Knee recos :(

[drnick]

Hey all!!!

Well, I have to have a knee reco. :(

Bit of background..

Back in 2001 I thought it would be good and play mixed netball with some mates for a perve and to get fit. Blah, did not work out well and went over on my knee rather badly. A few months of physio and I was back to semi normal, but lat movement was not really there. Lived with it and hurt it a few times in between (again in 2006 good lol).. So fast forward to ~5 weeks back and was praccying one morning and went down like a bag of shite. A couple of pops from the knee and I knew I had done it good this time. So some more physio and finally I got someone that knew their stuff and said my ACL was buggered. Go and see a surgon last week and have a MRI and yep my ACL is snapped and cartlige needs some work as well. The Dr said that I prob snapped my ACL back in 2001.. So I managed okay with my 70 rounds last year!!

Booked in for the 12th of May in Melb and getting the LARS replacement done. Hanging out for a hit now, but will not rush back!

Now, anyone here returned from a knee reco? How did they go and what sort of time frame were you out for?

Cheers all, not looking forward to it but need to get it sorted.

S

[mike]

Netball and knee injuries. They go hand in hand.

I snapped my acl playing touch footy 17 years ago. It was actually 8 months before the snapped ligament was diagnosed and in the meantime I was back to playing touch footy and comp squash. Always rode my bike to work back then. My surgeon said if I could play squash and footy with the knee as it was to go for it. I had an arthroscopy done, he cleaned up some cartlidge and and I've had bugger all problems since.

Having said that you would have to think todays technology would make it a certain success.

[mike]

Aren't you a doc? Do it yourself.

[drnick]

Hehehehe, nar no real Dr here. :)

I'll be able to work on my putting for a bit tho. :)

S

[Dotty]

Aren't you a doc? Do it yourself.
The B is for Bargain.

[grandmasterb]

Expect to out of action for 4-6weeks and then that time frame again before you start doing anything with impact. I had a partial tear to my ACL and no meniscus left along with bilateral grade 3 stress fractures in both shins so was out of action for 12months. Took me roughly 12 weeks before i was able to jog/run and that was with alot of rehab (bike, swimming, stretching etc)

Your doctor will run through the recovery period and they "usually" advise walking, cycling and swimming are allowed, as soon as the wounds are healed (2 weeks). Jogging is allowed at 3 months, with light sporting activities at 6 months. Return to contact sports, or those requiring twisting, or cutting movements is allowed at 12 months post-operatively.

Best advice i can give you mate is work it out for yourself cause recovery is different for everyone. Dont rush back into anything even though it will drive you nuts not being able to just do what you want.

Best of luck with a speedy recovery.

[drnick]

Okay, nearly 8 weeks post op now. First 2 weeks was shit but since then I have bounded along. Doing physio once a fortnight and stuff daily by myself. Spoke with the surgeon yesterday and said I was fine to go on the the praccy fairway if I wanted, this LARS thing seems to make recovery very different!!!! So I went out with some mates for comp today and grabbed a cart. Putted on all holes and hit a few small wedges (only 20m) here and there. I am still a bit off playing or swinging full on, but is good to make a start. Not going to rush into it anymore as I need to work my quad up. Got my legs up now so I will see how I feel in the morning!!

S

[raidrboy]

A player from our football club did his ACL in the final practice match before the season started and he made his comeback today in the reserves but to be on the safe side they only played him for half a game. Club physio seemed happy with the way he pulled up but tomorrow will give him a better idea on how his rehab has progressed. Good luck with your recovery.

[drnick]

Hit some 7 irons on the weekend. Watching my leg movement (or lack of it!), it's a mind over matter type of thing tho.

Ramping up the physio now, I want to get back to it!! :D

S

[backintheswing]

I completely tore my ACL in my left knee as well as a Grade 2 Medial Ligament and bone bruising etc on the 2nd May. I have had the MRI and need a knee reco. Going to put it off for a while until work sorts itself out. Went out for 9 holes on Sunday(my first hit since the accident). I play off 3 and had about 7 over. I was hitting everything off the back foot with my left leg off the ground nearly. It was actually embarassing. No more golf until the knee reco I think, unless it really starts to settle down soon.

My question is, how long for the knee to completely settle down after the acl tear and medial ligament tear. My specialist seems to think I will be able to play without the ACL, but I am not so sure after Sunday's hit. I still have swelling in the knee at the moment too and the Medial is back to a Grade 1 tear now.

[drnick]

Hard to tell back, will depend on what type of repair you go for. The LARS will speed up the ACL side of things a far bit. You could play without an ACL, but I would be worried about it giving way (like mine did) and damaging other stuff.

I did mine late Feb and did not swing a club (other than a putter) till the start of this month and that was just over 8 weeks post op.

The physio said for me it would be down to when I feel stable on that leg, it is going to take a while to build it back up anyways strength wise.

Like I said above, it is going to be a lot of mind games with me getting back on the course with it and putting full trust in it again.

