I tore my ACL, how do i continue riding??

[rosepose48]

About a month and a half ago I was taking it pretty easy on the park because i didnt want to fall and be sore or bruised for softball tryouts the next day.
I had landed this step down box a few times, but the 3rd time i landed a bit shakey. i could feel my board catch and edge so decided to kind of sit over to make the fall a bit less intense. Well something happened and i tore my ACL, a ligament in my knee.
3 weeks later i had surgery, and got my torn ACL replaced with some dead guys ACL. and now i have a 6 month recovery.

Im really afraid that because of this i will be really really nervous when riding this coming season, and too scared to try anything new because i could re-injure myself.

does anybody have any tips for things i could do to give me more confidence, or anything i can do to help prevent from getting injured?
please let me know because i will die if i cant ride again

[SimonInAustralia]

Do the rehab that they tell you to, and keep working on the knee afterwards to build up strength around it, and to hold it all in place. Maybe a good quality knee brace might help as well.

[omoore61]

Do the rehab that they tell you to, and keep working on the knee afterwards to build up strength around it, and to hold it all in place. Maybe a good quality knee brace might help as well.

I was reading up on that and it says roughly 4-6 months with a fast recovery :bolt: Hes right though, just strengthen the knee with the physical therapy even after its done and you'll be less likely to injure it. I am having to do some phys therapy right now for my shoulder and its kind of retarded moving around little 5 lb dumbbells for my rotator cuff but it helps.

[snowboardingiguana]

I tore my ACL (and royally f*cked up other parts of my knee) my freshman year of college. But I didn't get a cadaver replacement ACL. They reconstructed a new one for me out of a part of my hamstring. There's another type of surgery where a piece of tendon is used. So I guess you're lucky in that respect. Your surgery was probably a little less invasive than mine. Anyway, a big part of my rehab was working on strengthening my hamstrings since they removed a part of it. Just work on getting your leg muscles strong. It'll help in the long run and make things a bit more comfortable and a lot easier.
I started riding less than a year after my surgery. It was probably about 9-10 months later. I was a little cautious at first and I took it easy for that year. I had to wear a lovely custom made graphite knee brace that my ortho prescribed for me (www.townsenddesigns.com. i had the premier). But not every ortho is for knee braces. Some say they weaken the knee. I wore my brace for a year whenever I snowboarded, ran, skateboarded, whatever. Now, 4 years later, my knee is completely recovered. I have minor issues with it on occassion. Be prepared for occassional joint pain (once or twice a year, usually when there is a big storm approaching). But it only lasts for a few hours.
I can say from experience that the intial recovery for it sucks. The first month or so of rehab is going to be painful. Take it slow next season. Ease yourself back into it. Trust me when I say you don't want to screw up your same knee. Concentrate on strengthening your leg muscles. It will make your knee more stable. Most importantly, when you start riding again, listen to your knee. If it's feeling a bit shaky and unstable, stop for a bit. Give it a rest. It takes awhile to recover, but you can completely recover from an ACL injury.

[SpottyFish]

Rehab time depends completely on the person, but young people tend to heal quicker than older people. Just do all the exercises your physical therapist is telling you do do, and keep that knee moving!

I think once you get out on the mountain again, you might be surprised at how quickly your confidence comes back. Take it easy when you go back to riding too, you don't want to overdo it.

[theRide]

getting hurt is part of snowboarding....nothing is going to change that

[SpottyFish]

haha..so true.

getting hurt is part of snowboarding....nothing is going to change that

[thedude]

for my answer: see simon's post.
dunno what else needs to be said

[bc1718]

Well go to rehab. Then, maybe if you want to and have some money, go to a specialized fitness center. We have them around here. You tell them your sport and then they do tests on you to find your weak spots. They then will give you specific and intense workouts to improve your weak sections (in your case, your knee).

[snowboardingiguana]

Well go to rehab. Then, maybe if you want to and have some money, go to a specialized fitness center. We have them around here. You tell them your sport and then they do tests on you to find your weak spots. They then will give you specific and intense workouts to improve your weak sections (in your case, your knee).

if she works on strengthening her hamstring muscles, it will provide more support and strength.

