Anyone done their ACL or torn their meniscus? What does it feel like? I took myself out last weekend playing net. (Moral of the story is never volunteer to play net ). I twisted my left knee to the inside, heard it pop and it really hurt as I went down. Now its okay to walk around the apartment, but two blocks seems to be my limit before the knee starts moving around. Its really quite a gross feeling but it doesn't hurt. Just wondering if anyone else has had this type of injury. The GP that I saw said she'd refer me to a sports medicine clinic, but this is Canada and Healthcare is free so the wait list is likely to be huge. Plus the receptionist was quite a snarky bitch when I called on Wednesday to ask if they had made the appointment yet.....
Didn't Emerson's folly teach you this? I hope everything works out for you. Sorry that I cannot be of help. But this should remind us Yanks of the perils of public health care.
Re: Re: Knees While I do agree that long waiting lists are irritating, I remind myself that were I in the States I probably wouldn't be able to afford health care coverage.
Well Loma, I did both about 2 months ago effectively ending my post 30 playing career. When I did it, I didn't hear it but others on the field said they heard a pop. Me, I was probably too busy screeching. You can walk on it after you do it. In fact I've been doing it all summer and it doesn't hurt too much. Shortly after I did it, there was no pain until several hours later. I felt it shift on me right after I did it (lovely feeling) but it's been pretty stable since. The only way to know for sure is to get an MRI. The pop was probably one of them going. Get it checked by someone who knows what they're doing. If you want some additional info about my own experience you can PM me.
I have actually torn both of mine within the last 3 years ( I know lucky me ). Both times while I did hear a pop, they acted differently. The first time I was able to limp off and once in awhile it would buckle on it's own. The second time I couldn't get it to stop bucking for the first two days, but after that it was pretty stable for anything not involving heavy lifting or latteral cuts. A MRI will and is the way to tell you FOR SURE if you have torn it. Another way, once the first 3 days of swelling are out of the way is to have a doctor give you the lochman's test. Basically they grab your thigh and hold it down while they bring up your lower leg and see if there is an end point. If not, you have just blown your ACL and basically see you on the pitch in a year or so. Hope this information helps you out, Paul p.s.- if you want any other information let me know. For example good ideas on what to work out for pre-op if necessary.
A pop is generally associated with the ACL. Its also not unusual to be able to walk somewhat normal. I'd get it checked out. The sooner you get it taken care of, the sooner you'll be back on the field; And hopefully not in net. -CPFitz-
Week 5 of rehab for ACL reconstruction has just begun. When it happened I was alone and tried to cross the ball. No pop but ball went nowhere. Extreme pain but finished the game. Lochman's test was prelude to MRI. Both were obviously not good. Tore ligament from bone and in the middle. Doctor said dont need ACL to live but if ever want to walk without that sliding feeling to get it done. Whole procedure was 6 hours from when I walked in to when I wheeled out. Bill that insurance paid was $16000!
Week 5 huh, I am just starting week 4 right now. See you on the pitch around the same time BTW, 16g ain't too bad for that kind of surgery, I figured that the when all the rehab is said and done, for both ACLs I would gather that the VA has put in about 75000 into my health. I also got really lucky with them and had some nfl caliber attendings.
I am now going into my 10th week Post-ACL reconstruction, menscicus repair and torn MCL. If you need any help just give me a message. Just stay tough and commited to your therapy.
Thanks for all your responses. I wish all of you the best and the speediest recoveries. I went to Physio on Monday and she said MCL partial tear. She couldn't say anything about the mensicus as I don't have full range yet. She prescribed a brace with internal buttresses and a patella cup as my knee feels unstable and moves around after walking on it for a bit. I think she did the Lochman's test and determined that my ACL was intact. I see my family doctor again on Friday. I assume its to chat about the X-Ray. Can't really see that she'll have too much to tell me, probably just hand over the film so I can take with me to my Sports Medicine Clinic appointment in September... I finally picked the knee brace up this morning. The Sportsmed store guy fit it to my knee and adjusted it to fit my patella, but it felt weird to walk with it. (Weird as in the same way it feels when the knee shifts). But then the feeling settled down and it started swelling. I've not had as much swelling in the first 12 days as I have had today. (I don't have a desk job, but we do have lots of ice). The guy at the store (called him back) thought it might just be because the patella brace has a hole and thus a place for the swelling to be noticed. (I've been using a tensor neoprene bandage/brace). But another theory is that maybe the patella had shifted and this brace is re-aligning it back to where its supposed to be thus the increased swelling. No pain, today just that horrible feeling of inflating tissue and stiffness associated with ballooned joints.The sportmed store guy gave me the idea for that theory as he said I pronate and that pronators kneecaps aren't always aligned. It'll be a long while 'til I see an MRI though. I've an appointment with the Sports Medicine clinic Sept 22. Ah well. Its late and my not so stellar typing skills are really beginning to fail me. Good night........
Yay. Today I can walk almost normally again and without much discomfort. I think I've suppressed just how uncomfortable walking has been for the past week or so because today it sure feels alot better to put weight on that knee. I really like this new brace. I don't worry about my knee moving up and down like it did after walking a few blocks. (I've stopped trying to walk more than two blocks at a time). But even at work before I got the new brace it would occasionally move. I went to see the family doctor yesterday, there were no bone chips in the X-ray. But of course she had to confirm what the physio had diagnosed. Its funny with knee injuries, unless you're absolutely unable to walk most people seem to assume its nothing serious. The exception seems to be people who've had knee injuries. Sure enough the doctor eventually came to the same conclusion: Partial MCL tear. My knee cap is creaky and there is a bit of movement. I was comparing knee caps last night. It might just be unstable because of the MCL injury. I guess time and actually seeing an expert will tell me for sure.