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ACL Injury Recovery Times and Expectations

Getting an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury is something that’s dreaded and feared by just about every competitive athlete.

For all its ability to withstand significant forces and translate the body’s powerful muscular energy into motion, the knee can in some ways be a relatively delicate joint.

A twisting force applied at just the wrong angle can cause significant damage to the ACL and other underlying structures of the knee.

If you do have an ACL injury, then you’ll be forced off your current training schedule. Depending on the nature of the ACL injury, and the type of treatment you need to undergo, your ACL injury recovery time may range anywhere from a few weeks to up to a year.

Because ACL injuries can range from relatively minor to very severe, it’s important to make sure that you consult with a doctor or a sports therapy expert in order to get an accurate diagnosis of your injury, and to make sure that you’re taking the proper steps to rehabilitate your ACL and get yourself back to your normal training load.

Minor tears to the ACL may only involve a recovery time of a few weeks (or perhaps a month or two). But if you need to undergo ACL surgery, then you’re in for a much longer process – one that will necessarily include a rehabilitation program.

You will begin with very small range of motion exercises in the first week or two after surgery. The first goal is getting to the point of being able to fully extend your leg.

In fact, this will be a significant point of reference throughout the rehabilitation process; how easily are you able to fully extend your leg? There will be scar tissue that builds up around the site of the surgery, and properly breaking up this scar tissue is a key part of recovery.

Within the next few weeks of rehabilitation you’ll likely begin some type of gentle strengthening and aerobic work. Even slow walking or cycling on a stationary bike will go a long way toward rehabilitating your ACL and helping your recover. One to two months after surgery you’ll probably begin incorporating balance drills into your rehabilitation work.

ACL Injury Recovery – Be Prepared To Work Hard

Getting yourself back to your previous level of athletic performance involves more than just building up your strength; you’ll also need to get your balance and form back to its previous levels.

Beginning approximately two to three months after surgery you’ll begin to ease back into sports specific work.

Working with a professional therapist is absolutely essential throughout rehabilitation but especially at this point because your knee might feel like it’s completely healed, but it won’t be strong enough to return to a full workload.

You’ll probably want to go faster with your recovery, so having expert objective advice and feedback can prevent you from doing too much too soon.

By the same token, progressing too slowly can be a problem too.

Going too slowly with your ACL injury recovery program can allow too much scar tissue to build up, and make it difficult to restore your full range of motion.

Find yourself a physical therapy expert to work with and you’ll be sure to get back to your prior performance levels as soon as is safely prudent.

{ 264 comments… add one }
  • John Meister

    When did the acl injury become such a popular injury? I never heard of this in the 50 and60s

    • Jim Wnek

      The past 10 years.
      As sports become more and more competitive so does the athlete.
      Meaning there is more and more demand of the athletes body to perform and higher levels.
      Therefore placing more strain in the body.

  • vishal jain

    Sir, I am a 20 yr old male , I got injured while playing basketball,
    Doi: 29/07/2012
    Moi: injured in lt knee, while playing basket ball,
    I don?t want to go for operation, so please suggest me something other than surgery.

    Vishal jain MRI Report of left knee.
    MRI. Features.
    There is complete thickness tear in the proximal fibers of the ACL near its femoral attachment.
    Multiple areas of altered marrow singnals hyperintense on T2 and STIR sequences, hypointense on T1
    Are seen in the both lateral femoral condyle, tibial spine and lateral tibial plateau and represent bony contusions.
    Mild joint effusion is also seen.
    Grade 2 strain in the lcl also seen.
    Partial thickness tear in the lateral patellar retinaculum noted.
    The antirior and posterior horns of both menisci appear normal in signal and morphology.
    The pcl appear normal.
    The mcl appear normal.
    The patella appear normal.
    Articular cartilage appears intact.
    The soft tissue structures around the knee shows edematous changes.

    • Jim Wnek

      Well, first thank you visiting our site.
      I have good news and not so good news.

