 Poster: A snowHead
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Hi there. Sorry to hear about your friend. My OH, beanie ruptured her ACL in Courchevel in March 2004, so I can speak of her experiences.
She had her leg braced from hip to toe for the rest of the holiday (This was only day 2!). While we were there, I arranged through BUPA for a private appointment with an orthopaedic surgeon as soon as we arrived back. She was seen on the Monday. He changed her brace to one that allowed a knee bend, and she underwent physio. He said that she needed to build up muscle, as she had lost a lot after a week of immobility. She underwent physio and exercise until the middle of June when he operated.
When he went in, the ACL had only partially ruptured, so he "tidied"thing up in there, and using an electric current, attempted to shorten the remaining ACL which had stretched. To be frank, this was as much use as a chocolate teapot. The knee was very unstable, and would "give" even in the supermarket when she attempted to change direction. That always lead to some strange looks from fellow shoppers. After hours of physio and exercise, he had to operate again in November.
His original intention was to use hamstrings but he could not harvest a good enough graft to make a replacement ACL so he ended up using the Patella Tendon. Pros are that this method is much stronger. He uses this method on professional footballers and 18 stone rugby players. Cons are that recovery is longer and the scarring more visible.
Angie spent about 3 weeks on crutches after the op, and is now making good progress with twice weekly physio. She has so much confidence that we booked for skiing in 2006 at the end of January this year. ( We've now had to cancel this for other reasons ). She does admit that she'll buy a knee brace but accepts that this is more psychological than physical.
If you need any information here's a useful link
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=19433&highlight=#19433
If you would like any specific info, let me know. Beanie is an Occupational Health Specialist so has a fair amount of knowledge and can no doubt give you more gory details. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
fragglerock, What a shame for your friend. I don't know about normal times, but would generally encourage people to have any necessary surgery near the resort rather than waiting for a return to the UK. The hospitals in the alps are used to these injuries and do a much better job than the NHS. The British view seems to be that they need to get you fit for sitting behind a desk and gobbling too many crisps - not get you fit for sport. Encourage her to do as much as is possible (under guidance of course), and to insist on lots of physio - most NHS ops don't do nearly enough physio afterwards.
Cautionary tale: 2 of my friends (both pro ski teachers) did their knees in a major way about the same time (same injury - all the ligaments + one smashed her patella to boot). The one in the UK had an op, was given minimal physio, not allowed to ski for a year. Within a month of restarting had done it again - it wasn't strong enough. The one in France had 5 hours of physio per day, starting the day after the op (she said the pain was dreadful) but 1 year later was racing again, and has never had a recurrance. (She's the one with the smashed patella). Therefore, one person had to abandon her career while the other has pursued it and is now running a successful ski school.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
easiski, I agree, though I've never had the pleasure of surgery in France, my care when needed was exemplary and informative.
fragglerock, As for surgery in the UK, get as much info about your injury as possible and do as much research as you can about the many various treatments and procedures used to treat it. Then find out which your consultant favours, his minions will often just follow his style without question, however well versed they are in other and possibly better solutions.
Make sure you tell them that skiing is an integral part of your life and that you ski at an expert level and intend to continue doing so. This little white lie will ensure that they look to achieving the strongest repair but not necessarily the most cosmetically attractive. Then, before they even book the theatre time, scream your head off about getting pre-bookings at the physio dept and get your schedule set up for the full length of time you’re going to need and for the frequency of visits (2, 3 or even 4 times a week to start with.
Our local phisio dept. is funded separately from the hospital and never the two shall talk to each other. (joined up NHS, my butt!) and I was a VERY squeaky wheel (gets the grease) for a couple of weeks until I got a schedule that fitted my idea of a proper rehab regime.
But before anything, it has to be research, research, research . . . get to know your injury as well or even better than your surgeon, they’ll hate you and tell you that the internet is full of sh**, but there are many good and respected sports injuries centres that that have superb and very uptodate research papers and on-line treatment guides.
There are some great doctors and centres of treatment in the UK, don’t be frightened to ask to be transferred to one most suitable for your injury care.
