Thread: ACL gone, which flavor to go with.

Good luck Buzz...

Thanks Hemas! Hope you are coming along well.


Heh, is it bad form to order new Aegix A1 pants the day before knee surgery?

Originally Posted by Buzzworthy

Thanks Hemas! Hope you are coming along well.


Heh, is it bad form to order new Aegix A1 pants the day before knee surgery?

Don't know... I ordered mine a few weeks after...

I had a Hamstring in 2001 and have had great knee stability ever since, was back on the hill in a matter of months...groomers only for a while. But I have noticed a bit of weakness in that hamstring often resulting in a sort of cramping feeling. drmark is this simply a strength issue or will I always have this? Also had very little pain after surgery and made some extra coin on my vicodin among friends.

Good luck! You got your Vicodin/Percoset scrips filled and crutches ready?

10:45 AM check in, 12 Noon for surgery.

Buzz, one word for pre surgery anxiety (if the max dosage of IV valium doesn't work for you); phentenil (sp? fentenil?). After that all you do as look at the ceiling tiles.

Good luck man!

Mine was 50 mg Voltaren (anti infla + pain killer) and 2*10mg of Oxycontin... seemed to work well (but I was also anesthetized during the op).

And good luck plus a speedy recovery...

Hope all went well Buzzworthy!
I'm going to go in for mine Monday.

Originally Posted by Shepherd Wong

Hope all went well Buzzworthy!

Ditto, and good luck to you as well...

One new (patellar tendon allograft) ACL! Meniscus looked really good, barely touched and MCL will be fine. I am Titanium now too, 2 screws, not sure if they will come out of not as I am looped and have been. No pain on Norco, never had this before, but I like. I actually feel rather good and really want pizza. Gotta wait apparently.

Erica and Mom watched it from the observation room too, they thought is was way cool as the doc was talking them through the procedure. I have not seen the tape yet, but will.

Hope tomorrow won;t be too bad pain wise.

Good luck Sheppy and Walter! I was worked up over barely anything, this was a shot in the arm compared to my ankle recon in 97.


Probably passing out soon, see ya later.

Great to hear Ron! Best of luck with the healing part; you'll it!

Originally Posted by Sad Santos

I had a Hamstring in 2001 and have had great knee stability ever since, was back on the hill in a matter of months...groomers only for a while. But I have noticed a bit of weakness in that hamstring often resulting in a sort of cramping feeling.

Same here, had quad-stranded hamstring graft in Feb 2003 and my hamstring is not even close to 100%, and it cramps easily. I have also lost some flexion in my affected leg, mainly because I got the worst flu of my life 1 week into PT and lost a lot of valuable rehab time at the critical, early stages of PT. I have trouble kneeling and squatting.

The knee itself has felt super strong, but I still have occasional knee pain from high use (long bike rides, etc).

If I had it to do again, I might consider using the patellar. Not sure. If well-affixed to the bones, the 4x hamstring graft has the highest load-to-failure of any graft on the market. It's the rehab of the hamstring that really keeps it from being the best option overall.

Hey Buzz, glad to hear it went smoothly. I was expecting a lot of pain after the surgery, but fortunately, it never came. When the pain med (percocet) started to wear off, I'd start to get some throbbing, so I took another dose. By Day 3 I was taking only Ibuprofen about twice a day (hated the way percocet messed with my stomach). Keep us posted on your rehab.

Walter, for my ACL recon (hamstring graft), I have screws drilled into the bones in my knee to hold the graft in place. The screws are the kind that'll dissolve into the bone over time.

Originally Posted by Walter Sobchak

Good to hear it -- are the screws for the ACL, or other things?

Yep, they are there to hold the tissue in place. I seem to remember that especially with patellar grafts, docs use bio-melting screws, as with patellar graft each end has a bone plug. With hamstrings grafts, both titan and bio-melting screws are used.

And atleast my titan screws are there to stay, so Buzz I'd presume yours will be the same.

Oh, and the screws are big, as in BIG... Mine are 7.5mm times 35mm...


BTW. here's a nice site that has "pics" on how the procedure is generally done (patellar and hamstring), enjoy:
http://www.staehelin.ch/

Originally Posted by Walter Sobchak

Good to hear it -- are the screws for the ACL, or other things?

Yep, screws allograft even, since I am still real active boarding and skiing.

Had a fermeral (sp) nerve block and it is JUST s
starting to wear off now and things under the knee are a bit sore, nothing on top yet.

Did not know I would have screws so will ask in PT tomorrow if they are to stay. Wonder if I now set off the airport crap.

Mom watched and just said he already had a patellar bone graft bone already so she said that was what the screws were for. So I got a patelar bone, caedaver, patelar bone graft, cool.