      I’ll start with the not so good news.
      As you read in the MRI – You have a complete thickness tear of the ACL.
      Which means – Torn ACL.
      9 out of 10 times surgery is the best option to regain full stability of that knee and get you back to activities (basketball.)

      The good news.
      You can choose not to have surgery (however I do not recommend.)
      You can go through physical therapy to control swelling, improve flexibility and increase strength.
      You will have to make sure all muscle groups are extremely strong that surround the involved torn acl knee.
      You have no ACL therefore the knee doesn’t have its main stabilizer.
      You will need to avoid jumping, pivoting and or and quick start stop movements or you are at risk for further injury.

      I would at this time get into a physical therapy program and strengthen your lower extremities as much as you can.
      Get fitted and issued an ACL brace.

      If you are looking for a complete ACL strengthening program we do offer that as a service.
      Let me know if that is of interest.

      Good luck.
      Jim

  • James

    I am a soccer player and actor in my schools drama club, i went through the whole soccer season without a problem but while learning a dance for my schools play i fell and had somebody else fall on my knee this happened January 19th, my mri said there is a hematoma on my femur and i partially tore my acl, accompanying this my knee cap was partially dislocated, how long will it take to heal in your opinion? i also have one more question, on saturday February 23rd my opposite knee gave way and twisted inwards, i can bear no weight on this nrwly injured knee, in your professional opinion what do you think happened?

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey James, thank you for visiting the site.
      Wow looks like you did a job on that knee.

      Questions
      How long will it take to heal in your opinion?
      You know, everyone is different. From your response I would assume you are either in high school or college. Which means you are still pretty young.
      The younger you are – the quicker you heal. There are also other factors that play a role in healing. Nutrition, smoker or non-smoker, diabetic, daily activities, etc…
      Based on my experience you are looking at a good 2 months before you really start feeling like yourself.
      Now during those 8 weeks you need to be performing formal physical therapy with emphasis in strength, balance and stability of your lower extremities primarily your involved leg. Also, you should be receiving modalities (such as heat, electrical stimulation, maybe ultrasound – if ordered by doctor, massage, cryotherapy) general stretching.

      Next question:
      What do I think happened to you other knee?
      Well since you have injured one side and have been in pain you have been compensating with the other. The problem is is that the other knee was just flat out over worked and unfortunately let you know – by giving out.
      When you get involved in formal therapy make sure you work both lower extremities.
      Also, if the pain persists on the other knee- you might want to go and get it looked at by a doctor.

      If you have any further questions- just respond below. I more than willing to help out.
      Good luck

      Jim

  • Dean Wilson

    I have had a knee reconstruction a year and a half ago to my left knee. My first game back of rugby league I stepped awkwardly and have a suspected acl injury now in my right knee. Do you think if I have the opperarion I will have less of a risk of re-injury in the next few years

  • nadir

    I am a football player, and played very regularly. Almost 5 times a week, and i also went to gym 3 to 4 times a week.
    In January while playing football, one of the opponents fell on me, and my left knee twisted under him. I screamed and limped off the field. That night i was able to climb a 10 story building very slowly and through a lot of pain. I got an MRI done and went to two doctors also. One suggest arthroscopic surgery, as he claimed i had a cartilage tear. But the MRI said i had a partial tear in my ACL. There was barely any swelling, and the next doctor said this is probably an old tear that just got aggravated and i should be fine with some physio therapy. It has been three months i have had about 20 physio therapy sessions, as well as home strengthening exercises with ankle weights. About 3 weeks ago, i started jogging at the gym (i can only jog for 10 to 15 mins after which the knee starts to get sore again) and about 2 weeks ago i started doing leg training with heavy weights at the gym. All this with no problem.

    But when i sprint my knee gets very sore the next day. Sore and tired, and some deep pain. And two days ago i did some rowing at the gym, and the next day my knee felt very sore and i had a lot of pain. But on the second day the knee was back to normal. My legs have almost gone back to normal in terms of the amount of weight i could lift before the injury.

    Any suggestions what i should do? My physio therapists say,s a few more sessions and i will be back to normal.

