time is shortened by about 50%.
 

darringer

LIFETIME SPONSOR
Dec 2, 2001
1,029
0
I have been riding for the past 25 years, on and off, with no ACL in the left knee. Yes it hurts like crazy when it pops out. I have had good luck wearing my Asterisks, though. I have had it pop slightly once or twice in the last 2-3 years, resulting in minimal swelling and no work lost. I set the hyper-extension stops so my leg will not quite straighten completely. This seemed to help alot, as my leg always remains slightly bent.
 

zcookie49

Seven OUT!
Dec 21, 2000
860
0
Thats a good idea. I have to check to see if I kept the different stops for my cti's. If so, I will install some in to try to not let my leg lock out straight - Brilliant! Thanks for the info!
 

JKOBD

Member
Jul 10, 2006
25
0
Wow. I never thought I would see a post like this. I got out of riding/racing back in '93 when I tore my left ACL. Now 14 years later I want to get back into at least riding. My left ACL is torn again (Racing bmx for many years) and went riding yesterday. My knee is sore today, but took it easy so I didn't kill it.

I am looking at an alagraph ACL replacement. Have you guys tried the EVS knee braces with any luck?

Thanks for the post.

Jason
 

2stroke

Member
Nov 7, 2001
399
2
My ACL tore a few years ago when I also broke my leg at the top of the tibia...well to be more accurate, it popped out of my leg bone cuz the piece it attached to got cracked. I sat out the rest of the season. There was a period of a few months after the bone healed, before I knew the condition of my ACL, then I went in for the surgery. Luckily, the bone healed such that the ACL was secure again in its place, although just a tad loose. The Doc said he'd have to do the best replacement of his career to get what I had at that point, so that was it.

For me, it was not worth risking the other structures that become more vulnerable when the ACL is not there, so I didnt so much as ride at all until I got the clear. What Im trying to say is every time it "pops" out, you may be tearing the cartilidge up, and MCL, etc... If the cartilidge on the Femur gets too bashed up, that can lead to big problems down the road.

If you are intent on riding, Id invest HEAVILY in some nice braces for sure!
 

mxer842

~SPONSOR~
Nov 11, 2003
597
0
this is an old thread, but though i would post anyways.

I tore my ACL in Late October and have ridden on for a few months. It popped out two or three times and was extremely painful until I just stopped and did about 6 weeks of rehab did build up my quad strength. It seemed to work as now I i still pops regularly, but now it just feels like popping your knuckles. The pain is not the bad part as it really isn't that bad now, but the psychological part of not being able to charge corners with any confidence to stick my leg out is reason enough for me to just get surgery.

I have seen on OS who has confirmed it is torn in half and have decided to just get surgery rather than damage anything else in there.
 

dezryder

Member
Feb 23, 2006
321
0
mxer842 said:
this is an old thread, but though i would post anyways.

I tore my ACL in Late October and have ridden on for a few months. It popped out two or three times and was extremely painful until I just stopped and did about 6 weeks of rehab did build up my quad strength. It seemed to work as now I i still pops regularly, but now it just feels like popping your knuckles. The pain is not the bad part as it really isn't that bad now, but the psychological part of not being able to charge corners with any confidence to stick my leg out is reason enough for me to just get surgery.

I have seen on OS who has confirmed it is torn in half and have decided to just get surgery rather than damage anything else in there.

I must have missed your point. Did you have one? (other than having the same injury) Your post sounded like you cured the problem yourself.
 
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