Torn Meniscus/ACL booooo....

[peanutgallery 0]

Back in February I hurt my knee snowboarding. Since the season has started up again, it's been getting worse so I finally went to get it checked out, low and behold...cross tear in the meniscus and a partial tear of the ACL. I'm trying to put off the surgery until the fall cause I don't want to be laid up for the season (and I want to be recovered for the holiday boogie, haha). The doctor says about 6-8 weeks before I'm skydiving again. Anyone had anything similar, I know it's a pretty common thing so I'm wondering the "actual" recovery time. How long before you were in the air again?

I used to have a handle on life, but it broke

[skydemon2 0]

Dang that sucks, someone at Lake E is going thru the exact thing. I would think 6-8 weeks would be the minimum. He has been out for atleast a month now, and I think it will be quite a while before he is ready to jump.

Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes clean to the bone!

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[skyjumpsteve 0]

Do a search in the general skydiving forum as a lot of people have posted about ACL tears, surgeries, and recovery times. It took me about 4 months to recover enough to think about jumping. If you do the recommended physical therapy and rehab your recovery will be quicker, less painful, and more complete. Putting off the surgery was an option but I ended up doing it in June and missed that summer and fall of jumping. If you do it in the fall you should be ready to go by spring....

[DougH 270]

That sucks Keri. I am sorry to hear that.

I keep trying to tell jumpers to stay away from Winter sports. They are dangerous! But no one wants to listen.

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[alanab 0]

do not wait any longer to get the surgery! get it asap!! you are only doing more damage, the longer you wait. especially since you injured it 4 months ago already.

that being said, i tore my acl (complete), and medial meniscus (partial) back in december. i had to wait until february to get my surgery. after my surgery, i was told it would be about 6 months to a year before i was back at 100%. well, i did my physical therapy sessions 3x a week for the first 2 months, then down to 2x, then 1x, now i'm still going, but only 1x every other week. basically my pt says i'm way ahead of schedule in my recovery. also, make sure you get a CPM machine, it greatly reduces the scar tissue buildup. oh, and get one of those cooler pump things too... very addicting! most importantly... do your home exercises that the doc and pt give you... the more you do them, the better and faster your recovery will be.
let me know if you have any more questions!

so now, its 4 months post op for me, and starting at 8 weeks, i was cleared to start running again (usually at 3 months they let you start running). since then, i have gone on a 7 mile hike, a few 25 mile bike rides, trained for and ran a 10k, did a 10 mile backpacking trip and started working out again! my doctor says i can jump again at 6 months, but i'll have to wear a brace, same goes for snowboarding this upcoming season. the brace is supposed to be worn until 1 year post op.

* edited to say: holy shit, that was my longest post ever on here!

[lawrocket 3]

I haf the exact same injury, arthroscopy in 1993. I was back to 95% in two weeks.

Get it done. I think technology has gotten even better in the last 15 years.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[d_squared431 0]

I waited and waited to have my knee fixed. After going through hell and back the first time I had surgery on my knee. I lived with pain for almost 7yrs. I kept telling myself I will wait to have it fixed. In the last 7 months I have had two knees surgeries. I suggest not to wait and just got get it taken care of now. The longer you wait the more long term problems you will have.

TPM Sister#130ONTIG#1
I love vodka.I love vodka cause it rhymes with Tuaca~LisaH
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[pirana 0]

You haven't given enough information for anybody to be able to give advice, and that advice should come from a surgeon. Make sure to use one that does a LOT of them, and that he is very aware of what you intend to do in the future.

What he advises will depend on the severity of the tearing, your condition/age, how hard you intend to push it, etc.

I've had 2 knee surgeries already, have had moderate tears in both ACLs for years, but am in very good physical condition and no longer compete like a maniac - - so no more surgeries for me unless I do another full derangement.

All knee injuries do not automatically keep getting worse. I suppose if I did a lot of deep knee bends, burpees, etc it would get worse; so I don't do them. I am forever excluded from the World Burpee Chamionships.

Take care of your knees; you can only repair them so many times. After my last post-surgery check-up I was told it just might be time to start being nicer to them. He said he could fix them again but asked if someone was paying me millions of dollars per year to destroy them. A very good perspective to consider.

" . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

[tetra316 0]

I tore my ACL in July, complete, and meniscus. Had surgery in September and started jumping again in March. I'm just now starting to feel really good and not worry as much about it. Although I'm sure it didn't help that I banged in on exit about 6 weeks ago also

Stay current with pt, it definitely does make a difference. Running also helped me to loosen it up more. I did buy a brace but do not wear it. My doctor and pt both advised against it when pressed. They feel that if it is healthy enough to be doing those activities in the first place you do not need a brace. A brace hinders strengthening of the area as you are relying on the brace instead of your leg muscles to protect you. I wore it a few times but actually feel better without it. Granted I'm at 9 months now from surgery not just a couple. At he moment it's more of a mental issue getting over the fear of reinjuring it.