S

[drnick]

Played my first round on the weekend. Was very hacky to say the least!!! All in the head and not really transfering much weight over to my left leg at all. When I did I hit it not too bad, but yeah lifting off the ball too much.

Also could not putt, or chip just make things good as well. 15 points did me for the 18, but, hey I was happy with be out there. Walked the whole lot too pushing my buggy around.

S

[backintheswing]

I'm back hitting balls at the range today, 5 months after tearing my ACL in my left knee. I have been in the gym for the last 6 weeks, and over the last 4 weeks have really been lifting big weights. I am amazed at how quickly my knee has responded. Anyway today I went to the local range and hit wedges and 7 irons and was really solid and no pain or anything. I think I may be able to manage this without a reconstruction. Will start playing a few holes in a couple of weeks and then try a comp game in a couple of months.

I was off 3 before the accident, so will most likely blow out quickly. Also tried out my new Scotty Cameron today that Kari refinished for me and I was holing putts everywhere on the practice green. I am so keen for golf again it's not funny.

[sol381]

you only need one knee to play golf.. take a look at this guy..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFVabP433TA&feature=related

[backintheswing]

Played 9 holes yesterday. No pain in the knee and shot even par. I was amazed. Played with the J36 Pocket Cavities I just got off Rick3003 and they were very forgiving. Will play comp in 2 weeks.

[poidda]

I'm joining this crippled group as finally booked in. Getting my right knee patched up on July 28th. It'll be nice to have an ACL again.

[dc68]

Won't be half as funny for the rest of us waiting for you to fall over on the 1st tee of champs though.

[poidda]

Won't be half as funny for the rest of us waiting for you to fall over on the 1st tee of champs though.

Did you see that? Must have been between spews was it?!?

[dc68]

Hahaha....no

[IanO]

Must be a thing ... I am in to see the specialist tomorrow to assess my torn medial meniscus. I had an arthroscope about 10 yrs ago and it has been all OK until about 2 months ago. Finally going to see what the damage is.

[hutcho]

I've had a double ACL and MCL LARS reco in October 2010 after a bit of a mountain bike crash (also factured my TIB/FIB plataeu in 3 places). Was back in the gym doing body weight squats, boxes etc before Xmas. Had a game of golf in March 2011 and was very nervous about it. Have another 1/2 doz games under the belt since then and have just joined a club and looking at getting into it in a big way.

In my experience compared to the Hammie reco I had a few years ago the LARS is a huge decrease in recovery time, heck I was driving 4 days post surgery.

Hutcho

[BrisVegas]

I'm joining this crippled group as finally booked in. Getting my right knee patched up on July 28th. It'll be nice to have an ACL again.

hope you came through alright poidda. How's the morphine?

[timinsa]

backintheswing. get the recon asap. Or wait until you knee collapses when you hop over someones line on the green or when you really try to crank a big drive... Should happen about once every year or two. So painful you'll forget your name.
I waited.
Big mistake.

[poidda]

4 weeks post-op now, and I am amazed at how well things have gone. Was off crutches in 4 days and up and downs stairs in a week with minimal pain. The most painful part is when I tweek my hammy every now and again.

Just gotta make sure I don't do too much, even though I feel like I could swing a golf club all ready. Modern surgery is really something.

[shazza_rs]

Glad to hear it's going well poidda.

[backintheswing]

backintheswing. get the recon asap. Or wait until you knee collapses when you hop over someones line on the green or when you really try to crank a big drive... Should happen about once every year or two. So painful you'll forget your name.
I waited.
Big mistake.

I have seen the best surgeons in Queensland (Meyers and McMenimen) and they say not to have it. I have no pain, just the odd clicking when the knee moves around a bit. I have been in the gym for a year now, so the leg is as strong as ever. I will most likely need at least an arthroscope in 5-10 years as there will be a lot more movement in the knee, than if I had an ACL. If my knee does start to give way and collapse then obviously I will reconsider and have the reco. (LARS I hope). My physio here in Mackay has done both ACL's at different times. He was an ex state soccer player. Anyway, he has one knee that is fine, never had the reco, and the other one that gave way every day and needed the reconstruction. He still plays all sorts of sports on the knee without the reco.

[poidda]

It's now 3 months post-op, and I had my first games of golf on the weekend for our annual lads trip, The Muzza Cup. The knee couldn't be better and it's the best golf I've played in over a decade.

It took a few holes to work out my balance, and started triple, triple double at the Vintage, but ended with an 88 and was happy with that.

The second day was a different story at Cypress Lakes. I missed one fairway and two greens all day and finished with a 77. I couldn't read a putt to save myself and had 37 putts for the day. After turning -2, I thought I was a chance of going under the card, but the beers settled in, and the greens were even trickier to read on the back for some reason. :)

Anyway, stoked with the knee reco, and will hopefully get back into a bit more golf.

[poidda]

What handicap u off limpy ?

13.

[Choppa]

13.

Come on mtb, what about this.....