User Name Password Log in Help Register

Remember Me?

Forum List Articles Blogs Chat Gallery Forums SB Logbook SB Store What's New?

New Posts FAQ Community Forum Actions Quick Links Help Advanced Search

Forum Underwater Activities and Specialties Marine Science and Physiology Diving Medicine
Advice for a possible torn ACL

Welcome to ScubaBoard, an online scuba diving forum

community where you can join over 205,000 divers diving from
around the world. If the topic is related to scuba diving, this is
the place to find divers talking about it. To gain full access to
ScubaBoard (and make this large box go away) you must
register for a free account. As a registered member you will be
able to:

Participate in over 500 dive topic forums and browse from over
5,500,000 posts.
Communicate privately with other divers from around the world.
Post your own photos or view from well over 100,000 user
submitted images.
Gain access to our free classifieds marketplace to buy, sell and
trade gear, travel and services.
Use the calendar to organize your events and enroll in other
members' events.
Find a dive buddy or communicate directly with scuba
equipment manufacturers.

All this and much more is available to you absolutely free when
you register for an account, so sign up today!

NEW for 2014 Access SBlogbook for members. It allows

you to directly upload data from your dive computer,
validate your logs digitally, link your dives to photos,
videos, dive centers (9,000 on file), fishes (14,000 on
file) and much more.

If you have any problems with the registration process or your

account login, please contact the ScubaBoard Support Team.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register
link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Neither ScubaBoard's staff nor its members are able to provide accurate medical diagnosis over the internet. If you think you might be injured or
have suffered any symptoms of DCS, you need to be evaluated by a doctor immediately. Please seek medical attention or call the Divers Alert
Network (DAN) at 1-800-446-2671. For the international DAN telephone numbers, click here.
 Results 1 to 10 of 15 Page 1 of 2 1 2 Last

Thread: Advice for a possible torn ACL

Like Sign Up to see what your friends like. Tweet 0
Consiglialo su Google

This Thread's Short Link: http://2sb.us/22061 LinkBack Thread Tools Search Thread Display

February 6th, 2003, 05:27 PM #1

GearHead
Advice for a possible torn ACL
Registered
Just when I talked my wife into buying a drysuit, and I thought I would have
a year-round dive buddy, she went and hurt her knee over the weekend.
Has not set a "status"
Join Date: Sep 2001
During a trip in Denver, it looks like she probably ruptured her ACL while we
Location: Seattle, WA
were innertubing. Well, to be accurate, my son and I were tubing at that
Posts: 597
point, and she was handling the photography, so I suppose we should call it
a photography accident. Point being, she's one-legged at the moment,
and we'll find out on 2/10 if what we suspect is true.

Even if she has torn the ligament, we're not sure if she'll pursue surgery or
not, as she's not a high-impact sport athlete. For skiing, etc., I've read that
she can probably just use a custom carbon brace.

Anyway, whether she goes through with surgery or not, I'm wondering if
there's anyone out there that has been through this? How long was it before
you were able to dive again? Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Rick

P.S. And she just joined Scubaboard too!

Share

Reply With Quote

February 6th, 2003, 06:00 PM #2

chickdiver
Hi Rick, I had this surgery 2 years ago this ...
Registered
Hi Rick, I had this surgery 2 years ago this coming April. I strongly
recommend the surgery, even if she is not a high- impact athlete. While
Has not set a "status"
waiting for my surgery, I found that my knee would buckle just walking
down the street - not fun!! Also, without the surgical repair she will not be
able to pivot on the knee (you would be surprised at how often you do this).
The available braces are typically buly and heavy, and they must be custom
fitted.

The surgery was not bad, overnight in the hospital, I was weight bearing less
Join Date: Nov 2002 than 24 hours after surgery, braced and on crutches. They do not cast, and I
Location: Pensacola, FL was up and getting around well within a week. driving in 2 (stick shift), and
Posts: 1,298 diving 3 months post op. The physical therapy wasn't too bad either. If you
want or need more detail on the surgery, I would be happy to provide it. Tell
your wife she has my sympathy, I know how bad it sucks! Good luck!

