In Feb., I was riding in an enduro in Mississippi and a small pine tree somehow caught my right foot/leg and ultimatley hyper-extended my right knee 120 degrees. My leg was stuck in this position with my foot dangling in my face. I immediately snatched the lower leg down and it just seemed to swing freely. After a five hour trip home, the next day I went to the orthopedic doctor. 2 doctors advised me that I was unbeleivably fortunate that I did not have to have my leg amputated from the knee down. An arteiagram showed no damage to the arteiries in my knee/leg. The MRI showed a totally destroyed ACL, severly torn LCL, and also the PCL. The only ligamnet I had left was the MCL(inside). My X-RAYS showed the plateau of the tibia and the plateau of the fibula were both knocked off. The doctor said he thought the two peices of bone were large enough to reconnect(screw) together. Finally, I damaged the peroneal nerves causing numbness in my lower leg and foot drop. It has been six weeks since my surgery, and things seem to be going well. I know this is going to be a long, drawn out ordeal. Has anyone out there had anything similar or know anybody who has so I can get an idea of what I'm in for? Also, I haven't asked the good doctor about riding again. Maybe I'll be able to and get a pair of C.Ti2's out of the deal? Please enlighten me!
Severe Knee Injury
- Thread starter 612
- Start date
- Dec 26, 1999
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Don't bank on a "pair" of Cti's but one should not be out of the question.
Of course you know that you would not have been any better off with a quality pair of knee braces right? I mean there is no research to prove it up and the closest thing is a study of high school football players which showed no benifit. :silly:
No seriously! People actually believe that! I'm not making it up.
Good luck on the rehab I'm sure your doctor will be very supportive of you quick return to riding. ;)
Of course you know that you would not have been any better off with a quality pair of knee braces right? I mean there is no research to prove it up and the closest thing is a study of high school football players which showed no benifit. :silly:
No seriously! People actually believe that! I'm not making it up.
Good luck on the rehab I'm sure your doctor will be very supportive of you quick return to riding. ;)
- Thread starter
- #6
PATMAN
My therapist and doctor both said that having the brace on could have actually hurt my worse, at least bone wise anyway. they said a brace could have possibly caused the femur to break above the knee, as well as the middle to upper part of the tibi and fibula. I can't help but wonder!
My therapist and doctor both said that having the brace on could have actually hurt my worse, at least bone wise anyway. they said a brace could have possibly caused the femur to break above the knee, as well as the middle to upper part of the tibi and fibula. I can't help but wonder!
AnneBrooks
Member
- Jan 17, 2001
- 313
- 0
Wow.............a fellow kindred spirit!! I know EXACTLY what you are going through!! In February I went over the bars and the bike hit me from behind and then landed on my left leg----severed ACL, MCL & PCL and torn LCL and torn cartilage, bone contusions on patella and tibia.
Anyhow, I have been in physical therapy for 4 weeks and have not made much improvement in bending it. My quads lock up and won't let me bend it past 70 degrees. The doctor is now talking of putting me under, numbing my leg and bending it himself............ugh.........I don't want that to happen. If that does not work, I go under the scope to see what he can do. Yes, I am pretty down about this. I am able to put quite a bit of weight on it, however, and I can walk with 1 crutch now. Hopefully things will improve in the next 2 weeks for me and I won't have to have the "manipulation" as they call it.
Email me if you like, and we can help each other along.............I know I sure need some encouragement.
Anyhow, I have been in physical therapy for 4 weeks and have not made much improvement in bending it. My quads lock up and won't let me bend it past 70 degrees. The doctor is now talking of putting me under, numbing my leg and bending it himself............ugh.........I don't want that to happen. If that does not work, I go under the scope to see what he can do. Yes, I am pretty down about this. I am able to put quite a bit of weight on it, however, and I can walk with 1 crutch now. Hopefully things will improve in the next 2 weeks for me and I won't have to have the "manipulation" as they call it.
