Torn ACL and MCL, any advise?

[Rchan]

I've been riding my bike like crazy and really making great progress with my speed and endurance, training for a week long Cycle Oregon in September. I took just a very short ride on Mother's Day, got caught in a torrential downpour on a hill just by my house on the way home, and on a very slight turn, tires slipped and bike fell, I'm sure my petal didn't unclip because I heard and felt 2 pops before I even hit the ground, and just knew my knee was blown. MRI confirmed ACL and MCL total tears.
My ortho said I could do some rehab, no bike for 4-6 weeks, then have a custom brace made for when I cycle, and did not rule out my Cycle Oregon. Prior to my accident on Sunday, I could already do the recommended milage, but certainly still needed work on the hills.
Cycle Oregon is a week long 50-90 miles a day.
This is a huge setback for me. Anyone else been thru this? I'm hoping to postpone surgery if knee still feels unstable until after the event, ortho doc said I could even wait a year to get it repaired if it wasn't working for me.
Has anyone else been thru this, is it doable, or am I delirious with my grief?

[bmccasland]

Rchan,
First the bad news - you may need to give up on Cycle Oregon this year. Rehabing your knee is more important.

I tore my MCL and partially tore the ACL in a bike wreck last year. Did 12 wks of PT, which was so much fun. My PT even pointed out the atrophy from non-use when I first started. When I was finally approved to ride - on bike trails, not on streets, to lessen the risk of falling again - I still didn't have a happy knee.

Good news is that there is recovery.

yeah, and I need to call an orthopod here because a year later, and a cross-country move, my knee let me know that the twist I did while playing a game of chase with the cat was not a smart thing to do. :o

[Trek420]

Sorry about the tear before the big ride. I have a torn ACL & MCL on both knees in addition to other boo boo's (broken back, won't bore you with the list) I did the Ca AIDS Lifecycle ride a bunch of times. No surgery for me. I don't want it but also it's not a good option for me.

I wear a brace when doing anything with a lot of lateral movement (martial arts) but nowhere else. Certainly not on the road bike. Good news is by strengthening all the surrounding muscles I'm pain and popping free. Bad news is I have to do that for the rest of my active life. Good news is I like working out. Yeah, TE!! :D

There is life and long rides after a torn ACL, you just have to work hard at it to stabilize the knee.

[crazycanuck]

R, I tore my MCL quite nicely & ruptured my PCL all at the same time a few years back.

All i can say is- you can get back into biking once nicely healed. When they mention 6 weeks healing time, they mean it, possibly a wee bit longer depending. Don't fret & keep yourself moving in that time.

Swimming was the only thing that I could do whilst off my bike & all that kept me from going insane.

[Rchan]

Thanks for all the responses. I'm quite devastated and can hardly stop crying. The pain is nothing. I've become so obsessed with cycling and working towards cycle Oregon for 2 yrs now. Never before in my life have I had a hard time making a decision, whether to just get it done, which means no cycle Oregon, or do what is probably impossible, to power thru it, hope for a brace that holds me together and take the sag wagon if needed. I don't have to decide yet, can't have surgery until swelling is better anyway.
Rationally I know there will always be a next event, does not seem to help my despair right now. Being a physician I am fully aware there are much worse things that happen everyday, still I cry.
Thanks for listening.

[Kiwi Stoker]

That's something the docotors don't tell you about serious injuries- the grief you get from the good health you have lost (temporary or permanently), the total loss of the cycling high, especially with all you friends sre doing an event and the worry and fear. I had even decided NOT to go to a big race and be a supporter I was so upset. However I managed to find a strong rider who wanted to ride it on a tandem, so with my wrecked shoulder it was the ideal solution.

Things I found which helped.

If you belong to a cycle club or coffee ride group- go and have coffee after the ride with them. Yes you didn't get to ride, but there is no one else who knows what you are feeling than a cyclist. Don't lose contact.

If you feel up to it, volunteer to be a marshal, supporter, drink hand outer. That way you are THERE and people will appreciate it.

If you knee allows it, go to spin classes, just use easy gears and don't stand. Or invite friends over to do a wind trainer session together and have a drink or two afterwards.

OK it time to switch gears and change your goals. Not nice I know, but you will be on the bike again!

[NbyNW]

Rchan, this board is a great place to come for emotional support when recovering from a serious injury. Lots of empathetic eyes here who have first hand experience with the highs and lows of the healing process. Welcome to TE and keep checking in!

