Thread: Worried about ACL graft

Hey all,

Had ACL reconstruction with Patellar Tendon on 09Oct22. Since then I haven't had any major issues (like no falls or major issues). I have had a couple of near trips where I've caught myself a couple of times with my bad leg and crutch putting more weight than normal on the bad leg. My PT is going great and I'm at 0-125 degrees of flexion and the quad is just starting to fire now. Anyway I still have this underlying fear that i've damaged my graft with my few trips and slight bends in the wrong direction or that it might have popped out. My PT says it sounds like I have nothing to worry about but he knows I'm a worrier. anyway I see my O/S on monday but I dunno if he'll be doing any physical tests because it's only been about 3 weeks since surgery. If my graft were to pop out would I know? would it hurt?

Anyone have any thoughts?

No idea about your knee, but I think your PT is right

I did a number of things like that after both my ACL surgeries and it was fine. My friend actually fell down her stairs hours after her ACL recon, and she was fine. You too are probably fine.

Thanks should help ease my worried mind until i see my surgeon, will he usually perform any tests at this juncture? or is it too soon?

100 percent of my ACL patients have some stumbling episode that freaks them out.

So far, I have not identified a graft tear from one of these episodes in about 2000 cases.

generally you'd know if you did something to screw up.

Thansk guys, yeah I've had a couple small stumbling episodes but like I said nothing major. It's just something that's been in the back of my mind since day one and of course as the knee starts to feel more and more normal it worries me probably because I spent 6 months getting used to living with a trick knee, so I pretty much have no faith in my knee, which is something that'll have to come over time.

your fine man.

i fell/slipped on ice mutiple times and shoved my heel to my butt which if youve ever had knee surgery you know hurts...... bad!!! and both my knees turned out fine. a little more healing time but nothing a couple beers wont fix

the mental part of rehab (trusting your knee again) is way tougher than the physical part of regaining your strength and ROM.

Thanks guys, I agree the mental part is starting to get to me, I'll have moments where in my head i'm good to go for a run, then I look down and ... oh yeah. Anyway I have my first post of visit with the surgeon tomorrow it'll be about 2 days shy of 3 weeks. I've got a laundry list of questions for him and I'm guessing he'll send me for more xrays and hopefully ease my worried mind. I've seen a few others come into his office prior to my surgery as well and it looked like he provided them with photo's taken during the arthoscopy, so if that's what happens in my case I'm kinda looking forward to seeing them. To those on here that are surgeons what's the general consensus on when the graft is the weakest? I've heard between 2-4 weeks, 6-12 weeks, 3-6 months? I know it'll be a while but it seems like there's a difference in what people seem to think.

Hey everyone had my post op visit yesterday , doctor did the anterior drawer test and said everything feels strong and tight. Was happy with my progress in physio and answered a lot of my questions. Of the questions I forgot to ask was the whole issue of crackles and pops within the knee, nothing that's painful but just with bending or straightening it seems to crack a bit is this normal? Physio said it's something I should be watching but it's not like I'm doing anything out of the ordinary to make it pop.