Email me if you like, and we can help each other along.............I know I sure need some encouragement.
I've been contemplating knee braces and found a couple of comments interesting. I also have a friend in which Dr's have informed him knee braces could do more harm than good. That kind of puzzles me because common sense would dictate that it wouldn't. Say worse case scenario if you did break a bone in the leg. Which is a longer recovery process, ligament damage or broken bones? Course I could see the possiblilty of breaking the femur and rupturing an artery as being bad. However, what kind of knee braces are they referring too? The completely rigid braces such as CTI. What about the Asterisks which has a two stage stopping mechanism to try and prevent the femur breaks. Also, I'm not sure EVS braces are well received on here but I've been doing some research on their new web, carbon fiber brace and found that it is designed to shatter a force strong enough to break the femur which sounds like a step in the right direction.
I just have a hard time believing with todays technology there isn't a knee brace out there that could help prevent injuries.
I just have a hard time believing with todays technology there isn't a knee brace out there that could help prevent injuries.
Well i guss we can form the busted knee club - on jan. 5 the rear end on my brand new (2 weeks) cr450f started to swap ond my right foot came off the peg just as the shock bottomed traping my foot against the ground - severed acl, torn mcl, torn miniscus, and chipped bone under the miniscus - 4 hour reconstructive surgerey exactly 3 months (14 weeks) ago today. I started therapy (3 times a week for 8 weeks) 6 days after surgerey. although I still have not been relesed to return to work ( professional firefighter) i have made it to 130 degrees of flex and about 60% of muscle strength. my biggest problem at the start of therapy was hamstring spasams. i started easy bicycling at 6 weeks and returned to light trail riding the 450f 2 weeks ago. (i pushed myself very hard in therapy)
AnneBrooks
Member
- Jan 17, 2001
- 313
- 0
Kfrost---yes, you will find BIG supporters of knee braces here on DRN. I am not sold yet, however. I know LOTS of people who have been riding and racing for 20+ years and have NEVER worn knee braces and don't see the need for them. I guess its sort of like when we were kids and we never wore bicycle helmuts and now every little kid on the block wears one "in case they fall and bump their head". Times change. I think a broken bone will heal faster than major ligament damage, but each case if different. For me, when I get back on the bike I will probably have them just for piece of mind. You make the call.
Kahuna---Welcome to the club! Sorry to hear of your injury---but HOORAY for you! You are doing great! I know what you mean about the spasms though--that and the quads locking up for me is very hard to get past. Don't be in a hurry to go back to work---I was and it is pretty hard to cope with the stress of that and the therapy too. Keep us informed on your progress!!
612---got your email........did you get mine?
Kahuna---Welcome to the club! Sorry to hear of your injury---but HOORAY for you! You are doing great! I know what you mean about the spasms though--that and the quads locking up for me is very hard to get past. Don't be in a hurry to go back to work---I was and it is pretty hard to cope with the stress of that and the therapy too. Keep us informed on your progress!!
612---got your email........did you get mine?
hey kfrost - in reguard to knee braces, my doctor won't allow me to return to work without one - it has to be custom fitted and that can't happen util all the swelling is gone (still have some after 14 weeks) and the muscle has fully returned (long way still) generaly yuor are much better off with a broken bone than a severed ligament.
- Jan 1, 2001
- 3,043
- 9
Holly cow 612! Sounds terrible. I can't add too much to the comments already made. Also, I don't know if braces would have helped or hurt you more. What I do know is: I fractured my tibial plateau on April 6, 1986, had a bone graft to repair the damage, and I cannot ride without my cells on.
Hang in there.
Hang in there.
yo its matt!