I love Kiwi stoker's advice. A great way to still be around the sport you love, you'll probably meet some new and interesting people, too. Let the experience surprise you!

I don't know if this injury will be keeping you off your feet/off work for an extended period of time, but if it does, it can help to find a new focus, even a temporary one. I think there are at least a couple of threads here where people have shared what they did while laid up. Some people learn a new language, plan a trip, learn a new craft, etc.

When you are ready, you can also look into what exercises you can continue to do in order to keep your core and upper body strong. That way you won't be starting from scratch as the knee gets healthier.

Good luck, sending healing vibes your way.

[Sky King]

I would also suggest another opinion. I would not rule out surgery, as you know tears are a PIA. My first surgery was in 1975 and feel blessed that the approach has changed dramatically since then. I too am not sure why they are suggesting a brace for cycling, rehab and a good PT will do more than a brace. Cycle Oregon is a great ride, don't rule it out yet and perhaps give yourself permission to attend with no expectations of "How fast you complete each day" If you go, just enjoy it, give yourself permission to take a sag wagon day if need be. I was down for 18 months with severe achilles tendonitis in both tendons and am just now to the point I can ride consecutive days and one thing it taught me is to let go, enjoy the moment and take nothing for granted.
Take care we are ALL on your side!

[channlluv]

Rchan, welcome to TE.

Ladies, what fabulous advice all around. I love the love and support on this board.

Rchan, I injured my MCL in August -- not as severely as you, and mine didn't require surgery, but I was off-bike for a couple of months letting it heal. I had really good treatment from my chiropractor (he specializes in sports injuries -- Ladanian Tomlinson and I were lunch buddies there for a while before he left San Diego), wore a brace for a bit just for stability, and just let myself heal.

As a physician, you're aware of the possible permanent damage you could do to your knee if you don't take time to heal.

I like the suggestion of getting surgery now and doing the ride if you can, but volunteering if you can't, and then signing up for it next year when you're completely healthy.

Be kind to yourself.

Roxy

[Rchan]

Update!
Thanks for all the advice. I am doing so much better, graduated from the walker (crutches were taken away from me promptly by my family when they saw how crazy I was on them). Used a cane for 5 days, and now can walk just fine with and without the brace. Saw my ortho today, and decided to continue training for Cycle Oregon. Doing all my exercises. Cycling on the trainer and have been given approval to advance the resistance as tolerated. Gonna be just fine. If I am not happy with my knee wobble after Cycle Oregon, I will have surgery then. Road bike is still 2-4 weeks away. But I found a DVD that simulates a century ride I am going to entertain myself with on the trainer.
Telling people here because all my friends think I'm crazy to want to ride a bike for fun!:D

[Brandi]

My husband snapped (yes snapped) his ACL. Slight mcl fraying and had surgery to fix it. He would do it again in a snap! He said to tell you do the surgery and go through rehab. Do everything they say and then some and you will be good as new. They told him he would never get back his range of motion and they were wrong! He has and then some! all because we think he really stuck to the rehab. Never let up. at about 6 months he was great. Never stopped riding either. He rode every day up to the surgery to get his leg really strong then about 5 days after surgery he was on his trainer. I was so proud.
It seems all the people we talked to prior to his surgery who had had knee surgery all said the same thing. If I had only stuck with the rehab!
Good luck!

[featuretile]

I tore my ACL and injured my MCL in a skiing accident about 7 years ago. I was not a cyclist then. I had the ACL surgically repaired and the MCL did not need it. I did all the physical therapy, but it was a really hard and long recovery. A person in their 50's does not heal as fast as a person in their 20's. I still did not have full range of motion at either end.

Then I started cycling. The cycling gave me back the full range of motion. I don't think I would be comfortable without having repaired the tear because I would never know that if I just moved the wrong way, I could re-injure myself, and I don't want to go through this again. If I was you, I would take care of the knee and postpone the event till next year. The surgery is done arthroscopically. I know that's not what you want to do, but it might be better in the long run. And cycling can be part of your recovery! That's why I use half toe clips and am deathly afraid of clipless pedals....

[Rchan]

What a difference a few months make! I'm averaging 15-17 mph , did an 86 miler on Sat. Been practicing on the hills like crazy. I am ready for Cycle Oregon! Did not have surgery, do not need surgery. I wear an ultralite magnesium brace just for protection/insurance but don't need it. Had the brace made celeste green to match my bike so I could look cool.
No surgery may not work for all, but has worked out great for me.
I received so many supportive comments, I wanted to share my very proud update.