    Any advice will be greatly appreciated as i am dying to get back to football again.

    • Jim Wnek

      Thanks for visiting.
      Okay. Thoughts.

      Partial tear of the ACL – it could re-heal itself. Which is good. Only problem is that you are more vulnerable to a future tear.
      However, with proper strengthening and brace I believe you could go without surgery.
      A lot depends on how your knee responds after playing football. Working out, lifting, rehab and running is different than actual play.

      Recommendation: Finish up your therapy. Continue to workout, run and get that knee as strong as possible.

      Do you have a comprehensive ACL injury prevention program to follow?

      If not reply back – We could help!

      jim

  • Rebecca

    My story: I play many sports from volleyball and golf to hockey and soccer. While playing in a supposedly no hitting, adult safe hockey league I was hit by a guy that had at least 100 pounds on me. I dislocated my patella due to unexpected weight transfer. It popped itself back in when I attempted to straighten my leg out while removing my equipment when I admitted I was hurt and could no longer play. I went to the hospital and they gave me a splint that held my leg completely straight and referred me to a sports injury clinic. I went there and had an X-ray done and it came back normal. He said although there was significant swelling he disbelieved that there was an acl tear and had me book a follow up appointment. When I came back, still on crutches,still swollen to the point of no kneecap he did several tests on it and came to the conclusion it was in fact an ACL tear. He requested me to come back another 2 weeks from then as to wait for the swelling to go down more and get a possible MRI. Until then he referred me to a physiotherapist who I have now seen twice but have had little success. The physiotherapist is worried about the severity of the tear because I still have little movement even after ultrasound treatments and massage. I can walk now but cannot straighten past I’d say around 15 degrees. Also I find my knee cracking when I walk and it has buckled once while in my supplied walking brace(adjusted to 15/75 degrees) and is still very swollen. It’s been just over a month since the injury.
    Questions..
    Do you recommend surgery? If so when..? I am a cosmetology student and am on my feet all day. My program is not completed until November 2013 and is hourly based so if I’d Iike to miss as little of that as possible. I have two months summer vacation, July and August but I’m going to Mexico the second week of July for a week.. Suggestions?

    • Jim Wnek

      Hello Becca
      First- thanks for visiting the site.

      Your questions
      Do you recommend surgery? If so when..?
      Well the answer to this really depends on what the MRI says. Without imaging that is tough to answer.

      Here is what I would do if I were you.

      Make an appointment to see an orthopaedic. Get an MRI (we need to know what is damaged and how bad)
      If nothing is torn or damaged then NO surgery.
      I would get started with physical therapy NOW. This will help with swelling, range of motion and strength.
      Even if you do require surgery pre-hab will help leading up to surgery.

      IF you do require surgery and you need advice as to when you should get surgery.
      WELL— it will all depend on what or if you have damage and how bad it is.
      If you do have any damage you will have to see how functional you are with it. Can you handle being on it all day every day until you get back from Mexico?

      That will be up to you. Really depends on if you’re in pain, can you walk on it, etc….

      First things first……Get it looked at by an orthopaedic and get an MRI performed to see whats going on inside that knee.

      From there you know what decisions you will need to make.

      Keep me posted.
      Jim

  • nadir

    Dear Jim,

    Thank you so much for your reply.

    I do not have a comprehensive ACL injury prevention program to follow.

    In the early stages i was doing lots of strengthening exercises with ankle weights. Exercises for strengthening my quads, hamstrings, hip flexor, and groin muscles. Now i am just following a routine at the gym where i do my lower body twice a week. This work out includes lunges, squats, and machine exercises for the quads, hamstrings, groin, and flexors.

    If there is anything i am missing please let me know. My physio guided me with the ankle weight exercises but since i felt better i started doing similar exercises in the gym except with more weight.

    Also, yesterday i did a lot of sprinting and running, and kicked the ball around with a friend. My knee feels as good as new today. So that,s a good sign.

    Would appreciate help with the comprehensive ACL injury prevention program.