Member
- Aug 26, 2000
- 69
- 0
yeah buddy! torn acl , wadded up and torn meniscus last year! just started racing again a year later. dont rush it ... you can ride sooner but all those muscles are really weak and the tendons take a long time to heal, from what ive read almost 9 months, as for getting your flex back ice alot. try elevating against the wall and slide your heals toward your butt i got 120 deg in 3 months this way, thereapists were shocked due to the amount of swelling i had and the fact i had to work through all of it. mine still gives me trouble and ill probably have to get it scoped again but riding is great now! good luck!
612,
Ow.
2 years last halloween i fractured my left tibia plateau. The x-ray showed something that looked like a well used wooden tent sake were the bone was supposed to be. Really ugly. The doctor in the emergency room wasn't much use. He looked like he had just seen a ghost and said it was real bad. On top of the pain, big shout out to the EMS guys for the morphine, now I was pretty bummed out.
I was transfered to another hospital and saw a real doctor, orthopedic surgeon, who had a plan. Well, two sets of titanium screws and brackets and two operations later, I'm back on track, literally. I was riding in less than a year and went skiing last month. The leg isn't 100 percent, but it's 1000 times better than the look on the face of that doctor in the emergency room.
You're going to be fine. Just remember three things:
1. Rehab
2. Rehab
3. Rehab
I cut out a Marine recruiting poster and used it for motivation. It said "Pain is just weakness leaving your body". Rehab pain is your friend.
PS - Sold the widowmaker motorcycle that threw me and picked up a CRF450.
Good Luck,
Whoops
Ow.
2 years last halloween i fractured my left tibia plateau. The x-ray showed something that looked like a well used wooden tent sake were the bone was supposed to be. Really ugly. The doctor in the emergency room wasn't much use. He looked like he had just seen a ghost and said it was real bad. On top of the pain, big shout out to the EMS guys for the morphine, now I was pretty bummed out.
I was transfered to another hospital and saw a real doctor, orthopedic surgeon, who had a plan. Well, two sets of titanium screws and brackets and two operations later, I'm back on track, literally. I was riding in less than a year and went skiing last month. The leg isn't 100 percent, but it's 1000 times better than the look on the face of that doctor in the emergency room.
You're going to be fine. Just remember three things:
1. Rehab
2. Rehab
3. Rehab
I cut out a Marine recruiting poster and used it for motivation. It said "Pain is just weakness leaving your body". Rehab pain is your friend.
PS - Sold the widowmaker motorcycle that threw me and picked up a CRF450.
Good Luck,
Whoops
- Thread starter
- #16
Whoops,
Always a pleasure to hear a success story! Thing are going really well for me now. I am almost 9 weeks post op, and I'm riding the excercise bike, doing squats, straight leg raises with weight attached, heel slides and lots of other boring things. I'm still on two crutches. They want me to walk the very best I can on two before they reduce me two one. I guess that makes sense. Thanks for the encouragement!
612
Always a pleasure to hear a success story! Thing are going really well for me now. I am almost 9 weeks post op, and I'm riding the excercise bike, doing squats, straight leg raises with weight attached, heel slides and lots of other boring things. I'm still on two crutches. They want me to walk the very best I can on two before they reduce me two one. I guess that makes sense. Thanks for the encouragement!
612
Back at the end of February I Tore my ACL in half and had multiple bone bruises. On April 2, I had arthroscopy ACL reconstruction with an autograph, which consisted of harvesting the central third of my patellar tendon. It’s been almost 4 weeks post op and each day is a slight improvement, I wish things were moving along a little faster. PT has been going well and I have been sticking to all the exercises, I’m finally starting to get a better range of motion and I’ve been just walking around with a cain (no more crutches).
Good Luck!
Good Luck!
The value of braces depends on the mechanism of the injury. I've said it before - I don't think a brace would have done me a bit of good when I tore my ACL & meniscus. The mechanism was purely torsional.
That said, I wear a pair of Asterisks when I ride and wear only the left one when I play volleyball or ski.
Cisco43 - do a search on my user name for more info on what your looking forward to. I had the same surgery.
