[Closed] Potential 6 months off from sport, any recommendations to keep me occupied?

no surgical repair been offered, then ?

Speak to a physio they will give you much better advice than a Dr.

Take up weight training / Gymnastic Strength Training?

Loads of stuff you can do without putting much load through you knee.

I got into weight training when I got a cartilage tear in my knee and had 9 months off running & cycling.

You could learn Handstand, tuck planche, front lever, skin the cat, muscle up, etc....

pocket billiards

Swimming? It's shite enough, but it's better than nowt.

I heard a rumour there is free porn on the internet, that might keep a chap amused for at least 6 months.

Political threads on STW?

You will, literally, feel as though six months has flown by and nothing, NOTHING, has moved on one iota.

You will, literally, feel as though six months has flown by and nothing, NOTHING, has moved on one iota.

A bit like the subject in one particular thread. 😆

Been told by the Doctor in France

Haven't you heard of Brexit?

Your'e not allowed on here.

There is a thread somewhere for people with menicus tears, in which a few of us also have ACL tears.

My knee collapsed 3rd August. 2 months to see consultant. 2 months for MRI results (and knee collapsed again since, resulting in mountain rescue - I was only out for a shortish walk). MRI shows full ACL tear, but turns out I probably actually have been functioning like this for 7.5 years (physio'd my way out of a skiing injury, and no MRI scan at the time). Now torn mensicus and likely also MCL. Pre op in Jan, and hopefully I might have the reconstruction etc by end of Feb. 9-12 months before back to mtb, meaning a total of 18 months away from any proper sport.

You have to find other ways to keep you busy.

If still in Val you do realise that you're in one of the best places on the planet for getting an ACL repaired (kevlar string or graft). If you are still in Val ask the doctor who he would normally refer you to and then do some Googling.

I should have mentioned i'm out skiing and am heading back to the UK tomorrow, surgery is looking imminent to be honest. Current status is that I can't stand unsupported so swimming will probably be out of the question just now.

I am still in val but as I say I leave tomorrow, he said that in France they would operate so imagine it will be the same back in England, will need to go and be reassessed when home but probably won't get seen to for quite a while now

So the mistake I made, was to speed things up, I should have paid to see consultant privately after MRI, and then dropped back into NHS.

After a few days each time my knees gone, I've been able to walk up unsupported round the house, and a week or two later off crutches further afield. You can function without an ACL (they often won't opperate on older, less active people on the NHS) - I've run, cycled, walked and climbed without mine unknowingly for the last 7 years. So hopefully you will be on your feet to a point soon. At the moment, focus on rest and ice to reduce the swelling. They are unlikely to opperate till the swelling has gone down and you have some strength in the knee muscles. Now I'm back on my feet (again) I'm working hard on prehab.

You have my absolute sympathies. Not fun and it's a long road to recover if you do have surgery. I'm not entirely enjoying this pre surgery limbo.

Thanks for the support, I've been told by a friend that it's best to go private as he was back riding bikes after 3 months! I'm still hobbling about just now as it was only yesterday. I am 21 so the doctor seemed quite keen for me to have surgery due to having quite a lot of a sporting 'career' left, or that's what I could make out through the broken English.

Why is it you ended up seeing someone after 7 years? was it because it happened again?

ACL injuries are a bit of a lottery on the NHS. Mrs Daz did hers skiing, got lucky and was referred via the NHS to a private clinic, had reconstructive surgery and was back to normal within 6 months. Another mate did the same playing tennis, didn't get the private surgery option and took two years of physio and is still not right.

If laid up computer games are a good time filler. Best thing is they stop you drinking and eating as your hands are occupied 🙂

I think it depends on what they do. If you have a full reconstruction you can expect to be into some light cycling within 6 months, but they seem really keen you don't do anything impact (and mtb is included in that due to the impact we put through our knees) for 9-12 months (I also think that is them being cautious - some may well do it quicker, though it takes time for the graft to take). After that, the risk of rerupture is low (same as for the other knee). I've been told it's 90% successful and a well-established operation. But you have to follow the rehab carefully to make sure the results come out at the end.