    Regards,

    Nadir

  • John

    My son had an ACL tear and had surgery November 15th 2012. His recovery and therapy has gone really well and he is hoping to play baseball for his high school team. He has been a full participant at practive under a trainers and coach’s supervision. He has regained 90-95% of his speed and has not been bothered by the knee. Is he coming back too fast or is this a case by case basis?

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey John
      Thanks for visiting the site.

      He is approximately approaching 5 months post op. 5 months could be a little too soon to get back to full participation in sports.

      Couple questions I have:
      How old is he?
      What position doe he play?
      Has he been fitted for a brace?

      Sounds like he is hitting and surpassing all his goals with his rehab and recovery process. Which is awesome!
      I would hate for him to re-aggravate it due to early participation in full sport activity.

      Now this does not mean he cannot. With full range, good strength, proper stabilization, balance and control he could be ready.

      So to answer your question:
      Is he coming back too fast or is this a case by case basis?

      By ACL surgery rehab protocol standards – YES it is too fast. However, this is a case by case basis.
      Like I said it really depends on where he is at with his strength, stability and endurance. Also, I would like to see a full release by the surgeon.
      If he or she release him then you are good to go.

      When you can- let me know about the questions I asked.
      thanks
      jim

      • John

        He is 18. He plays centerfield. He hasn’t been fitted for a brace.

  • Abhishek

    I am 20. I play football regularly and for my college team. I play as a striker. One week back, while playing, i rolled over the ball while sprinting. I heard a knocking sound and collapsed. Later i went for an mri and the report said i hve complete tear of mid fibres of my acl and some other associated damage. The doctor said i would have to undergo reconstruction surgery. But the doctor said that he wants me to wait and rest for a month. Then he would give some excercises. Why is that?? And if i opt for surgery, is it a very complicated surgery?? And how much time would i require to become as fit as before? Is there any way i can regain my old fitness without surgical intervention? And if i opt out of surgery, will i face problems with age like arthritis etc??

    • Jim Wnek

      Hello,
      Thanks for visiting.

      The doctor said i would have to undergo reconstruction surgery. But the doctor said that he wants me to wait and rest for a month. Then he would give some excercises. Why is that??
      ****Most if not all doctors will want you to build up (strengthen) the surrounding muscle groups prior to surgery. Also, he or she would like to see most of the swelling gone as well.

      And if i opt for surgery, is it a very complicated surgery??
      ****YES – The “ACL” is a very important structure in your knee. It stabilizes your upper leg and your lower leg.
      You need it for any or a athletics

      And how much time would i require to become as fit as before?
      ****ACL rehab is tough. The first 6 weeks will be difficult.
      But expect between 4-6 months before you start to feel like your old self.

      Is there any way i can regain my old fitness without surgical intervention?
      ****No- not with a complete ACL tear.

      And if i opt out of surgery, will i face problems with age like arthritis etc??
      ****Yes and no- since you are athletic and would like to regain where you were at prior then I recommend surgery.
      We all will experience some arthritis as we get older. But more wear and tear on your joints (unfortunately) we as athletes get it quicker.

      Hope this helps.
      Jim

  • Ayoub

    I had a motorcycle accident about 9-10 months ago and i didnt have health insurance so i never got my knee checked out. before my accident i had a soccer injury which seemed to be a legiment because my knee would hurt everytime my knee locked up but it went away after a month. after the motorcycle accident ive had the same pain as the soccer injury but it has been 9-10 months now with no progress. i had a very bad limp the first month of the accident which i was still able to walk on but couldnt lift it up. the pain seems to be under my knee cap as i feel no pain when i touch my knee. after standing on the knee for 6 hours at work, my knee starts to lock and give out more frequently which is very painfull. do u think i need surgery or it will heal if i give it more time.

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey there

      Well it sounds like something is damaged (which i’m sure you know.) Problem is is that we do not know what exactly is damaged.
      Could be cartilage, meniscus and or the ACL. Hard to diagnose without imaging.

      I would go see a doctor and get an MRI. Then discuss options after you find out if anything is damaged.

