UKC

Looking for some advice regarding the rehab time and if anyone has experienced any complications with the op.

My wife has just had this done after a skiing accident and she can't get any info on what to expect. She is in pain at the moment as it has been a week and a half since the op. She is also worried about scarring as the incision is a lot bigger than she thought it would be. Big lightning bolt scar (like Harry Potter!) at the moment and she had staples. Basically looking for peoples experiences of the rehab and how they are doing now. Oh and how long till they were climbing again.

Cheers guys and gals!

In reply to Goonie:

I had this operation in 2006. It was very painful immediately after and the scar looked huge! Scar-wise, it is now very neat and has faded a lot. It took me about 3 months until I was walking around without really thinking about it, and 6 months plus until I could ski or run (was not climbing much at the time). 3 years on, it still does not feel 'absolutely' the same as the other knee, but I can do everything I want to do on it and I don't feel any effects on rockover moves etc. Patience and consistency of physio were the keys for me. Good luck!

In reply to Goonie:

hi there,

i had this op in 2007. i was walking without crutches after about a month (though gingerly at times). after two months and against the wishes of the doc's i was doing some very easy top-roping (and backing off as soon as i felt twinges). i was lead climbing back at the old grade after about 7 months, and signed off the doc's check-ups after 9months. my scar has faded in but i had the glue stitches. i get occasional old man knee in that i can sense the weather changing in it, and i still have a loss of surface felling to the right of the scar. but the leg is fully stable.

pyhsios are your friends but are a bit evil, nevertheless do the physio stuff all the time. i found getting hyper extension to be harder than recovering the flexion, but both required work, particularly closed chain stuff - squats and the like. once the knee has movement, gentle flat land cycling really helped. cocodamol helped me the first few weeks as well.

best of luck to the missus. and keep on at her to do the physio and she'll be right.

In reply to Goonie:I had acl reconstruction 12 weeks ago but with the hamstring rather than Patella. I did some easy seconding this weekend which felt o.k. but still don't have the full range of motion in my leg so can't bend as far as i'd like but once it starts recovering it's surprising how fast the movement comes back. It was extremely painful for the first 2 or 3 weeks but not too bad after that. I also had staples which looked a real mess to begin with but once they are removed and the swelling subsides look really neat.

In reply to Goonie:
i've been responsible for a fair bit of ACL rehab
she can expect some early walking correction and gentle balance work to start with
An ACL is very weak at about 6 weeks as the graft is starting to die due to lack of its own blood supply which starts to form at abot 6 - 8 weeks, from then it gets stronger and stronger. thats why you won't have too much loading until after that period as its so weak.
after that she should start having strngthening work, light jogging and change of direction stuff
start to finish about 6 months
patella tendons can be just a s good as hamstrings. i know a guy who had one of each and says he can't feel a difference.
make sure she sticks to the physio program and i wouldn't climb for about 3 months - just not worth risking it, you may get away with it but is it worth the risk?