> Everyone who reads my posts must first click on my user
> name and read my profile.
> I commiserate with you on navigating this board. I have
> been contributing for at least four or five years, and I
> still have trouble, expecially if a "naughty"
> word is used. And the Board's definition of "naughty
> language" is far more conservative than a fire and
> brimstone pastor's.
> Its hard to know about the lateral collateral without the
> benefit of an exam. If the knee is unstable when this
> ligament is stessed, then early surgery is absolutely
> indicated. And it matters not whether or not you want an
> active lifestyle or not.
> If the ligament is stable, and the MRI is just yielding
> white noise (the usual situation) then a locked brace for a
> month is quite reasonable.
> The ACL would need to be reconstructed if (1) the lateral
> ligaments need operative repair, or (2) you want an active
> lifestyle (running, cutting, or pivoting sports) This issue
> is entirely independant of the lateral ligament issue noted
> earlier.
> The big issue here is whether or not you are getting the
> best care from the current doc. The fact that you seem to
> be in the dark leaves some signifigant questions.
> One should always be advised that the average ortho doc in
> the US operates on ten ACLs per year. As an example, I
> operate on ten per month, and I am far from either being
> unique or special. The results with an experienced guy, are
> usually far superior. You shoud do some checking on who
> will be holding the knife. The best way to do that is to
> learn from other patients, not from slick marketing or
> sports team affiliations. (which usually come from purchase
> of a sponsership)
Thanks for the info drmark. I have a follow up with my OS next week and I will pursue some of these thoughts. It's ironic that you mentioned sports team affiliations as I've had several people pushing me towards the local guys that are affiliated with the Spurs. I'll be sure to do my research. Thanks again...