Share

Reply With Quote

February 6th, 2003, 06:00 PM #3

Soggy
My experience
Registered
[size=large]I'm not a doctor[/size], but I did injure my ACL and tore the
meniscus(sp?) in my knee during a karate class a couple years ago. I began
scuba shortly after. I can't give any advice as to how long it will take to heal,
but I thought I'd share my experiences.
Has not set a "status"

I still have trouble with my knee. I quickly discovered during my scuba class
 that I couldn't use regular JetFin fins...too much strain on my knee. I now
use Twin Jet split fins and am much happier since there is less resistance. I
was in physical therapy for a month and it was around 8-10 weeks before I
could walk without a noticeable limp.

After getting the split fins, the problem was no longer diving, it was getting
Join Date: May 2002 around with all that gear on. I do fine now, but am extra careful when
Location: Natick, MA walking on perilous surfaces (like every shore dive we do).
Posts: 5,458
Dives: 200 - 499 My knee still gives out on me periodically and has a constant gritch in it. I
Photos: 1 am considering surgery sometime in the future.

Share

Reply With Quote

February 6th, 2003, 06:05 PM #4

dvas
v'been there
Registered
hi,
i have torn my ACL, long before (some 15 years ago) I started to dive (4
Has not set a "status"
years ago). In 96, finally, I found out via artroscopy, that my ACL is
connected to PCL, instead of the upper bone. Since I do not suffer from
stability issues, I didn't have to do the ACL reconstruction surgury. I do
suffer though occasionally from knee pain, but that is due to the muscles,
since I don't exercise regularly, and I lost body simetry.
Your wife should just make sure to keep all muscles in shape...

just my 2c
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Israel
Posts: 134

Share

Reply With Quote

February 6th, 2003, 06:11 PM #5

chickdiver
Oh yeah- if your wife opts for the surgery, h...
Registered
Oh yeah- if your wife opts for the surgery, have her talk to her surgeon
about "pre-hab". There are a number of things she can do to strengthen the
Has not set a "status"
surrounding muscles before surgery. This makes the recovery much easier
and faster.

Join Date: Nov 2002

Location: Pensacola, FL
Posts: 1,298

Share

Reply With Quote

February 6th, 2003, 06:15 PM #6

GearHead
Thanks for the input, guys. Chickdiver, it s...
Registered
Thanks for the input, guys. Chickdiver, it sounds like things have gone really
well for you since you had the procedure done. It's crazy how often this poor
Has not set a "status"
ligament snaps in people's knees, but it's great how well orthopedic
surgeons can deal with it now.
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Seattle, WA
By the way, if you don't mind, (minus Karate-Aaron) how did you all "do"
Posts: 597
your knees?

Share

Reply With Quote

February 6th, 2003, 06:18 PM #7

cyklon_300 I had a torn ACL before decent
Registered
reconstructive procedures had been developed. It was not a fun exprience,
and the recovery period was several months. They do it much better and
rehab is quicker now.
Has not set a "status"
Have also had two arthroscopic procedures, one on each knee for torn
menisucs. First time I was ambulatory and playing sports 10 days post-op.
Second time (14 years later) was a completely different story, lots of pain
and a much slower recovery time, plus I required a month of physical
Join Date: Nov 2002 therapy. However, I did sneak in some easy dives 3 weeks post-op.
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,441 The advice to strengthening exerices (cycling was my choice) is good advice.
Dives: 1,000 - 1,999 Better to go ahead and have the surgery now than to put it off...you don't
Photos: 20 heal any faster as you get older. And a weak knee can lead to other injuries.

(saw the query on how the ACL happened...bailed out of a snow mobile at
40 mph....)

Last edited by cyklon_300; February 6th, 2003 at 06:27 PM.

