Torn ACL?

[SoccerPro843]

Okay, a while back I posted about a very painful knot underneath my knee cap.
Well, that's been there for going on three months, and last night I took a shot at practice, and when I kicked all my weight went onto my lfet leg, and it gave out. I fell right on that knee, and a sharp pain surged in between the knot and the knee cap, where the ACL is I beleive. Well this morning I woke up, and could not bend my leg at all. Imagine my trouble getting out of bed. After a while I could bend it, and walk, but I basically drag that leg because it feels heavy. Today, I spent about eight hours putting ice on it, and eight putting heat. I have purple coloration in between the knot and the knee cap, and the entire knee is about twice the size as the other one. The worst part is that I have try-outs in three days. Does anyone have any idea if it might be a pulled or torn ACL?

P.S. I think we need an injury sub-forum.

[EDGE11lefty]

go to the doctor. thats the only way you can find out

[appleCORR7]

You should go and get it looked at a knee isnt something to f**k about with if you will excuse my french. One wrong move when it needs to rest and that could be the end of football for you.

IF THERE IS SWELLING DO NOT PUT HEAT ON IT!!! keep you leg up and your knee straight if you can. Just ice it for now.

When you say you had a knot was it at the back of your knee in a little bump?

appleCORR

[SoccerPro843]

You should go and get it looked at a knee isnt something to f**k about with if you will excuse my french. One wrong move when it needs to rest and that could be the end of football for you.

IF THERE IS SWELLING DO NOT PUT HEAT ON IT!!! keep you leg up and your knee straight if you can. Just ice it for now.

When you say you had a knot was it at the back of your knee in a little bump?

appleCORR
I've been resting all weekend and the pain is way down. The swelling is pretty much gone. The knot is one the front, below the knee cap, above the lower part of the leg (tibia or fibia?).

[SoccerPro843]

I scored two goals today in day one of tryouts, but other than that I wasn't very good.

[jammybastard]

you'll know when you have a torn ACL.
You'll try to pivot or stop short to change direction and you're leg will give out.
:mad:
I know it well.

[Derk]

ouch....just ouch

[astabooty]

ya for real, you will know the day after if you have torn your acl, as well as the following couple of days. i had very little pain and swelling when i first tore my acl, hell i even went back into the game cuz my team didnt have enuff players, but the next day...err

anyhoo, 4 months or so till im back (i hope)

[claretnblue]

Hey, I'm new here so no more lurking. I tore my ACL in April,just got back from seeing the surgeon to schedule surgery. I am looking for any input on what type of graft you might have and the pro cons,recovery time etc. If there is already a thread for this, excuse my newbie ignorance.Thanks!:D

[yellowtruck61]

like was said before:
-see a Dr. , don't eff with your knee!
-you'll know if you've torn your ACL, can't extend all the way, weak, swelling, etc.

I tore my ACL in October, had surgery in December and i'm almost back to 100%. I had a cadaver graft and i have almost no complaints, except that i can't straighten my knee. normally i could hit -20 hyperextension but on my new knee i can barely hit 0 degrees. WORK HARD after surgery, rehab is essential!!! Listen to your doctor and don't push yourself back too early!!!

hope that helps some, if you have any questions, i'll be glad to try to help, just PM me.

here's a link to my photos of my old and new ACL.
http://s25.photobucket.com/albums/c70/yellowtruck61/ACL/

[ctsoccer13]

suck it up and keep playing.

[CC05]

suck it up and keep playing.

That's some of the worst advice you could ever give someone, especially if it's ligament damage.

[ctsoccer13]

That's some of the worst advice you could ever give someone, especially if it's ligament damage.
That's because it was a joke.

[NGV]

Hey, I'm new here so no more lurking. I tore my ACL in April,just got back from seeing the surgeon to schedule surgery. I am looking for any input on what type of graft you might have and the pro cons,recovery time etc. If there is already a thread for this, excuse my newbie ignorance.Thanks!:D
Sorry to hear about your injury; welcome to the club.

Here's what I've gathered so far about the different graft choices. Please keep in mind that I have absolutely no medical expertise or training whatsoever, and everything here is based on internet research and a few conversations with my surgeon. Take it all with a grain of salt.

Anyway, as you probably know there are three main choices - an autograft (your own tissue) using the hamstring or patella tendon, or an allograft from a cadaver. In general, the advantage of the allograft is that you don't have to take your own tissue, but there are some possible drawbacks. As best I can tell, the main pluses and minuses for all three are as follows:

PATELLA AUTOGRAFT Pluses: The most commonly done procedure, long and established record of success.
Minuses: In some cases, can lead to longer term pain when kneeling, or general pain or irritation in the patella area.

