Torn ACL Experiences?

I guess Food, Hydration, and Nutrition is the closest we’ve got to a health forum….

I’m 6 weeks out from the initial tear.  MRI was inconclusive as to serious or full tear…I don’t quite understand how you can’t differentiate between full separation and a partial tear…but it’s definitely my ACL.  No other damage was done though…meniscus and everything else look solid.

So what are your experiences?  From everything I’m reading, each case is highly subjective.  Surgery helps some and not others.  Non-surgical therapy helps some and not others.  I’m hearing serious regrets about surgery…and regrets surgery wasn’t done sooner.  It’s a bit disorienting, especially when your ortho tells you to read up.

I’m getting strong fast…but it’s my understanding you can have a torn ACL and be very strong…until you torque it just right and blow a meniscus to boot…

So how did it go for you? Surgery? Recovery?  Any regrets or insights?

Make sure you know the rehab plan before you go into surgery.

Even if the surgery is successful, you need a good physical therapist.

As they say in the medical world, these are  “Series of ONE”, so take it with a grain of salt. Everyone is different.  Good friend, compete ACL tear. Tough guy, rehabed with no surgery. In 6 months and now 5 years later he does everything just fine. Personally, 80% tear years ago. No surgery.  My personal saving grace is biking clipped in. biking with flat pedals as you do in the PT office strengthens the quads, not the hamstrings, creating imbalance and instability in the knee.  If I bike regularly, I have absolutely no problems. Tried stretch bands, etc, not as good as biking, No bike, my exam is positive for acl laxity and i am unstable.  Biking regularly, exam negative and i feel great.  Good luck and do your homework before surgery.

Thanks for the thoughts.

Definitely taking it all with a grain of salt, it seems to be very subjective.

I’m *suspecting* at the moment I might be able to rehab to a decent state without surgery…but finding out the hard way and getting hurt even worse isn’t appealing.  I talk to a sports med specialist soon and will have a better idea of how stable I am.

I’m also finding the biking is doing wonders.  The second I could flex past 90-100 degrees I was riding and it’s really loosened me up.  The quad weakness on the injured leg is strange, but cycling is bringing it back quickly. I ride clipped in as well, which in my experience provides better float than platform pedals.