[Mike Fork]

i know bicycling helps your knee out a lot too

[Label_Noir]

Rehab Rehab Rehab. Just be as core as you can with what the doc and PT tell you. Don't sketch out on the stretching and take any leg workouts you do back to square one for that leg. Best thing you can do really is hit the gym after consulting with your PT. A brace will help with stability and confidence. I actually ride with a high-end Donjoy specifically made for high impact sports. Most day I don't even know it's there.

[dirt/snow chick]

i tore my acl january of this year and i had surgery in april...im already doing my 3 months of p.t.
and my couch is prepping me for the up coming season because i told her i need to be in stabile conditions
i go 3 times a week for an hour each time...everyday it gets harder and tougher but after just 3 im already able to run and sit indian style...may not sound like a huge improvement but to me its big....so just do the excercises they tell you to and ull be fine

[xkinkykindax]

hey umm yea i shaddered 33% of the bone in my leg and i kept snowboarding that day but it hurt like **** i only did it to show my friends how tough i was and they really gave me the credit since the next week i couldnt walk i still have a really bad bruse there and i snowboarded the rest of the season

think to your self like i did that it will prove that you are tough and you are just as good as everyone else and that fear umm cant help you there i am still afraid to do things but i try them any way because i tell myself my friends will hate me if i dont try.... i hope you come over your self

[dacy_EBD]

I had the exact same injury as you except I managed to tear my medial meniscus as well. I had a tendon ripped out the back of my leg (feel behind your right leg, feel two tendons? my left one isn't there) and made into my new ACL. I did mine playing football (soccer to all you american sports fans) in Spain. After 6 months of doctors giving me faulty diagnosis ('it's a lateral ligament strain, you'll be fine in 6 weeks'.......6 weeks later i'm in a screaming heap on the floor) and one keyhole op to see what's wrong, I had my ACL replacement. It took two years before I could ride my snowboard again. If you rehab better than me then who knows. Don't EVER say that you're worried you won't ride again cos depression is the last thing you need. Just do your rehab, see your doctor, go to your physiotherapist and just work your butt off. When I rode my snowboard again I hardly noticed i (altho a brace did help me) even had a ****ed knee. ACL deals with side to side motions and to be honest snowboarding is compensated for by your posterior cruciate which luckily is much harder to rip. A PCL injury would probably cause you some strife. But I can skateboard, snowboard, play football and do kung fu with my knee so you'll be fine.
Peace and chin up yeah?

[seanC327]

Rehab Rehab Reahab.............ive Blown Out Both Of My Knees, My Left Knee This Season Actually N Got Surgery In Febuary.no Matter What Ure Gunna Be Paronoid First Time You Get Back On The Board. Soo Its All About Doin Rehab And Keeping Your Legs In Shape. In The Gym Do Squats, Lunges, And Run For As Long As You Can.but Take It Slow, You Sont Wanna Over Work It And Get Tendonides. Also A Good Brace Is Always Clutch. Latez

[snowsport9]

Hey there,
Ya I did mine playing soccer in August and it took me 6 months to get back on a board. I went to Ski Sundown (a pretty small place in CT) and just got a 4 hour ticket. When I rode I had no brace at all and it didn't feel too bad I just got very tired very quickly. I could do about 3 small runs/1 long run then I would have to sit down because I knew when my knee got tired I would have a better chance of messing it up. The only time it hurt was when I kneeled down (which was pretty stupid) for me it was my back leg so I would assume a front leg would be a little harder. I now have a brace and I plan on using it for snowboarding next year since I use it for soccer now just if you decide to get one get a short one. DonJoy (djorthopedics) makes a really nice custom one. Just take it easy and before you even hit any tiny kickers just stand still and jump to see how it feels... just like when you were little and scared! Well good luck if you need any more help feel free to contact me at snowsport9@comcast.net or on here.

Adah

[SBDR_FLATEN]

Yo man wen ya fall hard like that and ur scared start fresh next year to get your confidence up. Then just go for it. Rehab sux but if u do wut they say usualy ur still good for next season.

