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Can I darkside with ACL damage?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Right, well now both legs hurt - and not for the right reasons Sad
Blinking skiers... OK so I was on skis too.
Seems as if my 2-plank days are over, at least for a while. Both ACLs trashed plus MCLs (inner side of knee) too; blinking painful but apparently they at least should heal.
So, currently assessing my options, may well try to go without reconstruction surgery. With or without knee braces, how's continuing boarding (not park or tricks or big air, just piste carve & play) going to work out for me as compared to skiing? A viable back- up plan, forever or at least a few years?
Someone give me some nice news, please...
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@Grizzler, friend went to boarding after 2nd ACL injury, but only after reconstruction. She went back to skiing after a couple of winters though.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@Grizzler I'm so sorry to hear about your ACL on previous post, what a Bu66er.
I know its great to dream of what your alternatives are available to get back to slithering down mountains.

I dont know the answer, I'm still recovering from a meniscus damaged during that extreme off piste at Hemmel Fridge.

I'm sure I would have recovered quicker if I had not pushed it with a ski jaunt in January.
And I would feel a lot happier if I didnt have a an indecent on Friday where I had a loud screemy squeak from the meniscus while lifting two 20kg tubs.

But i'm going on the End of Ski Bash whatever happens.

Dont rush it .. I fantasized about doing boarding instead ... but I saw sence.
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@DrLawn, she's a boarder....
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@holidayloverxx, to be fair, I'm a greysider... snowHead
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I mentioned this on a earlier ACL thread, this will be the last time. Madeye-Smiley Our daughter is an L2 SB instructor, there were 10 months between pinging her ACL and surgery. She taught for 5 of those months.
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@Grizzler, Listen to your body, do some basic movements in your socks on a mildly slippery foor (with a chair to grab if it goes tiysup) If you can move through at least 90% of full range of movement then you might risk it . . . But you really need a chat with doc/physio first.

Alternatively just come for the craic. I can bring snowshoes (big trecking ones) if you want to do some straightforward walking rehab.

Me, if I felt ok I go and if it didn't work, treat it as a time to catch up on some reading/writing/friends . . . but then, I'm kinda used to being broken. This bash is going to be a chalenge for me too.
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After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@holidayloverxx Sorry, I thought she was a skier ...
thinking of going to the "dark side".

Anyway the 2-plank days are over for a while, but I hope she recovers quickly and she can get the planks back on next season.
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holidayloverxx wrote:
@DrLawn, she's a boarder....


How long were you out of action for? I'm sure Grizzler missed your tale of woe....would be worth a Euro to tell it again wink
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I skied and snowboarded for years with what turned out to be a trashed ACL but largely because I had strong muscles and a willingness to deal with a knee that would spontaneously collapse and or be very painful at the end of the day. In hindsight I should have had it reconstructed earlier and I would always recommend that I think. That said it you wanted to phase recon so you could have a winter in between, I'd have your lead leg done this summer.

I don't know what the timeframe is for a double recon. I'd bet at least 3 months apart
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@Thornyhill, "incident" 1st April, back on skis November. I am sure everyone has seen the link by now.....and it was €2
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
@holidayloverxx, Laughing Ah... but it is a repeat now...decrease in royalties.


There ya go Grizzler..... you have a few days head start and could be back in action for the start of next season. I must admit that I was impressed by how hard ironsidexxx worked towards recovery.

edit...I mean holidayloverxxx...no idea why that auto corrected like that Happy
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@Thornyhill, very different injuries and only 1 leg though. I reckon @Grizzler will be back before the end of next season
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@holidayloverxx, I remember (at the time of your injury) getting told off by the mad cyclist (batgirl's BF?) for saying 7 or 8 months was plenty if you worked hard....and you both worked hard in physio and were back in 7 or 8 months. @Grizzler seems to be of the impression that this will take 'a few years' to get 'back to normal'.


Doing both legs at the same time doesn't have a cumulative healing time. Just makes physio and making tea a bit harder.

