Knee Ligaments - MRI Scan - Ruptures, Undersurface tears, tearing, the lot...

[Dr NBC]

Cheers all. For those that have had it reconstructed, how were you 3 months after? Well enough to get on a plane and walk at least most days?

Sam, I flew back to Canada 8 weeks post-op. I took my crutches and knee brace with me to wear on the plane as a social experiment. People were much more helpful than normal and you get priority treatment, just like the previous poster mentioned.

I wore my brace for 6 weeks and used my crutches for approximately 3.5 weeks (give or take). This all depends on the person however. You have to be a bit careful when walking, being active, etc. It is critical that nothing happens to the knee joint (trauma, falls, etc) in the immediate post-op period. For a patella tendon graft, I think that it takes about 12-13 weeks for the new ligament to graft on to the bone. It can be a bit fragile during this period. Take it easy, don't strain yourself and you'll be fine. I'm not sure that this is the case for a hamstring tendon graft. There is no bone involved in the graft so it probably isn't as much of an issue.

 

[Bozza]

I reckon I was walking without crutches around a month after my operation.

I know this because I can find an email in my Gmail for 2 Spamalot tickets in London on the 21st October 2006, and I had my operation in mid-September 2006. I travelled to London that weekend using my crutches but got so fed up with them on the tube and the escalators that I stopped using them there and then.

 

[sam86]

Cheers for all of the advice gents. What I didn't mention is that I'm lucky enough to be getting it done privately, and my surgeon is the wonderful Robin Turner, official surgeon of Brighton & Hove Albion. So I'll be in safe hands.

 

[Tony Towner's Fridge]

Results of my MRI scan:

Obviously it's pretty ****ed, but what should I expect wise old hobbling users of NSC? Got to wait a week for my follow-up appointment.

Sam86..

I did my right knee ACL and meniscus in in 1986 playing cricket in Aberdeen (of all places). No ACL and the knee was so h
bad a couple of years back that I had an orthoscopy and had it cleaned up. By the way in 1986 ACL repair was front edge technology, remember Ian Durrant?
Some great positives to take though. I started playing tennis instead (in 1991) and am now pretty proficient if a tad immobile. Still play golf a lot and have recently lost circa 1 1/2 stone , the knee is much better for it. The operation that some work colleagues have had involves taking thigh muscle and regrowing it as ACL tissue. Takes about 2 years for op to near full recovery including extensive physic. At 56 near 57 I reckon I am too old for it so will hobble gracefully to a new knee in about a decade. Main thing is to keep positive above anything else. Please let me know if you need any other advice? I am more than happy to pass on my experiences.

TNBA

TTF

 

[helipilot]

I think you've answered your own questions here.... definitely get it done!

 

[Deleted member 2719]

Cheers for all of the advice gents. What I didn't mention is that I'm lucky enough to be getting it done privately, and my surgeon is the wonderful Robin Turner, official surgeon of Brighton & Hove Albion. So I'll be in safe hands.

I have no sympathy for you now, unless he can do a buy one get one free deal for a fellow Albion fan.

 

[maglers]

Sam seriously, unless you are getting paid to play. I strongly recommend going for option 2. It is highly unlikely that you will be able to get back to what you were before the op. It takes professionals with the best surgeons, dedicated physios and lots of time to work on it a year to recover. You will get none of those. As you have probably guessed I went for option 1 and regretted it. Of all the people I know who had it done none have been pleased with the outcome.

Sorry to be the harbinger of doom!

Couldn't disagree more with this. I did mine aged 27 and at my first consultation (NHS) the doctor said: "Have you thought about giving up sport?" Unbelievable. I had the patella procedure and had three weeks off work before going back to commuting to London and I was fine. As I said in an earlier post, I started the rehab before I had the op. if you do the rehab and supplement it with your own at home you can get back to playing hard contact sports. 18 years later I still play rugby and football. If you love playing sport, at whatever level, get the op done.

 

[Dr NBC]

Cheers for all of the advice gents. What I didn't mention is that I'm lucky enough to be getting it done privately, and my surgeon is the wonderful Robin Turner, official surgeon of Brighton & Hove Albion. So I'll be in safe hands.

He did my reconstruction. He's also my consultant for some unfortunate chronic shoulder impingement. Top surgeon.

 

[Adders1]

If you play footy, the psychological fears are sometimes the worst thing about it, i've had 2 ops on meniscus in my right knee (now mostly removed) and at 28 i've only just conquered my fears of getting injured again and playing full 90 mins.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

First time I had surgery (meniscus) I went cross country skiing and played a game of footy a week later. No problem.

Second time (in my 50s) my knee was double its size for 6 months, and settled down only after taking 8 times 200 mg ibuprofen for weeks. Still on 200 mg a day 2 years later. Knee clicks and crunches a bit, but can run and cycle.

Mind you. First op was in North America and second was in provincial hospital in UK - latter surgeon an evident head case, so it may be a lottery . . . . (NHS a lottery? Surely not?!). You may well fare better by the sound of it!

Good luck with it.

 

[Adders1]

He did my reconstruction. He's also my consultant for some unfortunate chronic shoulder impingement. Top surgeon.

Turner is good but I thought Cameron Hattrick was better

 

[grawhite]

I did my right knee playing football, did a complete job, both cruciates, and most of the surrounding tendons along with a shattered knee cap, was in full length cast for 10 months, rehab was straight forward, but make sure if you have surgery that they do infact fix the problem.
My first operation I was told was a complete success, but 5 years later when I had further problems, it turns out the first operation was a screw up. 2nd operation required knee reconstruction, having to have a ligament taken from my shoulder.
Hopefully your problem will be straight forward and I wish you all the best.

 

[sam86]

Those that had a complete reconstruction, were you out of hospital the same day?

Thanks again for the kind words.

 

[Bozza]

Those that had a complete reconstruction, were you out of hospital the same day?

Thanks again for the kind words.

I was in for one night. I was offered morphine but declined it - the pain wasn't that bad at all.

Felt for the chaps who had knee replacements though - that looked awful.

 

[Dr NBC]

Those that had a complete reconstruction, were you out of hospital the same day?

Thanks again for the kind words.

Almost certainly you will be in over night. They want to make sure that you will be able to walk with crutches up and down the hallway before you will be released. It'll be difficult to do that immediately post-op as you will still have a considerable amount of anaesthetic in your system which makes it hard to confidently put weight on your injured leg when walking. Some stay in hospital for a few nights, most for just one.

Where are you getting it done?

 

[sam86]

Where are you getting it done?

My consultations have been at the lovely new Montefiore hospital in Hove. I imagine the surgery will also be there.

 

[Dr NBC]

My consultations have been at the lovely new Montefiore hospital in Hove. I imagine the surgery will also be there.

It is nice there. I just had a cortisone injection a few weeks back. Much nicer than the Sussex County. Turner is very good. I have the utmost confidence in his abilities. Plus he's a really nice guy as well.

 

[topbanana36]

It's a red injury icon on Football Manager

That's funny you should give ERNEST some tips.

 

[Questions]

Shearer had a serious knee injury. He went bald.

You're going to go bald.

And Roy Keane had the same injury and he became a miserable Irish git. It's bad news I,m afraid.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

That is going to HURT in the morning