[stranoblaze]

i tore my acl twice. the first time was in 1998 playing soccer. the second time was exactly a year after my first surgery in 1999. since then i wear my knee brace everytime i do something active. but like everyone else said, REHAB. it may seem like a waste of time but those simple exercises go a long way. i'm mad at myself for not working out hard enough after my rehab. now i think i have some torn meniscus again. but i'm still playing soccer and snowboarding. the custom knee braces work wonders. they provide alot of stability. after a long day of riding my knee does start to get a little tired and sore. but it's up to you to decide if you want to keep riding. soccer and snowboarding are two things i love so i'm not gonna let 2 knee surgeries stop me.

good luck!!!

[phrenic345]

Just in case you missed it in the first 19 posts, you should probably go to rehab.

[karen]

I had the exact same injury as you except I managed to tear my medial meniscus as well.

oh my god! i had, like, the exact same injury! playing soccer, too! we are so totally like the same person!

but seriously i'd just like to take this opportunity to talk about myself a little, although i won't add anything new probably....

i tore my ACl and medial meniscus a little under 2 years ago (in august) and was out the whole season, got surgery blah blah. then the next summer rolls around...i'm fine, playing tennis and stuff (i biked a LOT) and it was all good. then snowboarding season comes (this past season) and i went like 3 times, no problem. the day after the 3rd time i went snowboarding i'm at hockey practice and my knee starts to hurt. i go to the doctor only to find that i someow re-tore my medial meniscus, and have to get surgery. after that i was out for the rest of the season...again. so while i am pretty depressed and pissed about missing two of what could have been the best snowboarding seasons of my life, at least you know that through all of this my ACL healed fine, my meniscus was the problem. so take rehab very seriously and you'll be fine.

[seanC327]

ya i played soccer for 8 years and had to give it up after my first surgery; total knee reconstruction on right knee, but i still play here and there, but ofcourse my passion is riding.I did rehab n all that. but i still feel it when im riding though, mentally and physically obviusly.. but yaa this year i blew out my left knee "acl" repair this time only haha. n ive been bustin my ass, so ill be healthy as ever for next season..i cant wait

[Lexi]

Hey fella! I actually had reconstructive surgery in December to replace my ACL and take out part of my miniscus. There really is no way to get out of the being freaked to hurt yourself again. I started skating again about 2 months ago and i am leaving for a surf trip in a week. skating again has really helped me get past the being freaked part. That is what i was doing when i tore it as well. My biggest advice to you is to make sure you do all the PT stuff so that your muscles don't die down, it is a bitch trying to get them back, and make sure you have the muscles around your knee nice and strong before you doing anything to crazy. When you are getting back into things listen to your body, if your knee hurts and starts swelling, it is time to stop till the next day. And most important...do not push it to fast. I am coming up on my 5 month out of surgery and i have no worries about surfing just because i feel stable flying down a concret hill on my longboard so
H2O is nothing. Just do you PT and ease back into the flow of things and you will build up the nerve to do things again.

[Stubs]

hey i play softball...too!!.....omg that would suck so much...i feel so sorry for you

[rosepose48]

Well, just to let you all know, i have been going to therapy 2 times a week for a half hour. then i have been doing it at home for about a half hour every day.

Things are getting a lot better. I can jog really short distances now, I am able to bike for a cardio workout, and i am slowly working into moving side to side, shuffling, quick movements, that kind of thing. Thigns are going pretty well.
I also played tennis (well... more like had somebody hit me balls while i stood in one spot) a few days ago and it felt great.
THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP EVERYBODY, it has really reassured me that i can make it through this, and get back into boarding

[jesterwon]

Bro now that it is summer the best thing to do is swim and swim often. Swimming doesn't put direct impact on your knee, but will help to strengthen your leg. The more that you improve the strength in your leg musscles the faster your recovery will be. As far as being more cautious I personally would recomend it to a degree, I'm not saying 2 be a bitch, but get out of the park and more into freeriding. I tore my ACL, MCL, and menesceas when I landed on the knuckel after a double backflip over an 80-footer . I couldn't walk without crutches for about 4 months. When I finally got back 2 riding the next year if felt almost as if I was learning all over again. Now 3 years later I am back to competing, so don't get dicourage.

