ACL reconstruction surgery

Yeah I've had my ACL repaired. It happened about 7 years ago when I was 17. I was out of the water for 3 months and then rehabbed on a longboard with a brace until month 7 when I was medically cleared for contact sports. Sometimes it hurts but very rarely from surfing. It's never held me back and I wouldn't expect it to become a problem in the near future.

I've more or less quit skating which was partially influenced by my surgery. Some hard cutting sports will make my knee sore but I still play competitive soccer weekly and ball from time to time. That was the point of getting the surgery...

Specific to surfing, I've heard that ACL tears are more dramatic when it's your back foot so I'd be interested to hear that perspective. I had the surgery on my right knee and I'm goofy.

 

I cant run 5k 5 times a week, it will take you a few months to be semi-functional....and YEARS to feel how it did before.....if it ever does I was bodysurfing frequently in OH surf by Halloween from a July 15 surgery, surfed shortboard in late December. Still feel the knee, a lil tight, the quad is still 1 cm smaller circumference than the other quad even though its been almost 18 months since the surgery. I rehabbed pretty hard too, but your quad will atrophy like a mofo.

get prune juice for days after when oxys stop you from pooping, and be sure to stay ahead of the pain when the nerve block wears off, the first 48 hours are ROUGH and the following 2 weeks are no picnic

 

Then go to rehab to kick the oxy's lol

 

Blew my acl, mcl, and pcl in my left (front knee). Got pins\screws\etc and they used tendons out of my hamstring to put it back together. Never been right since but surfing doesn't really bother it too much, I just get real sore (in both knees - two minor ops on the "good" right knee).

Impacts and lateral movement\quick starting and stopping are not good anymore. I have to wear a custom fitted carbon fiber brace to play hockey\wakeboard\snowboard\etc. Tried using it once surfing but it just doesn't work.

No more bball\racquetball\running\etc., but so far haven't had any issues surfing. It does come out of socket sometimes but luckily hasn't happened in the water. Hard to get back in when it pops out and usually need a hard surface to push down on. Getting caught inside with it dangling is my worst case scenario.

Rehab rehab rehab and more rehab, and then keep strengthening it after that. Have to keep it in shape or it gets loose. Mtn biking\road biking is great for that. And +1 for prune juice etc, them pills will block you up bad. I was so backed up after my back surgery they talked about putting me in surgery 5 days after I had my back op.

 

Total ACL replacement (cadaver) in 2010. Took MONTHS to be functional, and I was diligent about PT. Tore it skiing in winter, had surgery 45 days later, and the next season I wasn't 100% on it. It was partly mental for sure.

The secondary injuries are what get you. Back pain on the other side from limping for so long. Hip pain on the ACL side from favoring the back pain. Basically bro you're gonna die from this.

 

Anytime man and thanks for the props. Yeah I started out finding creating ways to mangle myself at an early age and never was smart enough to stop. Guess I'll just keep going until I can't do it anymore or I finally off myself.

Ask away if you have any more ? and feel free to PM me if you want to go that route.

I think you'd be ok getting back on it before 8 mos, just depends on your recovery and how aggressive you want to be when you get back in. Best of luck to you man, I hope it all goes well.

 

Gotta wear the ACL brace on a replacement for a long time. I skied with it for 2.5 seasons, ran with it, played basketball and soccer with it, etc.

The worst part of surfing with any joint and/or back pain is getting worked when its big. Timing the paddle out wrong and getting tossed, or eating it and getting pummeled by a set, etc. When your limbs get tossed around its not good, especially if you haven't rebuilt the muscular strength to prevent hyperextension. Thus, I would say stick to belly high waves and below for a bit afterwards.

Its really a mental recovery. You're 85% functional and able to walk around before surgery, but after surgery you're crippled for a full week, mostly crippled for a second, and very debilitated for some time.

Salt, you're not gonna die. But if we were cave men, yeah, you'd kinda be dead. No more running with the herd. Dang, bro, you cant even gather. Leave ol Salty for dead at the edge of the village and ring the bear bell. (I'd have been gone a while ago.)

 

Come to think of it... even longboarding on small days, I can't think of how many times I've hopped off in knee deep water and landed in a way that makes me think that it would jolt my acl if it wasn't 100% again...

 

My ACL replacement used my patellar tendon. My orthopedic said cadaver ligaments aren't as "tight" but will do fine if you're not an active person (doesn't sound like you). Hamstrings weren't super common back then but started being offered a lot about 1 year after my surgery. I like the idea of the hamstring because ALL the source of my knee pain is in the knee cap (patellar area) so I feel I'd be more pain free if I used the hamstring technique.

That being said, my knee performs great. My best soccer, surfing, tennis, basketball, etc. all occurred since my surgery so that's the most important thing for me. I know I was "fortunate" to have torn it when I was 17 (vs. 30) but still would encourage you to have a bit more optimism about your post-surgery knee. Just listen to your doctor, wear your brace and be diligent about your PT. According to my doctor, surfing (e.g. balance exercises) were a good idea to do as a form of recovery. I always wore my brace though which was not super comfortable but really helped me overcome some of the mental challenges mentioned before.

Good luck bro!

 

Hmmm... I don't trust doctors too much in general, but now my eyebrow is raised. I got mine done by the orthopedic surgeon for the USA ski team and she was 100% cadaver. We talked about how active I was and how active I planned on being moving forward. I wonder if they were running a spiff promo on cadaver parts that month?!?

I got mine done when I was 30... grueling. To top it off I was recently divorced and living alone 3000 miles from my nearest relative (obligated to pitch in), in a cinderblock house in the high desert that looked like something out of the hills have eyes (complete with neighborhood mountain lion warnings that included my neighbor coming over with a gun and saying, "dude theres a cougar on your property. careful going out to your car.") luckily i drove this one milf home from a bar when she was prime suspect for date rape, carried her inside, etc. she changed the cat box, cleaned my house, and did my grocery shopping for a few weeks. the moral of that story is: when you have a cinderblock house in the desert, you're constipated from pain meds, you havent bathed in a week, and you're house smells like cat poop--you can still be a pimp.

The last thing the dude said about PT and balance exercises should become religious. Don't miss a session, and go to the chiropractor as soon as you can afterwards just to stay balanced.

 

Your pimp hand is strong sir.

 

well.....milestone achieved last night, I caught two bombs at the bay, 4xoh plus
kinda bragging, but stoked that 16 month later, I can still get some
no brace either