I'm female, in my mid 30s. Over the years, I tore my ACL partially a bunch of times doing different sports (backpacking, snowboarding, surfing, mountain biking, running) before finally popping it completely playing basketball - someone stepped on my foot and then fell on me as we both tried to grab the ball before it went out of bounds.
I had the ACL reconstructed with a unilateral BTB autopatellar graft in 1996. In 1998 while on a surf trip the graft popped and my OS confirmed that it was fully busted again. I went eight years without the ACL but repeated crunchiness, buckling and occasional major swelling and pain have convinced me to go for another try at medical intervention.
I went for an achilles allograft in September 2004 with Dr. Russell Warren at HSS in NYC. The first month's recovery went much faster than with the autograft in 1996. However, my recovery has slowed down considerably in the months after surgery after regaining a normal gait/weightbearing status. My insurance is very limited (6 PT visits per calendar year?? Come off it, United HealthCare!!). I am now rehabbing at home, with a lot of stationary biking and closed-chain exercises, modified squats etc. and haven't returned to sports yet except for road biking. My quads just aren't where I want them to be, and I can't always work out because of soreness in the knee. My knee occasionally "catches" now, I have some pretty dramatic crepitus, and these symptoms build dramatically during rainy weather. I ice my knee at least 5x/ week.
I plan to eventually get back to hiking (with pack animals instead of a full pack), yoga and swimming. I've written off surfing and snowboarding for now as not necessarily worth the risk. I would like to have more confidence and not always have to worry about my knee!
I don't think there's enough information out there for patients to find good doctors. I wish there was more research and outcome results available.
This board has been my favorite ACL resource for 9 years and counting!! Just when I get down in the dumps about my knee, someone's story gives me inspiration. It's awesome, thanks to everyone for posting and sharing info!