[crazy-monk]

dude bum deal. but i know how it feels to bust up ur knee snowboarding. i tore up both my miniscus and i tore up my acl an another little muscle in there thats important this last winter. but dude all i can say is do recovery. take it easy the first day..try an stay off jumps..just get use to carvin again an wasy stuff like that. that won't be too much strain on it. an if it feels good after that day. then let lose agian. aight peace man an good luck on that

[msgmonster]

I tore my ACL about 2 months ago when landed really flat off a jump. I'm having a graft from my kneecap tendon to repair it... I've been having physio since the accident but i still can't fully striaghten or fully bend my knee. Anyone else had this problem? I had keyhole last week and my physio said they would clear out the joint so i could move it freely but still can't.. After the op with continued physio does the knee get back to 'full' strength and have full manoverability?
Cheers

[snowboardingiguana]

I tore my ACL about 2 months ago when landed really flat off a jump. I'm having a graft from my kneecap tendon to repair it... I've been having physio since the accident but i still can't fully striaghten or fully bend my knee. Anyone else had this problem? I had keyhole last week and my physio said they would clear out the joint so i could move it freely but still can't.. After the op with continued physio does the knee get back to 'full' strength and have full manoverability?
Cheers
After my surgery, it took me a while, but I was eventually able to fully straighten my knee. I can't, however, fully bend my knee on its own. But only while i'm sitting. If I'm at the gym and doing squats or whatever, my knee bends fine. If I go to sit indian style, I usually have to physically bend my knee. I can bend my knee to about a 90 degree angle on it's own when sitting, which is what they try to get you to do in therapy. If you continue with your therapy, you should regain full strength. Just make sure to strengthen all of your leg muscles for added stability. I learned how to snowboard about 9 months or so after having ACL reconstruction.
Plus, you haven't had your surgery yet. Your knee is lacking the stability it needs to do certain things. I remember in the months before I had my surgery (i had to wait about 2 1/2 months until I was on Christmas break and home), I would be walking and my knee would just give out.
It's been 4 and 1/2 years since I had my surgery. My knee is fine. I can ride no problem. I just started riding the park this past winter (i'm not very good). But I also keep the muscles in my legs as strong as possible. I work out 5 days a week (alternating arms/upper back/ and legs/lower back/abs, plus cardio). All of this to ensure I stay as strong as possible in order to avoid reinjuring my knee.
There are days when my knee hurts. When this happens, I let it rest. Whether I'm in the middle of an awesome day of riding (which has happened), working out, riding my bike/skateboard whatever. I stop. Listen to your body. Rehab for ACL surgery is not fun. It's painful. It's something I hope to never have to experience again. I spent most of my freshman year of college on crutches. And in the Berkshires in the winter, it's not a pleasant experience.
Anyway, good luck with your surgery and rehab. Keep up your leg strength and all should be smoother sailing for you once you return to riding.

[Snowborn]

Hey I play football and have played it for a while now I guess whenI think about it but, I just want to say that I have never heard of getting a totally new ACL!? You must havee torn it very badly, more like destroyed it....soooo The bottom line is if you have a new one and they tell you your down time is 6 months... dived that by 2. Doctors are pussies and they try and make you sit out for longer than needed.. So lets be safe and say you need 4 months but after that that new ACL should be fused to you bones well, so You go out and tweak it again and it will be no problem it will just tear or strain like you had just did it for the first time..(You can ride how ever you want to).. I had a friend tear his MCL which is 10 times worse than a ACL and he is riding so if that makes your feel better...ACL are like doughnut holes and MCL are like cream filled....