IIRC you had a few messy breaks along with the ligament damage?
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@Thornyhill, i had a mush of a TPF and stretched MCL. 1 surgery then into rehab. @Grizzler has potentially 2 surgeries on different legs, probably at different times so rehab will take longer. Batman had 3 surgeries in the end.
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@Grizzler, OK, just how old are you and how much time are you able/willing to put into your rehab? Most snowheads know that I turned my lower right leg and ankle to mush last year. My job has me spending a minimum of 12 hrs a day and up to 16 . . . 7 days a week . . . sitting on my ass. I've had 5 days off in the last 9 months and although my ankle still goes 'clunk, ckick' every trip, I am fit enough to hit my board for this eosb. It'll mean lots of drills, controlled speeds and not going off to keep up with my fellow snowheads on excursions.

If you do come, treat it as part of your rehab, talk to your physio and if you come, there'll be two old farts looking like they need adult supervision wink
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@Masque, It is easier to fit a Zimmer frame to a snowboard than to skis.

@Grizzler, Don't forget that Billy Morgan landed that huge and infamous first 1800 quad cork with 2 blown ACLs... but also remember you are (probably) not Billy Morgan.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
I am nowhere being Billy, sadly; nor do I have his medical & physio back up team.
I'm far from certain if I will have surgery & reconstruction at all. My physio is against it if poss, I'm willing to give not having it a go, certainly if we have uneven ground walking stability at 6+ weeks. Right at the moment, ski and board movements, very gently, seem fine - but there's a lot of healing yet to go.
No medical/physio person yet can comment on boarding, they all only see skiing as a problem and give me mixed times for possible returns to that. Surgeon consultant that I saw today thought that all was surprisingly good for 8 days yet said that I would be "missing a season" - and that's before surgery is even mentioned.
Personally, at the moment, all feels stable and useable once the pain goes away - but if skiing is such a no no, I want to know if boarding is too, or if it'OK if it feels OK. I've always braced knees in a wrap when boarding anyway as it's felt as if they suffer twist strain without (not on skis) - but, TBH, it's the thought of rotating cartwheeling and dig-in falls that worries me, plus getting up all the time, facing uphill or down.
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The most painful thing I did to my ACL-less knee was rolling over to stand up ironically while on a snowboard instructor course . Had to sit out the rest of the day with a big bag of ice on it.

While you can manage without, if you are active (and you mention hillwalking & scrambling ) why would you risk being in remote places with a knee that is more likely to give up the ghost? I'm not a big fan of taking physio advice on clinical decisions, while they are great at rehab and helping you to develop stabilising muscles etc etc I've come across rather too many who think they can diagnose or "fix" things themselves. Not intended as a slight on the very good physios out there - just quality and ego varies.
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@Grizzler, I know it's harder for you as it's two surgeries rather than one, but have to agree with Dave. I talked about the possibility of avoiding surgery with my skier GP and skier physio (had to have 20 sessions before surgery) and they both thought it would be foolish not to get it fixed given that I do a lot of hiking and skiing. My ski instructor has no ACL in either leg and has avoided surgery (she is ridiculously strong and fit) but wants to get them sorted now as has been told she will be candidate for two total knee replacements at a relatively young age. I was only allowed to walk or cycle on flat ground and no "frog leg" (breaststroke) swimming for 6 months post op and then at the 6 month mark was given the all-clear to do everything I was doing before, including skiing, and my knee really was good as new (the problem has been sorting out my head, which would be even worse if I were worried about the possibility of ACL-less legs giving way on the mountain).
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@Hand Wringer, @Dave of the Marmottes, To be honest, I just don't know yet what I want (except for this never to have happened!) or what's for the best. I'm going to be really peed off if I go through all this now (it's a lot of pain and mobility problems, right at the mo, but hoping will ease soon) just to then go through it all again; and possibly twice. At my stage in life, female over 50, and in my own circumstances, maintaining fitness and muscle tone & bone strength is getting hard enough without being told that you've got to lose it all again, possibly twice - and not be able to do everything that you actually do to keep that fitness & strength for maybe 6-9+ months, again maybe twice.
Carpe current diem as best as you can vs be able to do it all in a couple of years' time...? Known too many people who never had the luxury of those years to wait.
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@Grizzler, i can understand your mixed feelings. I am 57 and i have to say that if I had to devote say a year to getting back to normal i would do it. It would be awful..for me... to potentially have up to 20 years of active life curtailed by injury that i think would inevitably slow me down and stack up other problems later. I too know too many people who have died too soon but I will take anything going to make the best of my time...including and almost certain knee replacement in less than 10 years.

