Anyone have an ACL injury?

[OakLeaf]

I had a knee sprain in '76 that I'm now almost certain was a partial ACL tear. It's loose on the pivot-shift test, anyway, and from where the pain was at the time, it was one of the cruciates for sure. Back then, orthos had NO idea, at least the ones I saw, and there definitely was no such thing as reconstructive surgery. I returned to running four months later, and playing soccer eight months post-injury, without a brace and without problems. It contributes to my patellofemoral issues, but I actually have those bilaterally. It's just worse on the side I sprained.

I talked to an ortho the last time it flared up, about six years ago. He told me that at my age (40+ at the time) and activity level, surgery probably wasn't a good option, just because of the extended rehab, and that I was just better off choosing sports that wouldn't irritate the knee, and bracing it when I put excessive stress on it.

On the bike, I have to make sure my crankarms are short enough and my seat is high enough that I'm not flexing my knees excessively at the top of the pedal stroke, and I have to make sure my cleats are properly aligned. Once the ergonomics are correct, I don't wear a brace, it doesn't bother me cycling at all. I wear patellofemoral straps for aerobics (lateral movement) but I'm learning to correct my body mechanics so that I don't need them for running.

Good luck with your rehab. Sending healing vibes your way.