Snowboarding with torn ACL

The following words are either very common, too long, or too short and were not included in your search : snowboard, acl. So here it goes...

Tore my ACL last season. Probable partial in late February but was back on my feet after a couple of weeks so didn't get an actual diagnosis. Did it again in July from an 8ft fall bouldering. Same mechanism of injury, but definitely worse the second time, got an MRI and my ACL's torn. Insurance is dragging their ass so surgery will probably be around November.

In case we get some good early season snow, and for later in the season when I'm out and about again but not fully recovered, I'm wondering if I'd be OK to go snowboarding instead of skiing. I normally ski, but have snowboarded a few times and picked it up pretty quick. It's not my preferred method of sliding on snow but I'd rather get out there on a board and not injure myself further than go ski and make it worse. I'm still fairly new to it so I'd probably have the occasional "beginner" style fall, but I'd definitely be taking it a lot easier that I would on skis. I have a hard time "taking it easy" when I ski, so that's a less than ideal solution. Anyone have some experience with this, I'm not sure I've heard of people injuring their ACL snowboarding so I'm wondering if it might be a safer substitute for the time being. Thanks!

I do both skiing and snowboarding. Not exactly your situation, but coming back from ACL surgery I found snowboarding much harder on my bad knee than skiing, though I think it might have been more from stiffness than a weak ACL.

Sheppy and I did our ACLs about the same time and I had an easier time getting back on my snowboard. Hurt less so our experiences differed.

BUT, I snowboarded the last 12+ years almost exclusively and lost a lot of my skiing ability (dumb I know, going back to skiing now).

Your largest problem is not hurting the ACL IMHO, it is hyper extension.
And since it is NOT your preferred method of riding, I gotta say you are playing with fire. And while I did not pop my ACL boarding, I did have a previous surgery on a lacerated fat pad from wrapping myself around a tree and struggled to get out of that tree well.

I snowboarded for 18 years with no ACL in my back leg. The only issues I ever had was when skating to get somewhere and going through moguls or extra bumpy terrain (the knee would shift). I never rode the park so I can't comment on that. Riding the rest of the mountain was fine but I was pretty conditioned on what I could an couldn't do.

That said, get it fixed ASAP. The more it slips the more damage you do. I had mine done on May 20th and barely notice it any more. I cursed myself back in late June and Early July because I was tired of PT and felt like I was missing out on summer. I rode the hell out of my bike and did all the PT and feel strong and great.

Can't wait for the season to start and not have any issues. If you don't miss out on winter then by all means have at it. Just know that it sucks to be somewhere far from a lift with an extra sore, not so mobile knee.

Good Luck.

My two cents: I did not tear my ACL snowboarding. However, I did mine 13 years ago, and just had it recon'd a week ago! Because i did it so long ago, i had a ton of meniscus damage, from years of continuously playing sports etc.

GET IF FIXED ASAP!!! Don't wait like i did, b/c the more damage the longer it takes for you to get back to doing what you really want to do.

Thanks for the input. I'm definitely getting it fixed, I'd do it tomorrow if I could, it's just insurance issues (I'm in the military, they're doing it whenever the hell they get around to it) that's postponing it a few months. I was actually diagnosed by a PT (with an MRI), I'll finally see the ortho in a couple weeks on the 5th and go from there.

I skied for a full season with a fully torn ACL--big meniscus tear was taken care of before the season. I didn't think it would work based on previous ACL tears, but skiing was about the only thing I could manage without some sort of difficulty--not sure if it's relevant to snowboarding, but since I didn't know the ACL was gone until they went in to do the meniscus in September I figured it was best to put surgery off until spring and see if I could ski. I would try skiing first if you're more comfortable with that and see how it works--then schedule surgery based on that. I wouldn't snowboard if you think you're going to be falling a lot (and I have heard of ACL snowboard injuries, although I doubt the rate is anything close to skiing).

At least you know you won't tear that ACL this season.

I went wakeboarding a couple days before my surgery.
I told ACL PCL MCL completely. My knee was super super loose and had alot of trouble controlling the board as it was my front leg.
I would say it depends on how loose your knee is, like if it buckles on you alot..
if its your back leg, I would say you'd have no problem.
Front leg.. I'd go with skiing!

I've torn both ACLs. First one was over 20 years ago. Story like yours. Messed it up in Jackson but did nothing about it. Boating accident in August really messed it up and had Arthroscopy and then did rehab until season started. Moved to France in December to ski there for the winter and learned to snowboard. Found snowboarding much easier on my bad knee (which my forward leg). Then tore other ACL at the end of that season. Once the snowboarding gear improved a bit I switched almost exclusively to snowboarding for about 15 years because it was much easier on my knees. Then a few years ago I started skiing again. Now I amazingly find skiing easier on my knees. Go figure.

I'd get a good knee brace if I were you. I still ski with them. I'm a big fan of CTI2, but they're expensive if insurance isn't paying.

6 years ago I tore my right acl jibbing rails on a snowboard early season around towns. It was about 8 foot drop to flat and didn't quite get the 180 off all the way around kind dug my toe edge in but didn't fall and thats what popped it. If I would have fallen it would have been just fine. Got a big brace for it and tried to ride the rest of the season and could actually ride pretty hard as long as the snow was good. Even drop some bigger cliffs as long as it was pow. Later the same season trying spin a quick penciled out three on some lame side of the groomer flat landing kiddie jump landed with my left knee hyper extended and tore the other acl. Had two hamstring grafts a week and a half apart worst summer ever. Hiking in the BC 4 1/2 months later. My advice to any one with sketchy knees is get some good braces that prevent hyper extension and prevent that inward chicken leggy movement, the kind with big hinges on the side. Mine have saved me from more than one additional knee injury. Some docs say it makes your leg weaker by using them. I really disagree I never feel the braces until I need them.