I dont find it difficult to build strength now through weights and floor exercises. I am fitter and stronger than i have ever been and while i hate the gym it is just a fact of life now and i am reaching personal bests every year. When it comes to the knee replacement I will just build up strength in advance then get back to it asap.
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@Grizzler, I remembered reading this post from Jonathan Bell a couple of years ago re: reconstruction or not and managed to dig it out
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=107700#2464585

The whole thread is worth a read.
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@Grizzler, I do and I don't understand where you are coming from. I don't understand because I only injured one knee and was in my 30s when I did that. I do understand because I struggled for a while with my father-in-law (big rugby player and marathon runner) who retired in his late 50s to a lovely place in the highlands with a huge garden and amazing scenic walks on his doorstep... and then spent 2-3 years not being able to enjoy that as he once had because he was putting off getting a knee replacement. I was so happy with my ACL recon outcome I was pushing him to get him to have the op done by the same surgeon. I'm sure he thought I was a bossy know-it-all thirtysomething and I thought he was a stubborn old fool... but he eventually had his TKR done and now in his mid-60s has pushed to get the other one replaced and will be doing it next month because it has enabled him to enjoy things that he'd avoided/thought were beyond him these days and doesn't want to wait too long with the second one. He has said he wished he'd got it done sooner but at least he was getting it done while he was still young and fit enough to reap the benefits...

You must go with what you feel is best but I think @holidayloverxx saying she is fitter and stronger than she has ever been because of (rather than despite) her injury is very inspiring.


Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Tue 4-04-17 20:20; edited 1 time in total
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@Grizzler, I understand what you're saying and I persevered without an ACL for many years (in fact I don't actually know which rugby injury or mountain bike crash caused it. But I finally succumbed to recon when I was finding I was limping up and down stairs etc and I have no doubt it was a good idea. Realistically if you are prepared to be aggressive I think you need to allow for 6 months rehab each time, 3 months being pretty crap and 3 months of "normalish" activity. Plus if you are with the NHS you are no doubt going to have to push for it as no employee is going to strong arm you into it as all sorts of biases (older woman etc) come into play. So I wouldn't take all advice as equal.

Worth I think at least exchanging pms with Jonathan Bell when he is around to give you an independent view.
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Thanks all. Rather got a tad off-topic vis the original query (i.e. will snowboard be easier or more possible than skis? - to which I have found some other interesting articles which basically say yes, probably, but it depends on the individual...) but all helpful in a mind-swirling kind of way. (Yes, I have exchanged PMs with JB.)
So far it's very early days, and there's a lot of other things going on in life which need to be attended to first, not least just rehabbing what I can as soon as I can (MCLs mainly).
I've still got a tad of swelling and lots of internal healing processes going on, and I'm not even anywher near walking or doing stairs properly yet - though things are healing and normalising very swiflty according to all physios and medical/surgical persons so far involved - so until I've had at least a few more weeks I won't have a clue what stability or problems I've got now, never mind in the future, nor how well I can cope with them. Advice as to how far and how soon to try things and do various activities (or not do) is also being given in conflicting ways - so I can only rely on my own judgment. There's also a lot of conflicting outcome stories and reports out there (though the majority of active people seem to come down on the reconstruct side - and the physios not), and a fair bit of advice of suck it and see and get surgery later if you find that you need it, which may be the best advice, although maybe risks a lost holiday or a further injury before I can reach an answer.
I've not been able to discuss options with any (NHS, I'm afraid) doctor or surgeon, and certainly not been able to ask how they would approach a reasonably-rare bilateral injury: in the US and from some other research papers I've seen simultaneous surgery recommended or accepted, but so far I get the impression that in the UK they wouldn't do it even if I wanted, although I have no formal or research evidence on this. That is my real problem with surgery: I do not want to go through the whole process and rehab twice. Once I will put up with, even enjoy the gym work - though not the ablity to hillwalk - and do everything that I'm told for the expected benefits: but twice is too much disruption, repetition and lost or wasted time.
The uncertainty of not knowing even potential ways forward is annoying, the inabiity to discuss this with an expert (preferably several - without conflicting views) very unhelpful to my impatient, unsettled brain. Still, there are other things to be getting on with, and many muscles to be strengthened either way.
Anyone know a surgeon (or other person) - preferably in the Midlands to North of England - who wants a case study...?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
@Grizzler, have you looked on the knee guru forum? I'm sure I remember Sue saying you could get lots of recommendations for surgeons on there.

