Knee History~
May 1999: Right Knee scoped for meniscus tear. Scope showed no tear present, knee cleaned up a bit, nothing major. Very quick recovery (back to running at 2 weeks), as no structural changes to knee.
Oct 1999: Left Knee torn ACL, patella autograft recon. No other problems except ACL. Recovery ok, had some residual patella tendon soreness. Longterm quite successful, knee still stable and no problems. Patella tendon occassionally sore, but nothing to worry about.
May 2001: Right Knee torn ACL, allograft recon. I chose the allograft because I did not want the long recovery of the patella tendon that I had with my left knee. Quick recovery, back to normal activities within 4 months.
April 2006: Right knee problems. Appointment with OS shows ACL is still present. Possible MRI coming up.
I did all of these injuries playing rugby. After my last ACL, I quite playing on a regular basis. Since I was only 28 on the last ACL recon, I decided that I had many years of an active life to look forward to that didn't have to be surrounded by rugby or the risk of injuring my knees playing rugby again. I would play a game here and there, but it's really not a sport that you just jump into a game and walk away feeling great. Since I wasn't going to commit to playing full time, I decided to quit completely and started coaching. I coached for 2 years and then gave up all contact with the sport for the past year. I played one more game since then, and it was my last. I have definitely quit rugby.
My problems with my right knee continue to haunt me. My knee swells on a regular basis, generally associated with any side to side motion or sprinting. Obviously, everytime I would "jump" into a rugby game, it would swell, and be swollen for 2-3 weeks (yes, weeks) after. It hurts after sitting for a period of time, and I get sharp pains around the kneecap going up or down stairs. It feels unstable, but I know that I still have an ACL there.
My next path is to get back into physical therapy and see what we can do. My activity level is generally pretty good. In March 2006 I ran a half marathon- It took me 3 hours, but I did it (that's 13:30 minute miles for anyone that cares). I have tried to increase my speed on my miles, but when I do sprint work, my knee swells. If I keep at the extremely slow pace of 11-13 minute miles, then it's ok. My plan is start riding the bike more, and swim. I'm not a big fan of either activity, but I do realize the importance.
I'm anxious to see what the progress over the next couple of months is. I'll keep my profile updated as things progress. If you have any questions regarding any of my surgeries, or anything else, please email me.