Basically, long story short, I fell skiing in the USA 7 years ago. I was insured but on a work trip (25 year old, new staff) and didn't want to make a fuss. Hobbled about for a month. Ended up seeing a surgeon who didn't do an MRI, convinced it was just a meniscus tear. Had op, but they did nothing when they got in there. I hadn't torn the meniscus, he said I'd just dislocated and fractured the kneecap (quite likely) and it would sort itself out. He clearly didn't have a proper look around. I paid for private physio and generally have been fine since (though looking back with hindsight, I realise a lot of my issues with my back and hip since have probably been related as I was compensating). And to be honest, I'd forgotten about it most of the time.

In August I was at a circuits class, jumped off an aerobic step and my knee just gave way underneath me. Whole body weight landed in a heap on the floor. Took myself to minor injuries who x-ray'd and referred me for an orthopedic follow up. In talking to the specialist (this time a knee specialist at an orthopedic center of excellence), he said it isn't uncommon that the knee can cope fine with out the ACL (and he thinks my tear looks to be old), but it is a second high impact and collapse that forces surgery (I'd imagine in your case they probably won't wait for that). Since then it has collapsed again (October) as I was getting over a stile. Though I can walk fine on a flat surface, I feel like I have a ball of jelly instead of a knee if there is a slope or it is slippy. So the feeling is in these recent two episodes I have now done further damage to the rest of the knee as it is now so unstable. With loving the outdoors and needing to be outside for parts of my job, surgery was the only option to get the stability back. However if you currently see me walking the street, you wouldn't know.

Have you had an MRI in France? If so, see if you can get a copy of the results to take to the UK, to speed things along. If not, make sure you get one in the UK. I should have had one when I was 25 and got it sorted, not dealing with added complications at 32.

Worth also bearing in mind there are different grades of tear

Grade 1 tear: a small number of fibres are torn resulting in some pain but the joint will function relatively normally. Grade 2 tear: a large number of fibres are torn and the knee joint will lose a lot of functionality. Grade 3 tear: the ACL ligament is completely torn and the knee becomes unstable.

Mine is grade 3, resulting in a reconstruction. The MRI will tell you. I'd wait until you have some physio guidance before you try swimming. I wasn't allowed until the swelling had reduced. Regular ice, rest, elevation is key in the short term.

So in November I filled my time sewing an advent calendar. In January I plan to try and rediscover photography and drawing.

Just a short and sweet message as it’s late but I was told (without an MRI though) that it’s a grade 3. I couldn’t stand on it, I tried and fell straight over

Sorry to hear that (and doctors in Val almost certainly know what they are looking for, as it's a common skiing injury). In which case, and only based on my experience, I expect you are looking at very similar action as me. I've had time to get used to the idea and I've just written 2018 off in my head in regards to adventures. If I end up getting out a bit toward the end of the year, then great, that's all a bonus.

However bear in mind, it is surprisingly common surgery and I know of several people who now run, bike etc with no problems. One of my students did hers during her A-levels, had a rubbish year getting it sorted (tough when you are 17/18 to deal with), but now plays hockey for the University.

I hope you get an opperation date (if that is the correct course of action for you), asap. Good luck.

And in the meantime, get into see a physio (either private or NHS) after the new year (let the swelling reduce for a couple of weeks in my experience) as they have really helped me maintain a level of normal day to day life (the muscles can help compensate), and hopefully putting my knee in the best condition prior to the opp.

Had my reconstruction op back in December 2015 and I was back on my bike (road only) after about 3 or 4 months I reckon. I was back playing rugby by the time preseason started in July. Just need to really stay on top of your physio, luckily I had a pretty good one through the NHS who understood I wanted to be back playing and pushed me to get it back stronger. The days of them saying 9-12 months minimum are over now and the physio said it's now recognised as being much more subjective. 2 years on and my knee feels stronger than my other one! I had the hamstring graft though and I do feel my hamstring is noticeably weaker now. You can actually feel where they've taken it out!

Best of luck!

That's interesting (and good to hear). I did wonder if the 9-12 months is conservative (i.e. depends on how well you get on with physio) and then that's great if you do better.