Maybe you would have to look at 8-9 month recovery rather than 6 or 12, (i.e. not wait 6 months until the first knee recovered but leave a 2-3 month gap in between operations...

Good luck with it all - I imagine you must feel royally pissed off and impatient at the moment.
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My son did his ACL a year ago playing rugby.
He had surgery in September.
Three weeks ago the consultant said he should be able to board again this season, but to avoid contact sports.
The physiotherapist said that he still needed to build up leg strength lost from muscle wastage and inactivity.
Last weekend he came out boarding with us ( wearing a lightweight neoprene support) .
The snow was pretty heavy, and we boarded for about 2.5 hours.
He said his "bad" leg was holding up fine, but he needed to stop as he tired real quickly.
Naturally we are all physiologically different, he is 16 years old and lives at 4000 ft altitude, so I doubt that there's tons in common with the OP, but both the consultant and the physiotherapist suggested that boarding was less likely to provoke complications at this point in his recovery that skiing.
All the best with your re-hab.
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You know it makes sense.
@Hand Wringer, Many thanks, didn't know of that forum. Will spend much time there, I think.
Yes, maybe a short gap in-between the 2 ops might be acceptable, if allowed. It's an interesting question when you have 2 ACLs that have gone, in terms of starting off with an equal muscle loss and equal knee problem issue (well, probably equal, though my left MCL is definitely much worse affected, any other problems will have to show - or hopefully not - in their own time). Most people only do 1 ACL, so have one leg already unequal but 1 leg fully useable. I don't want to get unequal, and rehabbing one at a different pace to another seems to me to be not as easy from many stances; perhaps not even allowing normal recommended progress to full activity participation.

@WindOfChange, Thanks, that at least gives me some hope. Muscle wastage after swelling/injury is ridiculous, even when still weighting adn moving - as I'm finding out. Poor thighs and calves feel as if they've not been used for years - and I'm trying to strengthen tem under physio advice from the get go (well, day5+) . God knows how anyone who's seriously immobilised copes.
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Don't think anybody has mentioned it, but you may be in most danger of further hurting knee when skating on flats, exiting lifts etc. One footed you're basically back to being on a ski, and a single wide one at that.

The two times I've seen knee injuries snowboarding it's been skating related. Not saying you shouldn't do it, but take a bit of extra care if you've only got the one foot strapped in.


Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Wed 5-04-17 13:34; edited 1 time in total
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@Grizzler, hope the forum proves to be helpful for you. One thing I would think about with getting them done at the same time is that it might be extremely uncomfortable at night and you could be looking at a long time without sleep... it took a while to work out the most comfortable position but eventually sleeping on my "good leg" side with the "bad leg" propped on pillows worked. The idea of not having a "good leg" side to sleep on post-op sounds horrible to me (although you are probably experiencing that already with MCL injuries which I believe are more painful than the loss of the ACLs which didn't hurt me at all) but that is because I can't sleep well lying on my back. I was able to walk without crutches very quickly, which really helped with regard to not going insane by being able to fix myself something to eat, make pots of tea, go to the loo, shower (sitting on a chair with bandage wrapped in plastic etc.) without help and my "bad leg" was good enough to cope well with a night of drunken dancing in heels at my friend's wedding within 3 months post op and would definitely have been good enough to take over the role of "good leg" if the other one had to become the "bad leg" at that stage.

Psychologically I still favour my right leg when in nerve-wracking/side slip situations which is a pain if you find yourself facing the wrong way, and I'm going to have to force myself to side slip with my left leg leading to remind myself to have confidence in it as it really isn't physically weaker - my ski instructor did point out she has no such problem as she trashed both knees so doesn't have a leg to favour! I don't think you would get too uneven with a short gap between ops.

My surgeon was adamant I would be able to ski without any form of brace or support at the 6 month mark, and he was right.
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@Hand Wringer, re sleep - and the difference between that and now (well, the last 10 days)??? wink Yes, know the cushions and small soft pillows well. Just starting to be able to get comfy if I don't inadvertantly move my legs whilst asleep, which I did last night - yelp! And sitting, standing, getting on or off the loo, putting on socks or leggings, stepping into bath/shower, getting up and down my hosue stairs and 1000 other things? Well practised at that, too, with legs not wanting to bend more than about 20-30 degrees and prevented at 60. One reason why I'm keen to have both done at once because, as things are at the moment, with Mr G to help me in the early days, I think that I can cope. Also not been using crutches or any walking aids and not felt that they would help - though a pole will be taken once we venture outdoors again.

At least, like your instructor, I shouldn't have the "psychological" factor of favouring one over the other Laughing - as long as the left, which is currently much more painful and seemingly more damaged, eventually catches up with its right friend.

Your progress inspires me, and is hopeful if I do go the ACLR route - thoug I am aware that there are also risks and it isn't guaranteed to be so easy or successful as many report. Also, I've been told by my specialist physio that even with ACLR, one should never ski/board without a brace. Lots o different opinions out there; me, I think that I'd never want to take the risk after all that time protecting the delicate little graft(s).