Peace Nate

[snowboardingiguana]

Hey I play football and have played it for a while now I guess whenI think about it but, I just want to say that I have never heard of getting a totally new ACL!? You must havee torn it very badly, more like destroyed it....soooo The bottom line is if you have a new one and they tell you your down time is 6 months... dived that by 2. Doctors are pussies and they try and make you sit out for longer than needed.. So lets be safe and say you need 4 months but after that that new ACL should be fused to you bones well, so You go out and tweak it again and it will be no problem it will just tear or strain like you had just did it for the first time..(You can ride how ever you want to).. I had a friend tear his MCL which is 10 times worse than a ACL and he is riding so if that makes your feel better...ACL are like doughnut holes and MCL are like cream filled....

Peace Nate
Complete ACL tears are not uncommon. I know so many people who have done it. And who have needed surgery to repair it. Most people who tear their ACL need surgery as it is the main source of stability in the knee. MCL injuries are less common, and contrary to what you wrote, are also much less severe (http://www.webmd.com/content/Article/83/97801.htm?pagenumber=2). And I can tell you from experience, that you need to full amount of rehab time coming back from a serious ACL injury (3rd or 4th degree, I forget which I did). And if you reinjure your ACL, you're pretty much ****ed. Most ACL reconstructions are done with either a hamstring or patella tendon graft, from the patient, not a donor. So if you screw up the same knee, you already used whatever they use as a replacement part. Plus, reconstruction to an already reconstructed ACL is much less successful than the original. Trust me, when I tore my ACL, I researched recovery and surgery like mad so I knew what to expect.
So yeah, rehab is important. It's all about regaining strength and movement so to not reinjure yourself. ACL injuries are serious, so is the rehab. Halfway through my rehab, I had not regained full range of motion in my leg. Nor I had regained full strength. I will still limping around 3 months after surgery. So to say 6 months rehab is the result of doctors being overly cautious is complete BS.

[ToSt]

well... theropy and stuff.. and ya know you'll hafta slowly get back into it

[msgmonster]

Cheers snowboardingigua. Glad to hear that my knee will eventually get back to normal. At the moment if i went near a snowboard i'm sure i would reinjure it. Not just boarding, but can't stand up straight or kneel down etc... But it's good to know that if i keep trying and have physio then it should get better as i can be pretty impatient sometimes! Hopefully op will sort me out... After the op will it be worse before it gets better? How much rest did u need before getting back to the gym?

[snowboardingiguana]

Cheers snowboardingigua. Glad to hear that my knee will eventually get back to normal. At the moment if i went near a snowboard i'm sure i would reinjure it. Not just boarding, but can't stand up straight or kneel down etc... But it's good to know that if i keep trying and have physio then it should get better as i can be pretty impatient sometimes! Hopefully op will sort me out... After the op will it be worse before it gets better? How much rest did u need before getting back to the gym?

I would definitely stay away from your snowboard until after you're done your rehab. I actually started hitting the gym about a week after I first injured my knee just to build up strength. I did a lot light (and I stress light, about 10-15 lbs) lifting on the hamstring, quad, and leg press machines (think cybex equipment). It helped bring the rest of my swelling down and also helped a lot with mobility and stability.
My spring semester at school started about 2 weeks after my surgery. My rehab and physical therapy were done through the athletic trainer/sports therapy dept. (where I did my intial pre-op rehab) at school and I started hitting the gym and the pool almost immediately upon returning to school. And it will guess worse before getting better. My first two weeks of rehab sucked. But it was a lot of the same of stuff I was doing pre-op. Leg presses, ham/quad exercises, squats. But I also used the bike and the rowing machine. I did that 3 days a week. Plus swimming 3 days a week. And the other 2 days were therapy in the training room. That was a lot of sitting in a whirlpool bath, and the athletic trainer and some of the upper level students working my knee. That was hell. There's not much that's more painful than someone forcefully straightening your knee when it doesn't want to straighten. But it worked. I now have full use of my leg.
Despite how painful the surgery and the 3 weeks or so after the surgery were, I'm glad I did it. I can do everything that I did prior to my injury (and more. I took up snowboarding post ACL reconstruction). You'll probably still have days even years after the surgery where your knee will be a little sore, but that's common with any type of joint surgery. My knee occassionally bugs me when we're about to get walloped (sp?) with a major storm. The pain generally subsides once the storm starts.
Good luck with everything. Just remember to keep up with your rehab (or you'll never fully heal/regain full range of motion/be able to do anything you want). It'll be a tough 6 months or so, but just keep the thought of riding next winter in your sights. It will keep you motivated.

