So.....

Last wednesday in January playing football, no one near me, ground wet as it was raining, ball played behind me and I turn to receive it.

As I turn my right leg slips away from my and my left knee collaspes underneath me. OUCH!

Off work for 3 weeks, crutches and painkillers, couldn't walk or drive for 2 of those.

Slowly but surely I've recovered and although slight swelling left I thought I'd try and get back into football 2 weeks ago. Within 2 mins, attempted to save a shot (decided playing in goal was less risk) and my knee collapsed underneath me again. Another week of pain like before, but recovery quicker and swelling has reduced to minimum.

Went for results of my MRI scan today and got the bad news.

Torn ACL, torn cartlidge and bruised the knee joint/cartlidge. Need an op to reconstruct ACL, clean up cartlidge.

So I've been advised not to play football anymore after or before the op as it's now a major risk of repeating itself, due to the damage done. So I've got to channel my need for sports, into something else.

Notice quite a few of you guys like your bikes and going for long runs on them. I used to love my bike before I started driving and want to get back into it. I really need to replace the need to play football or I will end up depressed that I'm getting old and now need to watch what I'm doing.

Anyone else been in this situation and can offer any advice/support?

Ross

Sorry to hear that. Yes, bikes are good from all sorts of angles and are low-impact. Certainly worth considering

Cant see cycling being much good for your knee!

What about hopping

Cycling is good - I can't run or do sports since I had a patellar tendon reconstruction and lost about a third of my kneecap. I can cycle though as it is low impact and I really enjoy it. I find I can get around putting much stress through my knee as I tend to use other muscles to pedal the bike, if that makes sense.

Good to hear you have the same type of issues with impact on the knee.

I'll speak to physio in the morning and find out if I can start biking just now pre-op.

If I can where is the best place to buy a starter bike? 2nd hand or new?

Ross

I had a few talks with fellow patients when I had my knee operation this summer. Two of them had had an experimental cartilage prosthesis already lasting them 2 years and now coming in for their other knee. Seemingly the surgeon I had was reknown for this. Cartilage is not something that just grows back. My brother in law (or just about) is a marathon runner and has type 3 cartilage injury (don't know if it's the same over there, but 1 is inflamation and light damage, 2 is medium damage where the thickness is reduced and surface is frayed, 3 is worn through in some locations and 4 is worn through and no longer supporting the joint). He still runs marathons but he doesn't play badminton anymore and he never had actual pain except for when he played badminton 3-4 times a week. Another guy I know had/has type 1 after a fall and was in continuous pain until they smoothened the surface of the cartilage and is now playing badminton again in the top-50 in Belgium without any issue.

To conclude: whatever they say, it's your body, it's you know feels the pain, and it's your decision to do what you feel good about. Yes, continuing to put strain on the affected region might increase wear, but generally the body has quite a good warning system called pain. If you are uncertain or want confirmation, you can always opt to continue the exercise based on the help and advice of a physio and ask for an MRI after x and xx months to see how it all copes with the strain. It's just that doctors have a tendency to warn active patients against activities that further damage instable body parts. The doctors I've seen that I talked to and who treat athletes all said that after the operation I should be putting strain on the 'repaired' to make the self-repair system of the body activate, to smoothen stitches in the cartilage,...

The reason I got that advice is not because I had cartilage damage but I was misdiagnosed with it and was looking for info and advice about doing sports in the future. In the end after a second MRI it was confirmed that there was nothing wrong with my cartilage and an operation 2 months later put an end to 6 months of being unable to walk stairs actively using that leg, 3 months of being unable to walk without pain and 2 months of being unable to live without pain. The cause was not purely the sport but also a too large fat pad behind my patella. So before you ask, yes: I have had a liposuction.

Sorry to hear about your injury Ross, sore one. I suffer from severe runners knee and also tore my ACL a few years back (pushing a broken down van on a slippery road). Give yourself time to recover and crack on with the cycling. I'm up to 26 miles a day, 5 days a week now.