@kerb, - yes that had occurred to me as a major worry. I struggled as it was with getting off chairlifts lifts if I couldn't easily ride them straight off. Not the longest of legs, often find the reach down a problem. Still, I often get Mr G to sit next to me and guide me off the chair until I feel stable, so I might just have to rely on him a bit more. And, darn, I might just have to make sure that he stays near and comes back to help me up if I fall or need to roll... wink
As for pushing along with one leg (I can do it with either, at least) I think that it'd be OK as long as I didn't slip and twist or push at an awkward angle - but that's the whole ACL deficient problem, isn't it? Also if you hit ice whilst punting along... Sad
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@Grizzler, yes, you will find that everyone gets different advice. I had my op done in Annecy, and so ski-related knee injuries are my surgeon's bread and butter. I was a bit flummoxed when my French GP told me to choose a hospital and surgeon, as I was not used to the idea that you had a choice in these matters and didn't have a bloody clue! We have a friend who is a ski instructor who had totally wrecked his knee (I mean it was a real mess) who recommended this surgeon as he was back the next season without a brace and without an issue. My surgeon actually gave me some quite unconventional advice and I had a couple of months post op when I wasn't allowed to do any physio at all! Good for me as I'm lazy when it comes to boring stuff but quite disconcerting given everyone bangs on about how diligent you have to be with daily physio, so I did question him on this - he said he was "the boss" and I should listen to him and not the physios, that I had good flexion and extension very quickly and now I needed to let the "delicate little graft" bed in and not overstretch it. Also I noticed that whilst others on here who had the op at the same time were allowed to hill walk, I was strictly forbidden from doing so (meaning an entire summer in the Alps not being allowed to hike). What can I say? It worked a treat. The whole experience was completely pain free for me (I took a lot of drugs for week or so then came off them and had no pain). He told me the new ligament would be as strong as the old one, making a brace pointless. In the past couple of years I have done a lot more adventurous stuff on the mountain - winter and summer - since doing my ACL than before (meaning I've fallen over a lot more than I used to) and so far (nearly 5 years later) so good... to be honest I'm glad I wasn't too questioning and just did as I was told by "the boss" and ignored standard physio advice.
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@Grizzler, James Vickers, Jonathan Bell's physio...ski specialist, told me he only recommends a brace for MCL injuries.
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@Hand Wringer, my very limited understanding is that indeed the aim must be to protect the delicate and oh-so-valuable little graft for many weeks, although I think that it's most vulnerable at around 6-12 weeks (why not 1-5 I don't know). There's a balance between preserving muscle mass/strength, preventing scarring and fibrosis, making sure that flexion/extension is achieved quickly and not doing anything which takes the graft beyond about 10-30 degrees (if I recall something which I read recently) until the graft can properly take it - but there seem to be so many different approaches and I guess that they vary for each patient as well as the different types of graft and any allied knee/ligament repairs which have been done at the same time; and the views of each different surgeon and their team (including physios). My physio works with some of the well-known surgeons in the Sheffield area, one supposedly recognised worldwide as a sports specialist (and recommended by someone on SHds forum), so I presume that is comments to me come from one informed viewpoint.
I've also already been told that any form of hill walking would be out for over 6 months: just UK, never mind Alpine. It seems to be as badly-regarded as skiing. I guess they fear you putting too much downhill strain on the graft or losing footing, going 'over' on your foot etc? Personally I can do that worse in my garden or on UK pavements! And the recommended static cycling has always caused me some knee area irritation for some reason, whereas walking, climbing and dancing (etc) never have.
Knowing what to do for the best... Puzzled Confused

@holidayloverxx, which, of course, I also have, to an as yet unknown degree in both knees. Braces will probably be worn by me on high-impact/twisting activities for quite a while just for psychological support, even if they don't necessarily give full knee support (depends on what kind of brace as well, doesn't it?) - but if that's the price to pay for a useable knee (with or witout ACL reconstruction) and being able to yomp and slide (not at the same time!) and preserve whatever I can in my maturing knees (especailly with any shiny new graft) then it's currently looking like a small one.
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@Grizzler, my ossur CTi brace cost £600 and was prescribed...if that is the right word. .by an ortho something or other recommended by Jonathan. Glad I only needed one!
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
The graft vulnerability is because it dies first then revascularises as it establishes new blood supply. There are many different viewpoints on bracing - I tried one initially then retired it as I just didn't like it - it would drive me nuts bbin summer to have to hike with one on my leg with constant strap tinkering etc. My surgeon had said by all means wear one but it's not mandated. Hiking is hard on uneven paths - you probably haven't got there yet but if your knee doesn't feel quite right you don't have the same proprioception etc. I'd argue it's a bigger risk than skiing if you are competent and going to stay upright.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@Dave of the Marmottes, yes, that is my biggest worry and the one thing that I really do not want to have to modify or do without (snowsports obviously a close second) - driving me crazy already at just 2 weeks post injury. I don't exactly "hike" - more take the most direct ascent and descent, on grass, tufts, bog, moor, rock, scree or snow - and I've been very good at it until now.
Proprioception at present (and from the start) seems fine, as is balance - I've always been very aware of where my feet and knees and legs generally are going, so maybe I already have other mechanisms which will compensate (I hope) - it's just a question of whether my knees and lacking ACLs will allow, stiffness-, pain-, and future damage-wise, what are my very instinctive and far from front-pointing foot movements (which, at the moment, they both will and - yeowch! - won't). Not yet assessed stability and one knee is a lot worse and more painful and stiff than the other at present, MCL-wise I guess, so got to wait that out.
I have tried some hinged wrap-around braces for planning short rehab walks etc and they seem to offer some overall stability and ability to walk better at present, so I'll go with those on a temporary basis, though I suspect that's just helping with the MCL and overall bashed-around knees. I have seen the fancy and expensive ones, carbon fibre etc, as per holidayloverxx's and others, and really don't fancy them - but maybe needs must. I don't know how things are going to work out, least of all my attitude to risk of reinjury or knee randomly collapsing, psychological trust in whatever I'm left with, etc, etc. I do agree with the tinkering aspect: and I can see me being the exact sort of person who's never quite satisfied with the fit or feel.