[karen]

Whether I'm in the middle of an awesome day of riding (which has happened), working out, riding my bike/skateboard whatever. I stop.

that's probably a good idea...when i tore my ACL i was snowboarding after trying to let it naturally heal from my soccer injury (they said it wasn't fully torn and would heal on its own), and my knee kept hurting. but i was like "oh, i'm tough, i'll keep riding." and my friends were like "we're going to keep riding, so do what you want." and i kept riding the whole day even though one time it started hurting so bad i had to stop for a few minutes so i could make it down the hill...yeah after that the ACL was definitely gone as was the meniscus (not only was it torn, it was flipped out from between my bones). i guess i shouldn't do that again.

oh and i have full mobility in my knee now but sometimes it's a little stiff, i just try to stretch before i exercise and all that.

[karen]

After the op will it be worse before it gets better? How much rest did u need before getting back to the gym?

though you aren't asking me, i'm answering anyway...

SO much worse.....before surgery i was walking around fine, nobody even knew anything was wrong with me, i got surgery and BAM...pretty much bed ridden for almost 2 weeks. i was in immense pain and slept most of the first few days after surgery, then i just sat around a lot (it was christmas break). then i started phys. therapy 2 weeks after surgery.

oh and about recovery time...3 months, BS. it was 7 months before i was really doing any sports. my doctor is kind of conservative, but still.

[chaseb8]

I tore my ACL in May and had surgery July 23. I'm about 2.5 months post op now and tried VERY light jogging today for the first time. My physical therapist said I was doing well with the rehab and I should be back on the mountain by February. I MIGHT be able to make it out in January, but I'm going to play it safe as to hopefully be fully ready and never tear it again. All that stuff about 3 months to return to full sports is completely wrong. Maybe jogging and bowling...it takes longer than 3 months for your muscles to fully rebuild and be strong and stable enough for full speed sports. I play soccer too, and my surgeon said it would be at least February before I could play at my previous high level. Do rehab like it's your job...maybe smoke a bolw afterwards to reward your hard work. Just don't go back too soon, because that's the worst thing you can do.

[Fianny]

hey umm yea i shaddered 33% of the bone in my leg and i kept snowboarding that day but it hurt like **** i only did it to show my friends how tough i was and they really gave me the credit since the next week i couldnt walk i still have a really bad bruse there and i snowboarded the rest of the season

think to your self like i did that it will prove that you are tough and you are just as good as everyone else and that fear umm cant help you there i am still afraid to do things but i try them any way because i tell myself my friends will hate me if i dont try.... i hope you come over your self

sorry to be mean but you're an idiot and doing your leg like that and carrying on riding... doubtful

but back to the knee... be very careful... i probs wouldnt be heading to the park this season to be honest, thats if you ride at all.
im sure you'll be able to get back on a board but until you finish your rehab i'd say give it up for now, you'll benifit in the long run from taking time out just now
it sucks pretty major ass but obv the best thing to do is talk to the crowd looking after your knee about it and make sure you're taking their advice and doing all the exercises they give you, think tho, taking a risk now could kill your boarding forever!

[ftblplyr46]

sorry to be mean but you're an idiot and doing your leg like that and carrying on riding... doubtful

but back to the knee... be very careful... i probs wouldnt be heading to the park this season to be honest, thats if you ride at all.
im sure you'll be able to get back on a board but until you finish your rehab i'd say give it up for now, you'll benifit in the long run from taking time out just now
it sucks pretty major ass but obv the best thing to do is talk to the crowd looking after your knee about it and make sure you're taking their advice and doing all the exercises they give you, think tho, taking a risk now could kill your boarding forever!


Sorry to be mean, but check the date that was posted. Doubt they visit the site much anymore. Thanks to the n00b for diggin up an old thread once again!