Knee Injuries... Especially ACL

[oldmantutters]

I've dislocated both patellas multiple times and completely dislocated my left knee. Mobility is actually better in my left knee, but I've got arthritis behind both kneecaps from the multiple patellar dislocations.

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[tjamz]

I've torn my meniscus in my right knee and sprained my MCL in my left knee along with a chipped patella.

[56BISON73]

In all the years I played I never hurt my knees.

I did hurt my rt knee in the service. 7 years ago I had part of the meniscus removed and the knee resurfaced on that rt knee.

[OrygunBison]

Tore my right ACL in high school football in the late 80's. I think it was a minor tear because they didn't do anything for it other than ice for a couple of weeks. As I was in college, it bothered me more and more when I'd do anything athletic, which was fairly often. They told me that I'd eventually need to get a reconstruction. I delayed doing it while in college because I couldn't imagine trying to do my thesis architectural project while rehabbing. (In hind site, it probably would have been fine.) Graduated after 6 years in 1995 and moved to Michigan and shortly thereafter started planning to get the surgery done. Just before my first Thanksgiving there, I was playing walleyball (volleyball in a racquetball court) with a bunch of guys from work during lunch, went up to make a block and landed on a guy that had slid under the net from the other side. Two days later, I had reconstruction on my right knee, which was a harvest of the middle portion of the patella tendon to become a new ACL. At that time, they did the rehab a little different. They had me mostly stay off of it for a month and then started a pretty vigorous rehab. It took about 6 months for me to stop limping and about a year before I really didn't think about it anymore.

In 1997, I moved to Oregon. That summer, I was hiking a crazy hard section near Mt. Hood that had about 4,500 feet vertical in it. It took about 5 hours to get up but down was a lot faster. There was a section where there was about 1,500 vertical of switchback dropping down the canyon and a big dog that was with us came screaming around the corner and swept me over the edge. I tumbled about 3/4 of the way down to where a lower part of the switchback was. I have no idea what happened during my tumble (I was just protecting my pretty face and my nuts...) but I came up limping on my right knee again. I just lived with it for awhile, eventually getting a serious brace for it like offensive linemen wear for whenever I did anything athletic.

In 2000, I blew out my MCL in my left knee snowboarding at Mt. Bachelor. I just stayed off of it for a few weeks but really haven't had a problem with it since. I do wear a neoprene sleeve on it when snowboarding to this day, however, since it is my front foot most of the time. I don't want to be taken down the mountain by ski patrol ever again. That sucked as I was way on the back side of the mountain and it took several runs down (wrapped up like a burrito) and several lifts since there was no real good way to cross over by snowmobile.

In 2002, I was in a major collision at third base while playing league softball. That completely destroyed my right ACL, or at least what was left of it. Shortly thereafter, I had a reconstruction on it again, this time with a cadaver ACL. Rehab was much different. When I awoke from anesthesia, the surgeon was really working my knee around. I couldn't feel a thing at the time but I remember him testing it out pretty vigorously. For this rehab, I went home the same day, I was on crutches as soon as my head was clear of the drugs, and rehab started on Day 2. Instead of 6 months of pain like the first reconstruction, I stopped limping after about a month or so and didn't really feel any pain after about 3 months.

I outline all of that to exhibit that I've had a bunch of knee problems earlier in life but my last real problem came 19 years ago. I still snowboard, hike, play league softball, coach kids, play a bit of BB and try to stay somewhat healthy in spite of being overweight. I occasionally have times when my knees are sore (likely because of that extra weight more than anything else) but it really doesn't affect my life all that much anymore.

[Kevin]

I’ve dislocated my knee countless times which cost me my football career and forced me into life as an offensive coordinator and poster. Tore most everything but the acl has somehow held on. You can hear my knee grind from across the room now though. Arthritis has set in in my 30s as well.

But that’s been nothing compared to the back pain I’ve endured from having to carry TAB on these forums the past few years.

[ByeSonBusiness]

I'm always surprised more linemen don't blow their knees out. Awful lot of falling bodies and what not

[PAC Bison]

In all the years I played I never hurt my knees.

I did hurt my rt knee in the service. 7 years ago I had part of the meniscus removed and the knee resurfaced on that rt knee.

Thank you for your service.

[Mr Meaty]

So which one of you can predict the weather better with your injuries?

[GreenfieldBison]

So which one of you can predict the weather better with your injuries?

I'm near 100% accuracy 30 minutes out.*

* as long as my DarkSky app fires up

[99Bison]

Right ACL at 17 years old, which was what ah 27 years ago I think. Very minor meniscus damage that they didn’t even touch. Rehab is important as others have said. General life things all fine even sports if stay in decent shape.

I’ve recently learned that earlier onset of arthritis in the knee is 80-90% more common if you had such ligament or meniscus injuries in the past.