# ACL Tear



## kathryn

So on Sunday I landed wrong at my volleyball tournament and my knee freakeddd out. I went to the hospital and they gave me an immobilizer and crutches and told me to see an orthopedist, but that they didn't think it was anything more than a sprain. I was in very little pain, and didn't hear the characteristic POP of ligament tearing.

I went today to the orthpedist and he did a bunch of stuff to my knee, moving it all around, but he was having some trouble because I was "fighting" him, not letting him move my knee, which he said is a common thing if the knee is trying to protect itself. He stuck a giant needle into my swollen swollen knee, but was unable to extract anything, which means the blood has all congealed inside. He determined that I have probably torn my ACL, but there needs to be an MRI to be sure. 

I can't tell you how much I hope he is wrong. I don't want surgery. I want volleyball and riding. I don't want a brace and unstable knee while I am in Australia for the whole month of January!!!!!!!

I don't get my MRI till Saturday, and don't get the results of that till next Wednesday, a whole entire week away. It's gonna kill me!

But I wanted to ask if anyone has experience with ACL tears and riding, and what I can do to ease the transition after surgery, which will probably happen in February. BOOOOOOOOOO


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## waresbear

Yes, I tore my ACL 2X. First time was 7 yrs ago, was on crutches for about 2 weeks, did that falling off a dirtbike. Was back riding maybe 2 months after, but I really babied it. Then a few years later I fell off a motorcycle & tore any scar tissue holding it. I babied it again, was riding right away after but anything I did, my knee would swell up. I went to specialist & had the MRI. Yes was torn and doc said only surgery would fix it, they don't heal themselves. I had the graft surgery, you can't do anything for 5 months (I had it done at start of winter), in order for the grafts to heal tightly. After that I did low impact aerobics & I did ride, riding never bothered it. Then I thought I would just test out how good the knee is. I went back to full on kickboxing, plyometrics & nuts cardio. Knee is better than ever.


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## kathryn

So I can walk (sorta) in a brace right now, the first goal is to get my leg strong enough to ditch this thing. Then I want to strengthen my muscles around my knee so I can heal as fast as possible. I will hopefully get the surgery right when I get back from Australia, I get back January 20 and go back to school the 25th, maybe I could get it like the 21st while I am still jetlagged then maybe take the first few days off school like during syllabus week. Then get all better and be perfect again!


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## kathryn

Yup, so its official. I've torn my ACL and probably can't ride for 8 months


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## QHriderKE

Well, it seems we are in a similar boat!
I tore my ACL back in June, and my parents didn't think that I actually had torn it, so I didn't go to the doc. In September, I went to the doctor about my knee, because it was bothering me when I tried to play volleyball (Setting middle...starting line-up...serious stuff). He just drew some clear fluid out of it and sent me to another doctor. Well, in October, I got to this other doctor and he said that I possibly tore my ACL, and sent me to a specialist. My appointment with this specialist was just this past Monday. He confirmed that I had managed to fully tear my ACL, as well as a couple other possible tears in other things in my knee. I'm booked for the surgery July 30th. They apparently need to just make me a whole new ACL. Apparently it's too damaged to graft back together or something... Followed by 6 months of recovery and physio therapy.

On the other hand, I asked all of my doctors about riding, and none of them said anything about it. Just as long as there is no twisting or anything, they said I'd be fine. I don't know why you cant ride....

For the past 7 months, I have been riding without any problems with my knee. I've been barrel racing, team roping, chasing cows, sorting cows and training horses. Along with volleyball. I bought a brace with metal bars in it for volleyball only, just to help with the twisting and such that I did do.


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## kathryn

Really? I asked my doctor about riding and he said "Like trail riding should be fine, getting on and walking, but not cantering or jumping." But I am hoping to change his mind once I get off crutches after the surgery.


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## QHriderKE

Well our doctors are a bit different. Mine was actually supporting riding because it would keep the muscles from turning to mush before and a couple months after surgery.


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## waresbear

Riding is fine as there is no torque. In fact, my surgeon knew when my show season was over and scheduled the operation a week after I was done. Dancing was the worst, I was always limping after that & had fluid on the knee. Kickboxing? Forget it! But after the surgery, once it's healed & you build the muscle back up, it is better than ever.


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## kathryn

I'm def gonna convince my physical therapist and/or doctor to let me ride once I get off crutches and stuff after surgery.


