Looking around the internet i found sportsknee.com that has some highly informative animations of various orthopedic procedures, including ACL Reconstruction.
Watching these videos is really infomative, but definately a little cringe-worthy.
Repairing an ACL is more aptly described as replacing it. It seems like the first question after you’ve decided to get the surgery seems to be what graft material you want to use to replace the ligament. The choices as presented to me are:
Each technique offers it’s own benefits depending on a given scenario. An autograft of the hamstring ligament seems to be most popular, followed by the pattelar ligament.
Since I used my hamstring tendon the first time i tore this ACL that is not an option for me. I’ve decided to take the Allograft option as it can have a somewhat shorter recovery time. Not collecting the graft material from my knee will make the whole procedure somewhat less invasive.
Ok, i’m scheduled for 8:45am on Nov 26th, the day before thanksgiving.
Sadly this means i’ll miss out on my annual trip to Maneki 
I’m here in the office waiting to see the doc. There is a somewhat ominous poster on the wall asking me if I am a candidate for total joint replacement. I hope thy I am not.
I’m also noticing the average age ok the dressing room is way down today, probably in the 30s.
I’ve now moved to the exam room, which has an excellent view.
I got a call from the doctor this morning. As I suspected my ACL is fully torn, and there’s also a small tear in my miniscus. That speaks well to the life of this blog!
The doctor mentioned that since this will be my second repair in this knee there will be some complicating factors. He offered me choices between using my own tissue or a synthetic graft, choices i can’t say i totally unerstand yet. I’ll be doing some research on these in the coming days.
In the meantime my swelling is way down and i can walk pretty comfortably now.
Truth be told i don’t have a primary care physician. I’m 25 and generally healthy, with the exception of the occasional bike injury. Last it was a broken collar bone, before that a rather catastrophic set of arm fractures.
When i decided on Monday that I needed to see a doctor I knew it needed to be an Orthopedic Surgeon, not a family doctor. No need to waste time getting a referall i knew i’d need. Swedish was kind enough to refer me directly to a surgeon and gave me an appointment the following day.
After arriving at the doctor’s office I sheepishly filled out the paper work saying I’d received an ACL repair on that same knee 11 years prior. I also fessed up to the arm surgery and various oral surgeries I’d gone through in the past three years all as the direct result of bike accidents.
After an exam and some x-rays the doctor told me what I had expected, my ACL was likely torn and he was also concerned about my meniscus. Awesome.
I’m not saying it was the most intelligent or dignified thing, but one week ago i found myself riding on the rack of a friend’s bicycle. Dressed in a pig costume. It was halloween, we were going to fast and I fell off. And when I fell it was onto a straight left leg with a locked knee.
I’ll spare you a detailed description of the moment, but suffice to say by the next morning my knee was good and swollen and more than it’s fair share sore. I know to be weary of these injuries since I tore my ACL skiing 12 years ago, same knee.
So now I go on, knowing what likely happened but trying to ignore it.
It looks like I’ve gone and tore my left ACL for the second time. Gotta stop doing that!
Henry on Sahale Arm in Washington's North Cascades, with a functioning ACL
Recent Comments