My dilemma--WWMD?

[Dexter Rutecki]

Well, aside from the obvious, but related to that--
I'm probably going to have surgery in two or three weeks to fix that little bit of tissue in my knee that ruptured 11 days ago, which means six months until I'm allowed to be fully active again (on the plus side, losing my season means a trip to SA in August is about 50% more likely). Now, without an ACL I know (from the last time) that I can't really ski like I want, but I'm pretty sure once my range of motion is better I could tool around on the groomers for an afternoon.
Should I do this? I won't be able to do anything I normally like to (bumps, air, go fast and crank turns), but I'd still like to just slide around one more time. But...
If I screw up somehow, it's possible I could do something more, and at the least require another round of reducing swelling and strengthening, etc., not to mention the obvious discomfort.
I could also just ski the whole time on one leg which would almost eliminate the risk, but probably make things even less fun.
So, how dumb should I be?

[mildbill.]

screw the groomers and enjoy your time off with the little one.

holding back is pointless and no fun

[bad_roo]

paging Endless...

[Honc]

If your ligaments are blown, the only reason you need to slow down is reduced stability.

Otherwise, risking exended surgeries and rehab for a day of geriatric (no offense, ice) shooshing on EC hardpack makes little sense. I also find it impossible to hit the groomers and not burn laps, not matter how badly I think I should keep it in check. Sounds like the recipe for disaster, dood. Not worth risking summer SA.

[Beaver]

Originally posted by mildbill.

holding back is pointless and no fun

True that.

Are you willing to possibly miss that trip to SA for a few cheesy groomer turns?

[Aldo]

Originally posted by mildbill.
screw the groomers and enjoy your time off with the little one.

holding back is pointless and no fun

Seconded. Next season will come soon enough.

[FreakofSnow]

Don't do it, trust me. Just don't do it.

[road trip]

Originally posted by Aldo
Seconded. Next season will come soon enough.

Thirded. One additional point so this isn't just a useless "pad" post is this...

...whenever I say "I'm just going to hold back today", I never do. It is in all of our nature (natures?) to start pushing it. So, while your intentions might be as stated, once you start going... you'll want to go harder than originally planned.

[Tavi]

It depends on a number of factors such as what procedure will be used, what kind of graft, etc. Generally the weakest point in the graft healing is at about 6 weeks post op; however, I have seen surgeons clear people for full activity with derotational bracing that early in the game. I'm not sure why they released them to full activity at the theoretical weakest time for the graft but I have seen it done. If it were my knee I would call this season off. One of the problems I've seen are failed grafts that are undetected due to the knee being functionally stable from good muscular compensation. There are quite a few failed grafts out there that have gone undetected. The problem is that when the muscles get fatigued there is nothing to stabilize the joint and the meniscus or colateral ligaments tear down the line. The graft usually failed to begin with due to overstress early after the surgery. Remember, it's usually 6 months before full activity with derotational bracing and 2 years before you have a new ACL. I’m being very conservative but it’s stuff to consider.

[Barnballs]

hummmm....Pico or Portillo????

That's a tough one.

[Buster Highmen]

Acknowledgement, meditation, resolution.
Take care of it now, enjoy the opiates and your child, rehab like hell.

[Vinman]

Concur with Tavi and MB on this one.

I have also lost ski season due to ACL recon. I know that I could have gone sliding around on groomers without any problem what so ever, but that sucks and you definitely do not want to re-injury you knee and cause more damage to say your meniscus or joint surfaces. Suck it up, stay at home and try not to get too wrapped up in not skiing. Before long you will have rehab to keep you motivated and a SA trip to shoot for.

[Big E]

Tavi - I think Dex is talking about getting in one last day before surgery.

Honc - who are you talking to ("no offense, ice")?

I wouldn't do it (since I'm only about 6 weeks past considering this myself). Yeah, there's a pretty good chance that you'd be fine, but it's not worth the risk of making things worse by killing your meniscus or tearing something else trying to compensate for an unstable knee.

Of course, just being able to walk without a limp sounds pretty appealing right now. [hijack] Anyone remember how stiff their knee was about 3 weeks post-op? I think I'm pretty far ahead on strength - already walking w/o crutches - but damn is it stiff. I can get 90-100 degrees flex, but at no point does it feel "normal" along that path. Can't remember what it was like last time relative to the bending/stiffness.

[Vinman]

Big E. you sound like you are right on track to me. Don't worry about how much you can bend(flex), you need to concentrate on straitening (extension) right now. As the swelling goes down the flexion will come back fairly easy, extension is the most important. If yu can't straiten your knee, you can't walk without a limp.

[Big E]

Originally posted by Vinman
Big E. you sound like you are right on track to me. Don't worry about how much you can bend(flex), you need to concentrate on straitening (extension) right now. As the swelling goes down the flexion will come back fairly easy, extension is the most important. If yu can't straiten your knee, you can't walk without a limp.

Cool, I think I'm mostly just anxious about things moving along. Yeah, full extension is no prob, though it takes me a minute or so to get it there if I've just had it bent at 60+ degrees. Doc really emphasized full extension, didn't care too much about flexion (at least, not 1 week post op).

[gincognito]

Big E: For me the strength was the (relatively) easy part. Stiffness was a bitch and flexibility was a long time coming. So your situation sounds about normal to my little experience. Flexion was one thing, but extention was the hardest. So hard to go straight...but so important.

SaAaH (and leaving it wide open),
d.

(edit: me so slow)

[Tavi]

Originally posted by Big E
Tavi - I think Dex is talking about getting in one last day before surgery.

Ahh yes, I seem to have misread. I still wouldn't ski on it; especially without some bomber bracing. You want to preserve the rest of the joint as Vinman has pointed out.

I should really try reading better.

[Dexter Rutecki]

OK, well I guess I was sort of hoping the opinions would be different, but I guess you guys have sold me (you guys took my wife's side, this time). I actually did ski for an afternoon last time I did this, but it was with my wife who was basically all snowplow at that time--I never even buckled my boots. The only dangerous part of the day was when we went by the terrain park and I almost took a detour...
Big E, you'll be fine, as the others have said. Just keep at that PT as hard as they'll let you--I'm currently hating the pain part of PT (having my knee forced into flexion and then resisting), but I know that it only gets much, much worse post-op.