Brian
That said, I wear a pair of Asterisks when I ride and wear only the left one when I play volleyball or ski.
Cisco43 - do a search on my user name for more info on what your looking forward to. I had the same surgery.
Brian
yz250-effer
Member
- Nov 4, 2000
- 305
- 0
612, good luck with the rehab and recovery. I had a injury that was a bit different, but similar in alot of ways. My tib was hit very hard right below the knee and it broke the bottom of the femur off ( the condials ) and of course all the meniscus damage, severed acl, and a 50% severed patellar tendon.
No acl reconstruction yet, knee no sloppy enough according to my ortho doc. The knee is about 85-90% now and that is probably as good as it is going to get. But it feels good and I can do about everything I used to except jog.
BTW, I did have to have a manipulation since the knee would not go past 90 degrees after the femur and patellar braid healed. It was not bad. It got a little worse after that but then got much better after therapy again. Just keep doing everything you can - I even stretched and did therapy exercises at home after my therapy sessions after the therapist had it loosened up ( she was incredibly strong and a good torturer!).
The worst part about my injury was havng the other leg's kneecap broken at the same time! Wheelchairs suck, for sure! Good luck!! ;)
No acl reconstruction yet, knee no sloppy enough according to my ortho doc. The knee is about 85-90% now and that is probably as good as it is going to get. But it feels good and I can do about everything I used to except jog.
BTW, I did have to have a manipulation since the knee would not go past 90 degrees after the femur and patellar braid healed. It was not bad. It got a little worse after that but then got much better after therapy again. Just keep doing everything you can - I even stretched and did therapy exercises at home after my therapy sessions after the therapist had it loosened up ( she was incredibly strong and a good torturer!).
The worst part about my injury was havng the other leg's kneecap broken at the same time! Wheelchairs suck, for sure! Good luck!! ;)
- Thread starter
- #20
yz250-effer:
Thanks for the encouragement! I am going in this week for my 10 week post op check-up. I am walking some w/o any crutches! My therapist has me down to one crutch, and he is aware that I am getting around a little w/o any. I am bending the knee to about 125 degrees now. Where my doctor reattached the plateau of the tibia and fibula is a little sore, but other than that, I can't complain too much(considering). Thanks for the line!
612
Thanks for the encouragement! I am going in this week for my 10 week post op check-up. I am walking some w/o any crutches! My therapist has me down to one crutch, and he is aware that I am getting around a little w/o any. I am bending the knee to about 125 degrees now. Where my doctor reattached the plateau of the tibia and fibula is a little sore, but other than that, I can't complain too much(considering). Thanks for the line!
612
yz250-effer
Member
- Nov 4, 2000
- 305
- 0
125 degrees!! Heck - you're healed!
mark_england
Member
- Mar 6, 2002
- 156
- 0
guys just remember that ur ACL reconstruction will feel strong pretty quick and indeed it will be strong,,,,,
However it will become very weak (although it wont feel it)
and by about 6 weeks it will deteriate to about 20%-30% its orriginal strength, then after about 10 months it will reach its maximum strength (70% - 90% of the original strength). the graft will never recover its sensory qualities so will give u little feedback that its in trouble.
the point im trying to make is go easy on the rehab or you will damage your acl graft.
Then buy a knee brace for contact sports
goodluck
However it will become very weak (although it wont feel it)
and by about 6 weeks it will deteriate to about 20%-30% its orriginal strength, then after about 10 months it will reach its maximum strength (70% - 90% of the original strength). the graft will never recover its sensory qualities so will give u little feedback that its in trouble.
the point im trying to make is go easy on the rehab or you will damage your acl graft.
Then buy a knee brace for contact sports
goodluck
AnneBrooks
Member
- Jan 17, 2001
- 313
- 0
Great news, Frank! Glad to hear it---keep up the good work! You are my role model---I can only hope to be where you are! Talk to you soon!
Anne
Anne