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## maya97

I was involved in a head on crash by a drunk about 3 months ago. My knees hit the dash pretty hard. Contusions still have not healed. My right knee gave out about a week after the crash. I finally got an MRI done after 5 weeks after the crash. I have a medial mentiticitus (spelling ?) tear and a high grade partial or complete torn ACL. Doctor advises I do not need surgery. I will be going into 3rd week of physical therapy. Knee still weak,but better. I have not ridden my horse since the crash. I have permission, but I am worried about the dismounting. Any ideas on the best way to dismount so I do not injure the knee worse? Thanks for any input.


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## lubylol

@maya; When I get down I usually just hop off and go into a roll lol. Or you can get off like normal but put your good leg down first and hold your weight on it, OR dismount onto a mounting block  quite the challenge to get lined up correctly but I would think it would help a lot!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## QHriderKE

As long as you don't twist or pivot on your bad leg, you should be fine. I was riding 5+ horses a day with my screwy knee, and managed fine. I can even jump on my horse bareback with my screwy knee!


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## waresbear

Horses are easier to train for dismounting at the mounting block than mounting. But you can just make sure you dismount using the good leg first. I still do, & my knee is fine now but it's just a habit.


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## Equusketch

I ruptured my MCL and "partially" tore my ACL playing rugby just about 7 years ago. A few years ago, I had a horse trip while I was riding and in my effort to stay in the saddle I felt an all too familiar pop. I haven't been to my orthopedist since, but the instability I experienced after the riding incident was greater than my rugby injury. 

Thankfully being a physical therapist myself, I have managed to keep my knee as strong as possible by maintaining the strength in my knee as well as my hip in order to avoid the surgery bullet. Still, when I ride, I do ok with most riding activities, but when the horse spooks, or bucks, or jumps particularly hard, I can literally feel my femur and tibia subluxate (partially dislocate) and sometimes I wind up with a full out joint effusion (massive swelling). I've had my knee drained and shot up with cortisone on 2 occasions. 

anyway, I would recommend you find a physical therapist that specializes in sports medicine. He/she will understand your desire to continue with your sport. Despite the "unplanned" things that occure during riding, I think one of the reasons I have avoided surgery for so long has been because of my riding. The braces my orthopedist gave to me were too bulky and tore th crap out of my saddle, but I wear a standard soft hinged brace when I ride to help keep my knee from going out on me when I ride and it seems to help somewhat. Just be careful when you dismount. That's one of the hardest things for me to do and I often can't put weight on my right leg for a good 5 minutes if I dismount the wrong way.


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## kathryn

I have been working really hard at my "prehab", in the efforts to reduce the post surgery rehab time. My friend said she was back to almost 100% after almost two months, and she tore her ACL, MCL, and had cartilidge damage. I only have my ACL, so I am hoping I can ride soon after my surgery. Obviously volleyball is probably out of the question for a while, but maybe I can ride??


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## Equusketch

Good for you for doing "prehab". It will certainly help with the post op rehab. However, it doesn't matter how strong your leg is before surgery. The new ligament graft is going to need time to grow into the bone and if you go back into any activity (riding included) too soon, there is a high risk of the new graft failing and then you are back to square one. The reason rehab from ACL surgery is so long is because of the time it takes for the new ligament to be strong enough to handle the rigors of athletics. That's part of why I never went the surgery route. I always had an excuse to not have the time to do the rehab and let the graft heal. In retrospect, I know I'd be doing much better had I just done the surgery and been patient. I think I am doing miraculously well considering, but I am VERY limited with what activities I can do anymore.


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## Horsel02

March of this year, I dislocated my patella (kneecap). I have never had that much pain before this happened. Fortunately I work for a chiropractor with a specility in Sports medicine. She was able to help me with this injury. But it was still very weak and would dislocate randomly so she sent to the an orthopedic who wanted me to have a MRI but my insurance did not pay for those and I sure did not have the money to spend on one. So the Doctor I work for helped me to do excises that strengthened my knee. It has defineately helped me. 

Knee injuries stink because you do not reliaze how much you do.


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## Skyseternalangel

I hope it goes well for you so that you can heal up and get back on your horse!


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## Remington22

Hmm orthopedic physical therapy is really a good option in this scenario which is really helpful but its bit lengthy treatment so patience is the key tool.....


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## waresbear

I must say, the 7 years I wasted between the time I orginally tore the ACL to the 2nd time & surgery, was time well wasted. I should've gone in for surgery the moment it happened, because now, my knee is stronger that it ever was. I will encourage anyone who needs ACL surgery to do it and heal it up properly & follow the surgeon's aftercare recommendations. For 7 years I babied a knee that I could've been kickboxing with.


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