      Keep me posted.
      Jim

  • Dinakar

    Hello.

    I am 25 years old. I was operated for ACL replacement (graft taken from Patellar tendon) in december 2012. I underwent physiotherapy after the surgery for 6 weeks. Since then there has been no physio. My knee has recovered basic functioning. I still cannot run.

    The knee used to click unusually till a few weeks ago. Now, it is almost like I have learnt how and when it clicks.

    I wanted to ask you this. When I am seated in a chair and i try to extend and raise my leg to a horizontally straight position, it is very painful at the extreme position and during the raise, I can feel it click multiple times. Is this normal? Or in your opinion, is there a problem?

    Thanks a lot for you reply.

    • Jim Wnek

      Hello
      Thanks for visiting.

      First sorry to hear you had an injury and had to have surgery.

      Now normally post ACL surgery rehab is between 4-6 months.

      Not sure if you mistyped but I read you only received 6 weeks of therapy. Please confirm if this is correct?

      IF so, you need further rehab or a comprehensive lower extremity strengthening/stabilization program.

      Can your therapist give you a home exercise program?

      ****
      When I am seated in a chair and i try to extend and raise my leg to a horizontally straight position, it is very painful at the extreme position and during the raise, I can feel it click multiple times. Is this normal? Or in your opinion, is there a problem?
      ****
      The clicking can be normal. The more important question is: is it painful when it clicks? I know you said it hurts at end range. End range pain is normal but sharp pains with clicking is not.

      Sounds like you may have a muscle imbalance in your quads. Possibly patella tracking issues. You may just need muscle re-education.
      Are you performing quad sets, slr’s, saq’s, standing hip with resistance? If not you need to be.

      In regards to not being able to run. Most post ACL surgery rehab protocol’s do not allow you to run until 10 weeks. Sometimes at the earliest (8 weeks) if doctor feels you have good quad strength then he or she would clear you to implement light jogging.

      Keep me posted
      Jim

      • Dinakar

        Dear Jim,

        I met my surgeon recently. The good news is that all is going well. She said that the graft is holding quite firm and that the clicking of the knee is not abnormal.

        However, just a few hours ago, I had a slip. I was on wet grass, I slipped and by reflexes tried to control myself. I stressed my knee but did not fall. It has been paining since. The pain is absent when I leave the leg relaxed. Otherwise in extreme positions it is painful. But the pain is also not as much as earlier. I hope it is nothing serious. It is very slightly swollen. I hope and to a certain extent think that it is not serious and that it will be fine within a few days.

        Do let me know your opinions.

        I also thank you specially for your prompt replies.

        Dinakar

        PS. My surgeon said I can continue swimming (swimming is one of my favourite hobbies :) ) as that would help strengthen my quadriceps because they are not completely strong yet.

  • Kayla

    Hi my name is Kayla and I’m a seventeen year old soccer player. In February of last year I had meniscal surgery. I went through physical therapy but my knee has never felt the same which I’m sure is to be expected.

    In November, my knee twisted in practice and I heard a pop and the doctor thought maybe I had torn my meniscus again but I was able to play on it. I played through the pain and my knee has been in a subtle constant pain ever since. Sometimes it hurts worse than other times and it swells up frequently.

    About three weeks ago I was running down the sideline with the ball and I planted my leg to cross. My knee gave out (the same one) and a severe pain began building. I took the rest of practice off and the next one but the one after that I tried to play again. My knee was killing me but I tried to play through the pain. My knee gave out again when I stepped to defend a ball, and this time it brought me to tears and I hopped off the field. I went to the doctor and he thought I had an acl tear. We got the mri back and it shows my acl is sagging and even though it doesn’t show it, the doctor still believes there is a partial tear where it attaches to my tibia because my leg is so unstable. He said sometimes tears like that are hard to pick up on an mri. I also have grade two damage to the posterior horn of my meniscus and a bone contusion. He also thinks i have a possible bone effusion.