HAMSTRING AUTOGRAFT: Pluses: Also very common, and a very strong graft.
Minuses: Doesn't heal bone-to-bone, so fixation of the graft may be a little trickier than with the patella. Weakens the hamstring muscles slightly - this can be overcome with strengthening exercise, but because the hamstring is the most important muscle for protecting the ACL, it might inhibit rehab a little.

ALLOGRAFT: Pluses: Not taking your own tissue means that early recovery from surgery and return to basic (non-athletic) activities may be faster, smoother, and less painful. Faster and easier surgery. Avoids the possible long term complications associated with harvesting hamstring or patella tendon.
Minuses: Tiny (basically nonexistent) chance of contracting an infectious disease, increased (but still very small) chance of infection. Some studies have suggested that allografts may be slightly weaker, or may be more prone to a failure that requires revision surgery. Possible causes of that may be treatments used to preserve the tissue, or a questionable donor source (don't want to end up with a tendon from a 65 year old). Allografts may also take longer to revascularize. Even though the knee may FEEL better sooner with an allograft than with an autograft, it probably isn't better, so you have to be careful not to overstress it. The allograft also costs a bit more.

For various reasons I won't get into here, I decided on the allograft. My vague impression is that the older the patient, the more favorable the allo option. My surgeon is 35, and he said that he would probably go with the allo if he had the procedure.

One other point - in general, the skill and experience of the surgeon is usually more important than the graft choice. If your surgeon has more experience with a certain type of graft, or prefers one over another, it might be a good idea to go with that one. Find out roughly how many of each procedure your surgeon has performed. If you consider an allo, I would ask the surgeon about how they obtain the donor tissue, and make sure the answer sounds satisfying.

Best of luck with your surgery and rehab. I'm 10 weeks post-op right now, and would be happy to answer any specific questions about my experience.

[claretnblue]

Hey thanks ngv. I guy on my team went the patella route and was out for 9 months,he said the pain after surgery wasn't as bad as he thought and now I never would have known he had a knee problem. Another guy I know from the pub went the cadaver route and was out for 6 months but he said the pain was really bad after surgery. I haven't talked with anyone who went hamstring. My surgeon recommends hamstring for me as a soccer player and it is her prefered method. I am leaning towards hamstring anyways. Seems a little less intrusive than patella even though they both have downsides.The cadaver just seems a little spooky.The doc told me its a 1 in 500m chance of having a problem with contracting something from an unsterile ligament. Anyways,thanks for your input!

[astabooty]

I had a cadaver graft. From what I have heard it is the best if your insurance will cover it.

[ggayle]

I've been resting all weekend and the pain is way down. The swelling is pretty much gone. The knot is one the front, below the knee cap, above the lower part of the leg (tibia or fibia?).
Go to an othro ASAP.

I tore mine in a bike accident in 2001, but it was a month after that accident (I thought I had dislocated my patella at first) after my knee gave out playing tennis, that I had it properly diagnosed by an othropedic surgeon.

The original urgent care doctor just took x-rays, which won't show any soft tissue damage. Once the swelling went back down, I thought I was okay. I could walk, bike, even run on it. It wasn't until I tried to go for a backhand and twisted on the knee that true nature of the injury revealed itself.

My cadaver graft has completely incorporated itself into the bones. I've had no problems with it. The menicus I tore in the same accident however...

[Reis710]

hey i know i hurt my ACl yesterday but im not sure if it is torn or just hurt... i can bend my leg but when it gets to a certain point it starts to hurt.. is this torn is is it something less

[claretnblue]

hey i know i hurt my ACl yesterday but im not sure if it is torn or just hurt... i can bend my leg but when it gets to a certain point it starts to hurt.. is this torn is is it something less

Well if you plant your foot then pivot your upper body does it give out? You will know because you will be on the floor clutching your knee in agony.

[jvillefreelance]

another way you can test it is to have someone hold their hands between ur legs and you try to push against their hands while they resist, also do the same thing for the outside, you try to push your legs out and they resist. I you have pain from that you probably have a torn ligament (which would only take a week or two of staying off it to recover), or you may have unfortunately torn your ACL or MCL. Regardless, if you do the test I said or the one claretnblue said and it hurts, go to the Doc.