Sorry to hear of your injury, but the fact is you really don't have a leg to stand on.

swimming is also good whilst you are in recovery. very low impact.

I believe things like cross trainers are pretty good, certainly far less impact than running for instance.

I had a knee op 2 years ago and whilst it was nothing like the extent of yours, swimming was the 1st thing I was able to do, and then the cross trainer and rower.

the good things about the bike and all the above is there is no twisting. I know my physio said (for my injury) SOME exercise was vital to build it back up, and it was mostly the impact and the twisting i was to keep away from. actually using the knee (in my case - I really am no doctor hence why the covering my back ) was helpful to its recovery once the initial tissue damage had begun to heal.

As soon as i went proper running again it swoll up like a balloon so i sacked that off.

I may give it another go if i shed some more weight.

good luck, and sorry about your injury

As has already been said, swimming is probably the best way to start your rehab. Cycling will then be fine after you've built up the strength in your knee.

I had knee surgery 15 years ago, not quite as invasive as yours, and my Physio (who happens to be my wife) sent me down the swimming and cycling route.

As for bikes, lots of good quality 2nd hand ones on the bay. In fact I've just linked to 3 pretty good spec starter bikes on another thread

Good luck with your recovery Ross, don't push it too hard!

Sorry to hear this Ross. Hope it works out for you

I hyperextended (no pun intented) my knee and twisted it back in August and it totally killed for 2 weeks. Visited the doctor quite a few times but I although I didn't have any x-rays or scans I was diagnosed having 'squashed' multiple ligaments and torn my hamstring right behind my knee.

Forward 3 months of physio and it was starting to feel a litle stronger and they recommended light exercise (in my case football). 10 minutes into my second 5 a-side and I broke my 5th metatarsal on the same leg. D'oh!

Forward 3 months and my foot is 90% healed but my knee is getting worse again. They are sending me for an MRI next week but fingers crossed. The consultant thinks I might have damaged my meniscus which don't really heal very well

Hey ho. Lots of my family are saying I should give up playing football

Never!!! It's only pain, footy is more important than that - i'm still playing at 56 and i'm not even the oldest in our team

Thats my big problem Steve. I only ever play footy now.

My metatarsal injury was a stress fracture, and according the doc it had been cracked previously and healed itself. In theory I could have been doing any sport and it would have broken and it just went pop when running.

I've done a bit of searching on the internet and being overweight doesn't help, as it puts extra stress on your joints which could also explain why my knee isn't getting any better.

Looks like I'll never play for England

Chris do you use any orthopaedic supports for your knee?
Also, do you use omega fish oils and chondroitin/glucosamine? i reckon they help in high doses.
I'm lucky in that 47 years of playing for teams i've never had a bad injury but sympathise with your plight, I had to stop playing competition tennis due to a problem with the bones in my hand, i hated it - in the end i could only serve under hand

I disclocated both my knees in my late teens and have not been able to play football for 15 years since. I feel your pain...

I've got one of those rubbery supports for both my knee and ankle (old injury from my teens) and they certainly help but I don't want to rely on them.

Never had fish oils and the one time I took chondroitin/glucosamine I was voilently sick - guess I might be alergic to some shelfish then (although I've never been sick from eating shelfish????) I haven't dared to take them again.

Fair enough, you'll just have to "man-up" then

Do you think if I wore more purple it would help?

It helps me


cheeky git

But not too close.....


@Ross - sorry to hear of your incapacitation, I guess the speed limiter is going to get moved behind the steering wheel pro tem

The speed limiter is only capable of being carried I'm afraid.

Thanks for all the tips guys.

Saw my physio this morning and she was shocked of the damage that had been done. Its a full thickness tear, which means that its pretty bad

She also said to give up football, but said that dependant on recovery, there is tests you can do to see if playing again would be that hazardous to you. All about building up the strength in the knee first.

I'm gonna have a look at that other thread and see what kinda prices. I think I'm gonna get a new basic bike for my first one. Reason being - I may not like cycling 10 years on from the last time I done it as a hobby. So want to get a cheap newish bike and break myself in gently.

Ross