It's very hard at the moment to quite take in where I am, never mind to accept that it must be unknown and uncertain as regards the future, whatever route I go. I just feels like I'm recovering from a knee/leg sprain (and I've fallen off bikes enough times to know that one) and that all will be 100% fine again soon; and then I remember that this time I have actually lost something which ought to be there and that it could have a lasting impact, short- or long-term, whichever route I go. This, psychologically, is probably not helping as I'm subconsciously expecting my knees never to feel right, even if they do, as I hope, make a good recovery along with strong muscles being built up again (just call me chicken legs at the moment!). Still, back to it could be worse and carpe diem and all that. (Sorry, just keep feeling over sorry for myself occasionally.)
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
OK I think you need probably need as much help with your head as with your knees - broadly, as I see it, you have 2 options

i) get back doing as much as possible as soon as possible, accepting that as much as possible may not be as much as before and that ii) may eventually be necessary

ii) accept that the next year or whatever is about being back to normal NOT doing as much as possible e.g. if you set next Easter as a goal to be able to hikeramble/mountain goat normally then that is your goal not doing all your normal stuff this summer. Ilike this time frame as it would allow you late season skiing as well. To hit that timeframe you probably have to push aggressively for reconstruction in an overlapping programme and make enough time for rehab. So what if you have some muscle wastage in the interim - plenty of tiem tio start hammering leg presses and squats when you are strong enough.

i) Can be very seductive and is not "wrong" but as time goes on you might find it ends up being frustrating that you still feel "broken" and/or constrained in what you can do.

ii) Is the closest to the "as good as new" option which long term will enable you to stop worrying but comes at a short term cost.

I did i) for a considerable period but eventually did ii) because of progreesive deterioration in ability.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@Dave of the Marmottes, Yep, that's pretty much as I see it. I've just got to wait until things are assessed at 6 weeks - and how my head and knees feel about things then and once I can really start testing things out - then see what I'm offered, what I'm recommended and whose advice, if it differs much, I choose to believe. Second and third opinions may well be sought, if available. A lot of research already done and will continue. Options for "pushing for" quick, overlapping or even simutaneous recons will also be explored - but I am limited by where I live and NHS willingness and opinions, etc, unless I can manage to get a successful compensation case going (I am looking into that) and a quick admission of liability, in which case private might be an option: but I'm not holding out hope, certainly not in the short term there.
In my case, I do think that if I'm going for recon then I do it whilst as young and fit as I can; being a maturing female, things do go downhill the longer one waits.
Don't really want the surgery risk and rehab, but also don't fancy the potential future damage to them and future unpredictability. A year or so of trying out normal activities - if it even seems possible - might be nice: but as far as snowsports go, certainly, it isn't probably something which I'll really trust myself doing (certainly on skis - hence why this is on a boarding forum) easily, certainly not agressively, again, at least until successful reconstruction.

I at present would love your i); fear that sooner or later will head towards ii). If that's the case, given my age, unless there's any serious guarantees that i) will see me for another 15+ years, ii) looks like the better risk/reward option.
Either way, there are potential risks and potential costs of many kinds.

Right now, I just need help with patience... Never my strong suit Laughing

Good news - I managed to get onto my static cycle bike today and managed around 20 mins of easy basic cycling. Physio said this should be encouraged, surgeon said also (with seat as high as poss.) Legs and knees didn't complain at all; non-muscled, too-much-sitting-on bum certainly did! Smile Smile (we hope)
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