dan123c 0 #1 September 19, 2006 Hey guys, i'm completely new here and hoping to start skydiving in a few weeks so hope some of you can share your experience. I had an ACL op on my left knee about 3 years ago, everything has been fine but now I have to try and get the doctor to sign the form saying its safe for me to jump. Although i've read on here loads of people seem to be fine jumping after the op i'm just wondering if my doctor will think the same. Anyone had any experience with this and did your doctor sign the form? Dan Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eeneR 1 #2 September 19, 2006 I am curious why you need a doctors note saying it is fine to jump? It is just a knee surgery that was 3 years ago.She is not a "Dumb Blonde" - She is a "Light-Haired Detour Off The Information Superhighway." eeneR TF#72, FB#4130, Incauto Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dan123c 0 #3 September 19, 2006 On the self declaration of fitness you have to sign to say that you havent or ever had a certain list of problems one is recurrent weakness or dislocation of a limb. Its not a problem i have any more but its just because it says if you ever had a problem. I emailed the place i'm hoping to train with and they said i would need a doctors approval. After reading about other peoples experience on here i'm fairly confident it would be ok anyway Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eeneR 1 #4 September 19, 2006 Right, but I would be under the assumption if it is fixed and no longer causing a problem it shouldnt be an issue. I had my knee done in '93 After 94' it never was an issue again, as it was fixed. Felt no need to list it as such. I jumped and did all kinds of stuff with no worry. Though I do still ski out west with a knee brace. But that is more of a baby blanket thing. I tore mine skiing. Having said that, if YOU think it is an issue. I would rethink about doing something till you are confident it can handle it. Doc can only give an opinion, only you know weather the knee can take it or not.She is not a "Dumb Blonde" - She is a "Light-Haired Detour Off The Information Superhighway." eeneR TF#72, FB#4130, Incauto Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dan123c 0 #5 September 19, 2006 I personally think the knee will be ok, its just because the form said if you've ever had a problem you should put it down, i think maybe i wont bother to put it down. Not sure if a doctor would be willing to sign it anyway, not sure what position they would be in if they said it would be ok and it wasnt. Theres no shortage of people who have torn a perfectly healthy ACL so i would be surprised of they were willing to sign that my repaired one would be fine. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eeneR 1 #6 September 19, 2006 If the ACL is fixed I dont think you really need to worry about that. What they are more concerned with, by my guess anyway is dislocating shoulders, heart problems or anything else that could directly effect your ability to pull and stear the canopy. Having said that, however you must take responsibility for your own actions. You can get hurt, and you can get seriously hurt.She is not a "Dumb Blonde" - She is a "Light-Haired Detour Off The Information Superhighway." eeneR TF#72, FB#4130, Incauto Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #7 September 19, 2006 Your knee should be okay, but if it were me, I'd wear a knee brace. Not the bulky ones with the steel and hinges, just the pull-on with velcro straps."Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dan123c 0 #8 September 19, 2006 Thanks for the advice, gonna take the form to the doc and hopefully he will say its ok, i'm fairly confident my knee will be ok anyway since its stood up to all i've put it through for the last 3 years. If doc doesnt agree might just not mention it when i sign up for training, its not given me any bother and general experiences looking around the forum seem to be that people havent had much bother with reconstructed ligaments. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #9 September 19, 2006 Quote If doc doesnt agree might just not mention it when i sign up for training, its not given me any bother and general experiences looking around the forum seem to be that people havent had much bother with reconstructed ligaments. I would agree, you've given it more than enough time to heal... Good luck"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dorbie 0 #10 October 6, 2006 I had an ACL repair and was jumping and paragliding MUCH less than a year later. An ACL repair should mean you're good to go, and 3 years is a long time to heal, but of course other things can accompany an ACL injury like meniscus damage. YOu haven't said anything about how stable your knee is here yet. I wouldn't necessarily say ACL is a recurring dislocation of a limb but I guess it depends on your circumstances & interpretation. It's a specific injury you had that meant your knee might hyperextend occasionally. Now it is repaired. A doctors signature is not a guarantee all the guy is doing is saying there's no exceptional impediment/risk. I expect you'll find a doc to sign it provided it's just ACL and your cartilledge isn't hosed. Just don't go it with the attitude that you're expecting a guarantee/indemnification. Putting this on your self declaration is just asking for trouble, it's all about liability, and you mentioning something that has been repaired just places the onus on a responsible party to say no. You could just go back & fill in the form again saying you made a mistake any your injured knee was repaired and it wasn't dislocating merely hyperextending. It's your knee and your risk accept the responsibility, assume the risk if you're prepared to and enjoy skydiving. You want to jump and a doc's sig is not going to affect the risk you take, only not jumping will affect that risk. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dan123c 0 #11 October 6, 2006 thanks for the reply, i got the doctor to sign the form anyway, at least if anything happens to it now they cant say i lied on the form or anythin, talked to the club i'm joining and they said its all fine and there isn't a problem. knee is very stable now and i havent had any problem with it, i'm pretty much confident it will be fine (hope i'm not tempting fate here) anyway got my first jump (static line) on 29th October so wish me luck! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FlyingSquirrel 0 #12 October 30, 2006 How did your first static line go? It looks like it was today... I just had my ACL repaired using my hamstring tendon about a week and a half ago. I have a long way to go as far as recovery goes, but plan on working really hard to get back to things. I absolutely plan on jumping again, but I know I'll have to wait until I heal. I figure by spring I should be good to go. I suppose I'll wear a brace when I jump. It sounds to me like that's the recommendation. After 3 years, you shouldn't have to worry about that, at least... Good luck in your training! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gritstonediva 0 #13 December 14, 2006 Good luck dude. From a physio point of view they say 12 months for the graft to attain "full strength" but with proper rehab many athletes get back long before that. Just be warned to take it easy til you get past that magic 12 months. As for the brace recommendations. Take them with a huge pinch of salt, braces are not necessarily worth all they are cracked up to be. A number of studies have been carried out that basically say they just lull you into a false sense of security. My advice (for what it's worth) stay on a big ish canopy with soft landings til you are sure about your knee Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pink 1 #14 December 17, 2006 I've got back to jumping 4 months after the ACL surgery. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dan123c 0 #16 December 29, 2006 First static line went really well, done several jumps now and had no problems, knee seems good and stable so all is good! Now I just have to keep hoping the british weather stays good enough for me to do more jumps over the winter! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