Share

Reply With Quote

February 6th, 2003, 06:27 PM #8

TCDiver1
I've been diving w/o my right ACL for almost ...
Ductus Exemplo
I've been diving w/o my right ACL for almost 20 years now. Blew it out in a
pickup game of B-ball. Freaky since i had put it through MUCH worse, many
times. You just never know with knees!

is in the house
Anyway, i was diving on it before any other heavy activity like B-ball,
probably less than a month after i hurt it. That knee is much less stable than
the other but have never noticed that diving.

Rule of thumb with injured knee, learned from multiple reinjuries, back off
whatever your doing if you feel ANY unusual instability. Sometimes it takes
practice to figure where to draw that line.
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Michigan I usually worry more about hurting it getting to and from the site, than from
Posts: 3,540 diving.
Dives: 1,000 - 2,499
Photos: 2

Share

"It's a dog eat dog world out there and i'm wearing Milk Bone underwear."
-- Norm Peterson

Reply With Quote

February 6th, 2003, 06:41 PM #9

chickdiver
I stepped backwards off the tailgate of a tru...
Registered
I stepped backwards off the tailgate of a truck, hyperextending my knee and
snapping the AL (completely). I am very prone to ligament injuries, as I am
Has not set a "status"
what is known as "systemically hypermobile"- big words for double jointed.
My normal range of motion is hyperextension, and that puts tons of stress
on the ligaments.

FYI- the surgery I had was arthroscopically assisted, I have 5 scars, 4 less
than a half in and 1 about 2 inches. I had an allograft- they used cadaver
tissue from a tissue bank to reconstruct my ACL. This surgical option has the
Join Date: Nov 2002 fastest recovery time and the fewest long term issues. I have a great CD
Location: Pensacola, FL that my Ortho gave me that explains the different surgical options and thier
Posts: 1,298 complications, and shows actual procedures. I would be happy to burn a
copy and mail it to you if you are interested.

Share

Reply With Quote

 February 6th, 2003, 08:25 PM #10

pdoege
I lost mine
Registered
Took a long time to fix everything else. Finally got the knee fixed.

Has not set a "status"

Lot's of muscle atrophy. Took me about 3 years to get back to normal.
Join Date: Sep 2002
I would have the surgery sooner rather than later, just to avoid the long
Location: Orlando, FL
rehab process.
Posts: 979
Dives: 200 - 499
I had to rebuild about 3 inches of muscle.
Photos: 1

Expensive, and not pleasant.

Peter Doege

Share

Reply With Quote

Page 1 of 2 1 2 Last

« Previous Thread | Next Thread »

Similar Threads

DUI Dry Suit. Torn between 2 types. Replies: 14

By dougdrury in forum Exposure Suits Last Post: January 21st, 2005, 02:46 AM

Torn ACl (Knee injury) Replies: 7

By Turk6482 in forum Diving Medicine Last Post: September 28th, 2004, 07:20 PM

Torn between the two Replies: 7

By freedive in forum Computers, Gauges, Watches and Analyzers Last Post: August 6th, 2003, 12:29 PM

Torn Muscle/Tendon and Diving Replies: 3

By KoralKat in forum Diving Medicine Last Post: July 21st, 2003, 09:37 AM

Torn Between Two Tanks... Replies: 11

By AquaCat in forum Tanks, Valves and Bands Last Post: July 1st, 2003, 12:50 AM

Posting Permissions

You may not post new threads BB code is On

You may not post replies Smilies are On
You may not post attachments [IMG] code is Off
You may not edit your posts [VIDEO] code is Off
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On

Forum Rules
Depth Gauges
europacprecision.com
Online Metrology Instruments Shop Tesa Depth Gauges

-- SB 2012 Contact Us ScubaBoard - Scuba Diving Forums and Social Network Archive Privacy
Statement Terms of Service Top

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 06:23 AM.

Powered by vBulletin®© 2014 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. and ScubaBoard All rights reserved.
Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.6.1
Image resizer by SevenSkins

vBulletin Optimisation provided by vB Optimise v2.6.1 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2014 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
© 2000-2014 All content is copyrighted to ScubaBoard.com, except for the Photo Gallery and under prior arrangements.
Digital Point modules: Sphinx-based search
anti spam exchange