 Poster: A snowHead
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I have a friend who ruptured his ACL back in 2016. He's now 56. He's had some arthroscopic keyhole surgery (for cartilage trimming?) but no ACL repair. He continues to ski, but will only ski off-piste if the conditions are absolutely perfect.. easy access soft powder, no crud or heavy powder, no crust etc. as his knee remains unstable (he does not wear a brace). We're trying to encourage him to chat to @Jonathan Bell at Wimbledon Clinics, as he says he would like to get it repaired well enough to ski off-piste without having to worry about those perfect conditions which are rare.
One sticking point for him is the recovery time impacting other things he does, mainly fishing from a 25 feet boat at sea or river fishing. He is apparently a fast healer and has been told he has strong quads by the medical people he has seen for his knee in the past. He has scans from a few years back and appreciates new ones would be needed.
I know it is hard to say "blind", but in order to encourage him to contact Jonathan, does anybody have any idea of the rehabilitation time for an ACL repair bearing his age and fishing pursuits etc. in mind? He'd ideally like an idea of when he could resume skiing off-piste, skiing on-piste, and fishing from his boat and walking the river banks fishing.
He's not on here and I'm trying to get some info to encourage him to pick up that phone to Jonathan! We'd like our friend to join us on an off-piste trip next February if that was a possibility.
Thanks.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@ficklefisher, I had my recon done end of March and was skiing beginning of December. My physio would have signed me off for e.g. fishing after 12 weeks (I think) ...
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Hi
Perhaps i can help without him incurring the costs of seeing me.
If he can cope day to day he does not need surgery.
He needs to work out what makes his knee give way.
If those events are secondary to things that he is passionate to continue pursuing then he either needs to give them up, get a brace, specifically, for those activities or have surgery.
What he really needs to be a careful of is not allowing his knee to repeatedly give way as it will trash the meniscus and that inevitably leads to arthritis.
Hope that helps.
Jonathan Bell
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I was told 8-9 months before doing a lot of sports, hill walking, dancing, etc: assuming that you really do it right in terms of pre-hab, and then rest, then rehab. But that was best case. If he's fit and a good healer, hopefully that timescale or earlier, depending on the activity.
Personally, I didn't go for the op.
I wonder if he really needs it after all this time, or if there's an element of psychology in play: and will that really go after the op, with a lovely brand-new 'ACL' to cosset? (Can't answer as to how he will feel about it.)
Would a decent expensive ACL specific brace be just as good?
Advice from JB or a fellow ortho expert is, of course, what he needs.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Many thanks all for the replies, I will have a chat with him. Thanks @Jonathan Bell for the suggestions. @Grizzler, I think you are right, psychological barriers are involved.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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If this guys knee has given way in the past then he should really consider a brace (£500 for a CTi or Armor) to help with those situations.
Surgery to walking well 4-6 weeks
Fishing in an unstable boat- might be 4-6 months.
These days return to activity tends to be criteria driven rather than timescale. Skiing needs very good knee control. And even then post ACL repair is often recommended to use a brace to protect the repair
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@wavester, thanks, he is now swinging towards trying a DonJoy brace. He's not keen on laying off his boat fishing for so long with the surgical option. Still suggesting he picks the phone up to @Jonathan Bell via the clinic. Time will tell which way he goes!
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I had my left ACL repaired age 55 (now 75). Op in March that year and I was skiing again by December. Have also had tibial plateau small fracture, other ligaments partial tears and 2 meniscal tears tidied up by surgerey. I wear a CTi brace for skiing and can do bumps wearing it. Easter last year someone skied into me and partially tore my right ACL and meniscal tears in that knee. Local hospital, where I am well known, said no surgery needed as I have done lots of physio and no problems day to day - I did 8 mile hillwalk in Scottish mountains last Saturday. I have a Donjoy brace for the right knee and have done 6 weeks in 3V this season and about to do another 3 weeks.
Basically I have injured my knees so much that the ligaments behave like the elastic in an old pair of knickers - just about holds my knees together but can give way. Best to have a brace so you don't do further damage and at my age I am just happy to be able to ski anywhere I wish.
Advice is to get a brace.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Thanks @mogulski. He has now bought a Donjoy brace and will be trying it out the next couple of weeks.
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