Pass to your friend my best wishes for a good and speedy recovery.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
Physio is the way forward or try and find a Sports Rehab specialist. Your friend must keep exercising, as surgeons wont do the op unless there is a certain degree of strength in the muscles surrounding the joint. It is how ever possible to 'overide' the ligaments and build up the Quads/hamstrings and lower leg muscles to help stabalise the knee, plus working on coordination and proprioception therefor not needing the full capabilities of the ligament. its something worth thinking about, but more than anything keep active and keep strengthening!
i hope that was useful! and best wishes for a good active recovery for your friend!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
fragglerock, Some 8 years ago on Easter Sunday I ruptured my ACL left knee.. I visited 2 private facilities over the next month and paid for MRIs and reports at each. One surgeon wanted to operate the same day and one said no rush, let the swelling subside and we'll chat later.
Due to a summer work schedule that had me staring on a building site only a few weeks later I went back to the 'no rush' surgeon and we decided that he would do an arthroscopic inspection under a general anesthetic to really see the extent of the damage, and rather than do a replacement he suggested that he simply remove the stumps of ACL at each end. Which he did.
Having seen my fair share of friends and customers deal with ruptured ACLs over the years, and having seen more than a handful with repairs that in turn ruptured again (One friend here Whistler is now on her third ACL repair) I went with his recommendation thinking that I'd get through that summer's work and then consider the ways and means of a replacement.
Well, I never went back and had the ACL replaced. I wear an Edge2 brace when skiing, but not when playing tennis. I don't miss the ACL at all that I am aware of. Anyone who knows me will tell you I still ski pretty hard for an old F###t, both ski teaching (BASI and CSIA) and in my snow safety/touring capacity (Canadian Avalanche Association)
So I guess my point is that it isn't always necessary to rush into a repair, the main thing is lots of exercise to stop the atrophy of the muscles that will support the joint. Get loads of ice packs, and after exercise elevate and ice the joint.
Resist strongly anyone who tries to splint/immobilize the joint and definitely talk to as many folk as you can about the options. I don’t know the age of the person concerned and I gather that it too can make quite a difference to the outcome of the replacement.
If I was still in Britain I'd head straight to the physio of either the local Pro football or rugby club and pay them if necessary to tell me what route their players currently took. They will probably have the best access to state of the art knowledge used in the UK for these repairs, and they have a vested interest in their folk playing their sport again and the result being successful!
Good luck in whatever route she takes!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
fragglerock, If your friend lives anywhere near Bath or Loughborough try the sports physios at the Unis - both Unis are heavily into sport at a very high level and have fantastic facilities.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fragglerock I tore my ACL, MCL and lots of cartilage on 31st Jan 05. I'm doing roughly 3hours of physio per day, more on days when I actually go visit the physio (currently 3 times per week). I only had an MRI scan last Thursday to establish if PCL is torn too and the extent of the other damage done (I can't bend my knee past approx 80 degrees at the moment so they can't test efficiently for PCL tear). I've got an appointment on 5th April with my consultant to get the results of the MRI and hopefully will get an op date. I still have significant swelling around the joint although it has decreased from the football size it was, it is still very swollen, more so after physio. Ice has become one of my best friends along with armfuls of pain killers, anti-inflammatories aren't going down well at the moment so resorting to the gel form for time being (giving the stomach lining a rest!).
I have certainly decided that the fun of skiing is by far outweighed the sheer pain of the injury not to mention the inconvenience too (I haven't been to work since). That doesn't mean to say I wouldn't go on a 'skiing' holiday again - I have no problems being a kids entertainer or being a chef and I would like to do all the other 'touristy' stuff that I never got to do on my last holiday! (People can hire me out for the cost of my flight and accomodation if they wish lol!).
Having talked to my my physio at great lengths the plan is to first get as much movement back in the joint as possible, then build up the quads and hamstrings in a bid to try to stabilise the joint significantly before I go under the knife. The more I do before the op the easier it will be on me afterwards. Allegedly! I wear a knee brace (hinged - now unlimited bend but started off at 35 degrees, 50 degrees, 90 degrees) during the day and am still using crutches due to the other knee throwing a wobbly about having more weight put through it. I usually walk into phsio and am just about fit enough to crawl out of there when i'm finished.
When it comes to my surgeon I have already stated that I wish to continue playing sport at a relatively high level (am also a volleyballer, trampolinist and hockey player when I get the chance) so he'd better not do any half-hearted repair jobs or I'll haunt him for the rest of his natural!
I totally agree witht he above statements of physio and education! Forewarned is forearmed!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