Hi,

I am a 22YO Female, and I tore my ACL in my front leg, on my snowboard in the terrain park. It was icey conditions, my board was underwaxed, and I came up less than a foot short of a 15-foot-gap landing; my front knee hyperextended backwards and my ACL completely severed in half.

I grew up skiing and didn't try snowboarding until after I was able to wakeboard. I would say skiing puts more pressure on your knees, because after a bad fall, your legs go in different directions. However, snowboarding is rough on your knees because of how you progress in the lift line and having the entire weight of your board dangle from one leg (pressure on that knee and ankle).

HOWEVER, a genius product has finally reached the market and it's called "THE STRAP PAD" (I found mine on Amazon.com). This is a modified stomp pad that allows you to slip your foot under the strap on the lift, distributing the weight evenly through both feet.

I had my ACL reconstructed in June 2010, using a hamstring graft. My therapist and doctor say I will be ready to go back on the mountain this season, and can even venture back into the terrain park (I will stay away from kickers, maybe hit some boxes, and keep any jumping to the powder areas on the mountain).

Knee braces are KEY; I am not allowed to return to snowboarding without my sport brace. My only concern is how to set up my bindings so I can still ride switch and jump without exerting too much force on either knee.

If you are going to start snowboarding, I would recommend a knee brace, AND knee pads! You can get thin or thick pads at Sports Authority, Big Five Sporting Goods, etc. You either land on your butt or fall on your knees on a snowboard, and the knee pads will protect you in a bad fall (and yes, they will fit under your baggy snowboard pants).

A suggestion from my therapy: strengthen your hamstrings (dead lifts, hamstring curls on a physio ball: [nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IorqIfY7hKM&feature=related"]YouTube - Physioball Hamstring Curl[/nomedia] - note, you can put your arms at your side, on the ground for support). It's when our quads have so much force when we land poorly, with inadequate hamstring strength, that will send your knee backwards, and tearing the ACL. As I have a hamstring graft, part of my recovery is doing hamstring exercises. I am doing my other leg now too, to help prevent injuries this season.


Good luck!

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Originally Posted by ReticentMarvel

The following words are either very common, too long, or too short and were not included in your search : snowboard, acl. So here it goes...

Tore my ACL last season. Probable partial in late February but was back on my feet after a couple of weeks so didn't get an actual diagnosis. Did it again in July from an 8ft fall bouldering. Same mechanism of injury, but definitely worse the second time, got an MRI and my ACL's torn. Insurance is dragging their ass so surgery will probably be around November.

In case we get some good early season snow, and for later in the season when I'm out and about again but not fully recovered, I'm wondering if I'd be OK to go snowboarding instead of skiing. I normally ski, but have snowboarded a few times and picked it up pretty quick. It's not my preferred method of sliding on snow but I'd rather get out there on a board and not injure myself further than go ski and make it worse. I'm still fairly new to it so I'd probably have the occasional "beginner" style fall, but I'd definitely be taking it a lot easier that I would on skis. I have a hard time "taking it easy" when I ski, so that's a less than ideal solution. Anyone have some experience with this, I'm not sure I've heard of people injuring their ACL snowboarding so I'm wondering if it might be a safer substitute for the time being. Thanks!

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Two things....no, THREE things:

1)don't go boarding BEFORE taking proper ACL surgery.

2)Strengthen your knee BEFORE surgery...it will make post-surgery recuperation MUCH easier.

3)Don't take too long before having surgery...you wilh I have to keep after the insurance company and doctor...insurance will try and delay, or even try to disqualify!

Snowboarding is MUCH easier on your knees than skiing.

Snowboarding is NOT to be thought of as some intermediary while recuperatin g...that is like saying you'll try Buddhism or Taoism for a day. Snowboarding is a way of life...like surfing. It is a mindset, not merely a sport. You may find that you NEVER go back to skiing. Besides my backcountry AT equipment, I haven't touched skis in a dozen years. And don't miss the heavy plastic boots and twin boards at all.

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Originally Posted by Alaskan Rover

1)don't go boarding BEFORE taking proper ACL surgery.

2)Strengthen your knee BEFORE surgery...it will make post-surgery recuperation MUCH easier.

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If you take one thing from here, it is number 2. Been there....

I'm getting my acl replaced, mcl surgery, and a couple of other things this monday. Does anyone have any advice on when I'll be able to drop cliffs on my snowboard or skis again???Any advice would be great. I plan on doing intense rehab and getting back on the mountain ASAP!!!

that hasn't been discussed before.

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Originally Posted by KFACTOR

I'm getting my acl replaced, mcl surgery, and a couple of other things this monday. Does anyone have any advice on when I'll be able to drop cliffs on my snowboard or skis again???Any advice would be great. I plan on doing intense rehab and getting back on the mountain ASAP!!!

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There will be an Iphone 6 and maybe a new president!

I'm not being a negative nancy but (correct me if I'm wrong here guys) to be having a mcl reconstruction you must have torn it pretty good. Usually they let grade I and II mcl injuries heal non surgically. Anytime your talking about multi-ligament reconstruction/repair I think the time line is a little longer and after you go through all the work of surgery and therapy you might wanna think again about huckin.

fuck I'm sounding old at 25