Back to the slopes after ACL surgery.

[skioride]

I'm finally getting back on the slopes this week after 6 months post OP ACL. There have been varying amounts of success and some setback stories by many of you maggots and I thought it would be easier to track everyones skiing or snowboarding progress in a separate thread then filtering through everyones rehab posts.
Personally, I get my knee brace delivered on Thursday so I will be on the slopes Thursday or Friday. After that, depending on how my knee feels, will depend on when I'll ski again and how many days a week I'll be able to ski.
I'm normally a very aggressive skier but I have no intentions of ending up on the operating table again so I expect to take it easy this season.
I hope TC is getting better after his setback and Zion seems to be shushing along way ahead of schedule.
Good luck on the slopes for those of the class of 2011 that have made it back this season.

[Cedrik]

I was cleared to ski at 8 months post OP, but the snow at Mammoth sucked, so I didn't go until Jan 23 (9 months) when the storm hit. I'm using a Donjoy Armor brace, which I don't even notice while skiing, though I do notice it sitting on the lifts. I'm staying on the blue groomers to get the ski legs back, plus the doc's recommendation was to stay on groomers for 20 days or so. Not sure I'll make it that long, though. I'll probably count the x-c days in that 20.

All the PT has paid off. My repaired leg feels strong and stable and the hamstring graft site feels fine, too, though it was a little tight the first day out. I'm normally not a particularly aggressive skier, though I like to consider myself a smooth, flowing skier

My plan is to basically use this season to fully recover and prepare for Argentina next August/September. I'm trying not to dread wiping out, which will happen sooner or later.

[bendtheski]

I don't expect to be coming back until sometime next October or November, but I'm curious about you guys skiing in braces.
My ortho didn't recommend a brace after surgery, and when I asked him, he said he's sure I won't need one to return to normal activity including skiing.

I've had a bunch of friends go through acl replacement, and almost all returned to skiing with a brace, at least for the first season. OTOH, my knee feels really good at 6 weeks, all things considered, and I can't imagine needing a brace to ski 8 or 9 months from now, but who knows?

I guess I'd better feel real confident about the strength and stability of the knee before attempting to return to skiing, brace or no brace. Hopefully whatever I do between now and then will give me that confidence.

[zion zig zag]

My Doc said I didn't need a brace but got me a donjoy defiance for 'peace of mind'. I started skiing on groomers a bit at about 5 months and at six months I've been skiing pretty aggressively. I've even had a couple of days where I felt pretty normal and I have to dial it back. It's weird, sitting here thinking about skiing I feel unsure about it and think about how easy I'll take it, but once I get on the hill it's like auto pilot kicks in and it's just same old same old. Maybe that's from skiing 80+ days a year for so long. I did notice that skiing 2 days in a row it started to get pretty sore on the second afternoon.

I will say that snorkeling made it incredibly sore. Snorkeled for about 6 hours last week and the next day I was fuckin crippled.

[tone capone]

Pain back full force after a couple easy half days on groomers. 11.5 months. Not stoked. Zion, be careful if you start feeling "Normal" and then start having pain after a couple days in a row. That's how this nightmare started for me.

I am starting to wonder about a brace.

I have one friend who said his knee felt unstable for three seasons so he used a brace for three years. I didn't get one cause I never had the hyperextending feeling he described.

I am wondering if a brace would help in my situation? My knee feels totally stable, but could it help prevent the crippling pain at the lateral femoral condyle area? Would a brace just further impede full muscle recovery?

Any body else have pain unless they skied in a brace the first year?

[skioride]

First day back today after 6.5 months post op. Used the Don Joy even though my doctor said I didn't need one. When I get closer to 100% I'll shed the brace but I think the brace helped me ski more aggressively.
As for the skiing.....It was awesome!!! I skied very aggressively on the groomers and even found myself on some small bumps on some blue runs. I thought I would feel pain when I really carved an edge but didn't. Skied hard for 2 hours and my leg did get a little tired but I feel no pain and no swelling. Felt some pain when I'd hit a bump too hard but no sustained pain. I'm sure I could ski a steep groomer but not at high speed like I did on the blues.
All in all I am very pleased. I skied harder than I thought I could and no residual pain or swelling. I'll probably take tomorrow off cause I hate skiing on Saturdays anyway.

[Captain Anal]

Good to hear your knee feels good on the snow. I've had the ACL replaced on my right knee twice now. I have never put a brace on it. Definitely some anxiety going into the first day of skiing post-op but by the end of the day felt like I was ready to kick some ass both times around. After a couple weeks was back to 100% aggressive no-holding-back skiing. Steeps, bumps, crud, speed, trees, straightlining bumps, cliffs, SL and GS gates... never felt like my knee was holding me back. I'm more nervous about hurting it playing basketball or something than I am about hurting it while skiing. So basically I feel much better than I expected to.
Judging from your experience first day back on the snow... I bet you'll be skiing 100% in no time.

[skioride]

Good to hear your knee feels good on the snow. I've had the ACL replaced on my right knee twice now. I have never put a brace on it. Definitely some anxiety going into the first day of skiing post-op but by the end of the day felt like I was ready to kick some ass both times around. After a couple weeks was back to 100% aggressive no-holding-back skiing. Steeps, bumps, crud, speed, trees, straightlining bumps, cliffs, SL and GS gates... never felt like my knee was holding me back. I'm more nervous about hurting it playing basketball or something than I am about hurting it while skiing. So basically I feel much better than I expected to.
Judging from your experience first day back on the snow... I bet you'll be skiing 100% in no time.

Yo Capt'n A,
How long Post op before you first skied? And I agree Playing basketball and even running are rougher on my
knee than skiing was.