ACL Reconstruction Recovery

[Mike Kelley]

Just wondering if anyone has a basic time line for recovery after an ACL Reconstruction because my PT has yet to give me any parameters

So far...

I had surgery Monday
Wednesday:
able to bend leg to 90+ degrees with no pain
leg can straighten all the way (and leg raises with no pain)
ditched crutches completely and I can walk without them
able to walk unassisted up and down stairs

from what I hear I'm ahead of normal recovery, so I was just curious if this would impact everything else (I'm not trying to rush back into anything), I just always feel like PTs want to keep you around as long as possible

[Lisa Fairclough]

Hi Mike! I'm in week 3 after my ACL operation. I'm also ahead of recovery at the moment. They gave me a basic time scale for my PT which has me returning to Full contact sports in around 9 months which to me will be the end of my recovery.

0 - 2 weeks
Partial weight bearing - Full Weight
Knee Flexion to 45 degrees


2 - 6 weeks
If wound healed, swimming (Crawl only)
Gentil cycling
Knee Flexion 90 Degrees

6 Weeks
Graft at weakest so be cautious
Full Weight bearing
Full Active ROM
Most PT Exercises

3 Months
Muscle Conditioning
Propriception exercises
Cardio Fitness

6 Months
Sport specific training

9 Months
Return to full contact sports

Hope this helps!

[Mike Kelley]

awesome, thanks

good luck with your recovery!

[Bill Pontius]

Congratulations on being ahead of the curve! It's probably a mark of your prior conditioning and the skill of the surgeon.
Did you have the meniscus cleaned-up as well? Reason I ask is that when my ACL was replaced 14 months ago, the combo with meniscus repair made the doc urge me to not go beyond 50% weight bearing first week to ten days even though I thought I was ready for it. For me it was six months of a program (like in Lisa's post) to full sprinting, hurdling and cleans, etc. With that time frame in mind I was willing to go along for a few days.

[Mike Kelley]

I was told there was little to no damage to my meniscus and that there was very little cartilage removed

I have an appointment with the ortho Monday, so I'll ask him rather than my PT

[Dean Havner]

Mike,

Ask your MD for his PT ACL protocol. This will give you a guideline as to where you should be throughout your rehab. It took me 9 months to get back to sports and lifting. Good luck!

[Caz Berkowitz]

Hey all,

Mike & Lisa, I'm going to be watching your progress.

I had an ACL replacement (allograph) on Tues and am pretty much in the same stage of recovery as Mike. Am walking pretty good unassisted, 90 degree contraction, full extension, minimal pain but haven't had a chance to try the stairs yet.
Am wearing a brace and see my surgeon on Mon with physical therapy starting Tues.

Please keep me posted on your progress and I'll let you know if I find out any important info.

I found a pretty good board related to ACL recovery:
http://factotem.org/cgi-bin/kneebbs.pl
Lots of info there!

Good recovery!

[Mike Kelley]

wow, I didn't realize so many other people were going through this right now

let's try and keep this thread alive with updates/progress, stuff your PT and/or doc says...anything that could be helpful


good luck everyone

[Lisa Fairclough]

Welcome to the club Caz! I think it's a great idea for us all to keep updates on our recovery here.

So far for me in week 3!

Walking unassisted
Up stairs good, almost normal. Down stairs, still one step at a time.
Can straighten leg fully but still painful, my Consultant said this is fine and it should be back to normal by next appointment..Dec 24th!

He told me not to worry about getting my knee to bend further at this stage and to let it happen naturally for now, getting it straight is the most important.

[Lisbeth Darsh]

Everyone's timeline varies. Your surgeon's skill and your attitude are the major factors in the success of your ACL surgery. Pay attention to your PT and follow what they say. The fact that you're posting here is already a plus in your favor, as it indicates your motivation and your athleticism. In the words of my PT (post ACL surgery in Sept 05): "I don't usually worry about the athletes. They're going to make it back -- they do what I say and then more. It's the people who don't even want to come to PT that I worry about."

I was back to triathlons within a year. Slow but there. And that's what counts. Speed returns with time and confidence -- and when you can finally forget what happened to your knee.

Good luck to you all. I'm rootin' for ya.