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Alla
18-05-2005, 10:58 AM
Hi there
I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this. I had an ACL Reco done about 14 days ago... all was going really well I felt that I was improving heaps each morning, although it was really swollen. Then on the morning of day 10 I woke, and noticed that I hadnt had the same degree of improvement as I'd had on other mornings, but hey, that was ok. I'd had a rough nights sleep and I think this contributed to what happened next.

I was negotiating my way up some stairs and somehow I tangled in the crutches and tripped. I stopped from hitting my knee on the stairs but in the process my knee fell across the crutches. I cant say if I fell and twisted or just fell straight over and bent my knee more then it was liking but I had a burning sensation down the lateral side of the knee for about half a minute. Then the people that were there said I went reallt white, while I cant recall it being that painful, all that kept running through my head was "oh no... what have I done to the graft". I iced it and elevated it and couldnt stop crying for fear that I have destroyed the graft.... and even though I have had the assurance of one physio to say that it is unlikely that I've done any damage (she hasnt seen it yet) and another who has seen it says he cant tell yet, I'm still so freaked out that I have done some damage. About 2 days later some more bruising appeared on the medial side of the knee, and funly enough the swelling went down rapidly after this fall. Whether that was going to happen or not though I cant tell. I'm also experienceing a little pain in the knee but again I cant tell if that was going to happen anyway. I am seeing the OS tomorrow for my post op review, Im hoping that he will be able to tell me some more, and not lecture me too much... I'd been so careful.

Im so sensitive to my knee now that I am too scared to try to walk anywhere far or put too much weight on it.... has anyone else had this happen???

Alla
injuryupdate
18-05-2005, 01:45 PM
It is impossible to say whether this was a graft re-rupture without the examination. Hopefully your surgeon will be objective in his assessment, and if he feels the graft may have torn, then he can get on with the job of revising it.

Let's keep our fingers crossed it is OK. If it isn't, you can solace yourself in the fact that it is better to do it again after 14 days than in your first match 12 months later
Alla
18-05-2005, 07:22 PM
That is a really good point that I hadnt thought of...

I really hope that it is ok, but I have that horrible gut feeling again... (the same one I had when I first injured this knee). I guess because I havent experienced this whole reco thing before I'm not really sure what is normal and what is not. I'm feeling at the moment that as my knees swelling goes down that it is a little "sloppy" or "loose", which really frightens me because it is a similar feeling to what I had before the surgery. People keep saying that it is difficult to damage the graft but Im still really scared.

Im also very emabarrassed and scared of what my surgeon will think of me as a patient. I was really careful, and had rapt myself up in cotton wool. The incident was the first time that I'd done anything other then physio excersises since the op. I feel really bad because Im sure he had done a terrific job,it felt really good until then and now that I have done this I've lost confidence in my knee and am too scared to not use the crutches and have been avoiding walking anywhere for fear of a similar incident. I guess that tomorrow will tell for sure....

Alla
Alla
19-05-2005, 04:59 PM
It is all good apparently...... I feel better now.

Alla
Unregistered
19-09-2005, 10:54 PM
in the first 6 weeks post op the graft is quite strong...between 6-12 weeks is the danger period because the graft is vascularising and it weakens.so youre pretty safe right after your op apart from the pain and lack of movement
Alla
20-09-2005, 08:46 AM
in the first 6 weeks post op the graft is quite strong...between 6-12 weeks is the danger period because the graft is vascularising and it weakens.so youre pretty safe right after your op apart from the pain and lack of movement


Yeah,
I had scared myself more then anything.... I've had a second visit to the OS since and he says the graft is excellent.... my knee is apparently really stable..... more stable then before I hurt it!!

Alla
blindside
21-09-2005, 05:35 PM
been for a run on it yet??
Unregistered
21-09-2005, 10:48 PM
been for a run on it yet??

Yeah, actually scooted up and down the hall way this afternoon on it. Definately a head thing that makes it hard..... the knee was good for the most part but complained a bit at the end... I think that is because I've been pandering it too much.... I have to work it on the running scene I think an dgradually build up..... Yeah, I know running up and down the hall way isnt much but it is a start.... all my major achivements with the knee occur there.... for some reason the closed in walls make me feel more secure!!

Got a rowing machine for my brthday too so been going to town rowing heaps and heaps.... only had it since the weekend and I think it is already helping!

Alla
Alla
21-09-2005, 10:49 PM
oops, forgot to log in!!

Sorry