Quickest Return to Sport after ACL reco?

[mugway05]

I had my ACL reconstructed on the 4th of Jan. I have taken things really easy since then. Doing all my rehab and in the last 3 weeks alot of swimming. Lately my knee is feeling back to normal again. There is a tiny bit of swelling but not much. Last week I started running again. Trying to push my self as hard as I could. Once again no soreness and feels completely stable. Today I was out having a run (Ran about 10laps of a footy oval) and the local footy team was there to have a training session. They asked me if I would like to join them. I told them about my ACL reco and they advised ok but if I wanted to and even if i took it easy that would be ok. So I trained with them and trained pretty hard. We did a lot kicking drills and a bit of twisting and turning. I completed every drill with out a drama. I just want to know what would be the quickest i should return to sport? Is it ok if I continue training? How long should I wait before I actually put my self into game situation with tackling etc? Any advise would be great.

[Flash21]

Mate check out John's article at :

http://injuryupdate.com.au/injuries/knee/acl_return_from.php

Personally, would like to give the graft time to revascularise and become ligamentous before putting loads like you are through it. It seems quite foolish to think that, as it does not hurt when you run and kick, that the graft will be up to it. Did your knee hurt before you busted it? I think not. It only requires the right force in the right direction to put you back where you started and would have cost you a lot more pain, time and money. I'd sit it out if I were you, or discuss it first with your surgeon or physio

[injuryupdate]

David Schwarz of Melbourne Demons (AFL) holds the record for the quickest return in this country in football, I think, at about 15-16 weeks post-surgery in the mid-1990s. Problem is, even though he kicked 3 goals in his comeback game, he ruptured his graft the following week.

[deegee]

I thought it was Tony Liberatore with the quickest return in the AFL.... but its foolish to go back any sooner than 6 months... i waited 12 months before i started even doing heavy work on my knee... do it once to it right... coz im not gonna play sport again if the unfortunate happens again...

[s992748@students.cdu.edu.]

way to soon to start training for footy, even running should not be attempted. Done some research into ACL surgery, the graft is only 40% after 6 months, so only if you are a professional sportsperson where you depend on the income to live on , any attempt to come back before 8-10 months at least is silly.

[injuryupdate]

Liberatore has the quickest return that was successful. I think he may have taken a week or two longer than Schwarz, although I'm not sure.

Graft healing time in real humans is pretty much impossible to predict. The animal studies show much slower healing than we expect in humans, but then a foetus pops out at different numbers of months in the different species.

Bottom line = risk v reward.

Vast majority of cases it makes sense to wait 8-10 months. For a professional player going into a finals series it might pay to come back sooner.

[injuryupdate]

Check out this free link at BJSM:

http://bjsm.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/39/3/127

[goober]

take your time and do the rehab properly, look at it as just 1 year out of 70,

[Unregistered]

my friend had his op the same day as mine and he was surfing a few weeks later and playing touch footy in under 2 months.i dont understand why ppl get the op if they cant be bothered to rehab properly. the greatest risk of graft rupture is between 6-12 weeks post op.
listen to your surgeon andphysio