Percs, Loritab and this Norco are my options depending on pain level.

Tip: I am covered on 2 good insurances and am 100% covered but they did not qualify me for a knee cooler sleeve and they checked cost and it was $500+ from hospital. Same thing below:

So I ordered this for $125 plus 15 for overnight delivery and it will be here tomorrow: Aircast cooler sleeve with jug for ice/water

Good luck Walter, hope today goes smooth. And same for Sheppy on Monday.



I really am surprised about how little pain I am in so far. I hope it does not change too much.


But I am a bit bored already just laying in bed RICEing. Getting the 1st season of Prison Break from wifey tonight to watch on DVD and think some ski porn on this rainy afternoon will be the ticket.

Buzz, the aircast cooler is soooooo nice. I've been prehabbing with one the past 4 months. I moved my cut date from this friday to 5-02 because my wife was out of town leaving me with the kids... and I wanted to ski a little bit more.

I'm getting the same thing you've got (patellar allo) but fortunately my screws are already in place from the previous hammy graft. Yes, they are big, but no airport problems.

Good luck with the rehab/pt.

Originally Posted by Mofro261

I'm getting the same thing you've got (patellar allo) but fortunately my screws are already in place from the previous hammy graft. Yes, they are big, but no airport problems.

Good luck with the rehab/pt.

Yep, Ti is not magnetic... So the metal detectors no worky... at least yet.

Following the injury that I encountered I also went for the TI, and I can say that it works wonderfully well. As opposed to the earlier theories the screws here dont make things as difficult as it used to be. There are many advantages of using this. Those who have used this would certainly know what I am trying to emphasize here.

Besides a bit of pain on day 3 and 4 and the thing looking all beat up, I am doing a hell of a lot better than I thought. Been up and around, been to PT once and the Ice Sleeve cooler is rocking. Caught up on the first season of Prison Break and right now the stiches are itching, good, healing.

Already have 70 flexion and quad is cooperating well on exercise, though skinny. It will come back. Leg raises going real rather well.


Had first shower today. OH MY !!!! I stunk.

Great to hear you're doing well. I also kept waiting for the pain to come, but it never did. Other than the throbbing/itching around the stitches. Your knee looks good. I had a huge dark purple bruise on the back of my knee -- due to the CryoCuff compressing the top, it pushed all the bruising to the back. It's all gone now, but was kinda scary-looking when they first took the dressing off.

How's your extension?

4/26/07:
Knee to 110 on wall slides, got to 0 Flexion, but it still hurts quite a bit doing that.
Got ALL the way around on the bike, 2 minutes later was spinning (no resistance).
Bruising is healing and knee almost looks normal, with a few scars.
Stiches out.
Slight weight bearing on both crutches, but not much.
TED hose off at night and no brace at night, must wear if up and about.
Tried on my Aegix A1 pants and love em.

Doing 2 days a week at 2+ hours a pop.

More tomorrow.

5/1/07:

Having a lot of trouble now getting my leg straight. Hurts like hell under the knee and PT yesterday sent my knee into some large swelling today, like 2 days post op swelling style. Was told to take today off and ice and will be back in PT tomorrow. Lots of strecthing needed.

But did get on the bike and went 20 minutes at level 4 without even blinking. Did not get measured, but it is well past the last 110 measurement I got.

Been on crutches now for 2 whole months and I have damn near worn them out. Looking forward to walking again.

Allowed to put 50% weight on it while in brace, unlocked. He opened it to go 10-90.
Allowed to ditch brace and TED hose at night and if just sitting around, that has been nice.

Brusing is almost gone, just the heavy purple patch is left a little bit. Once gone I can ditch the TED hose completely.


I really want to be able to carry my daughter and pick her up at this point too. I miss that.

Cleared to ride bike on trainer!!!!!!!!

I had an allograft done on my right knee in April and was skiing hard again the next December. I am 24 now and this was my second season back out on it and I killed it this year (at skiing, not the knee). My recovery was faster than friends who had the patellar from the same leg. If you can handle not having much use of both your legs, ie you have your mom/wife/gay lover to baby you for a month than go with the opposite leg autograft. Otherwise I would say go zombie bro.

Nice Buzz...

Just got back from my PT, can flex easily to 0 and with muscles to 110, 120 if I aid with my hands (ie. doesn't hurt)... Can ride my stationary bike as much as I like, and was also cleared to hit the gym from now on onwards. Though still should not do squats past 90 degrees for a few more weeks.

Also saw my doc last week, and he seemed really pleased, both on the progress (ie. flexation and how stabile it is).

Provided everything progresses more or less at the same rate, I should be able to hit the local crags and second/top-rope in before Mid Summers Eve and hopefully be leading and bouldering by fall.