    They sent me for physical therapy because he wanted to try that before turning to surgery. I have been going for a few weeks and my leg feels no more stable are even less painful. I do not want to just keep doing useless therapy. I am committed to play soccer in college and I want to be back out there training as soon as possible. I go back to the doctor Thursday to discuss my progress and what to do next.

    What do you think? Do you think being a soccer player at my level I should just go through surgery so I don’t end up tearing it all the way in the future?
    Thank you so much.

    • Jim Wnek

      Hello Kayla

      Yikes.
      ****
      What do you think? Do you think being a soccer player at my level I should just go through surgery so I don’t end up tearing it all the way in the future?
      ****

      I would have surgery (scope) asap.
      Here’s why: Where the possible tear is located- going with a scope will allow doctor to know for sure what exactly is going on and allow him or her to repair while in there.

      Also knowing that you are a competitive soccer player and want to get back to playing at 100% you need to know what exactly is going on in that knee and then you know what you are up against.

      Any further questions just hit me back

      Jim

  • Neil Kearns

    Tore my ACL and MCL skiing. I am now 10 weeks post op and still struggling with ROM. I am stuck around 100 degrees of flex and still struggle for full extension. My orthopedic drive says I should be fine….but I don’t have faith.

    Why am I so far behind on recovery? Can the knee start moving and get to full range of motion or should I be pushing for additional treatment?

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Neil
      Thanks for visiting the site.

      **********
      Why am I so far behind on recovery? Can the knee start moving and get to full range of motion or should I be pushing for additional treatment?
      **********

      Several questions before I answer: Are you receiving physical therapy? Are you following a protocol from doctor? Are you still experiencing swelling? If so how much and how often?

      Remember…..Ice,Ice,Ice ad then when you thought you iced enough….ice some more.
      20 minutes on hour off….repeat

      ACL rehab/recovery is a process. You have to be a patient patient- however the knee has to be pushed at the same time. Sounds contradicting -I know.

      So, in my experience working with many patients who have had ACL surgery and working with many, many orthopaedic surgeons protocols

      you should be flexing to 90 degrees withing first 2 weeks. 120 degrees between 4-6 weeks or sooner. Then your available range by 8-10 weeks.
      Regarding your knee extension – we’d like to get you to 0 degrees (full extension) as soon as possible. However, remember every individual is different and will heal and progress at different levels.

      I would continue therapy if you are able.
      To help with your knee flexion–I would do the following: Get on your hands and knees. Slowly try and bring your butt to your heels. Get to your available range and then go a little past to feel the knee stretching. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds, don’t bounce. Then slowly go back to neutral then repeat. Do this 5- 10 times minimum 3 times a day.

      This will help you with your knee flexion.
      If you have a home exercise program – you must continue with it to maintain and continue to strengthen.

      Hope this helps.
      Keep me posted.
      Jim

  • Shohel

    Hi my name is Shohel and I’m a 37 years old fun soccer player. In 6th of May I torn my ACL ligament while I was playing. I went to hospital they advise me to do MRI. MRI reports- There is tear of ACL with secondary bony contusions in the lateral femoral condyle and posterior tibial plateau. There is also a small mildly depressed impaction facture of the posterolateral plateau. The PCL is intact.
    Please advise me how long times do I take rest to recover for walk and normal life and do I need for an operation.

    • Jim Wnek

      Hello there.
      Based on your MRI findings. Yes you need surgery and you are looking at a 4-6 month rehab before getting back to 100%

      keep me posted

      jim

  • Jules

    Hi Jim,

    About 5 weeks ago, I tore my ACL completely (confirmed by MRI) and have grade 2 sprains in my MCL and LCL.

    Just recently, my doctor is noticing an “endpoint.” Is it possible for a complete tear to reattach itself? OR is it possible for MRIs to give false positives..?

    Nonetheless, I have pretty much full range of motion now, no limping when I’m walking, can go up and down stairs no problem without a single instance of the knee giving in.

    I was told that I may be a “coper” and can try conservative treatment, however, I’m in my early twenties and plan on playing intense pivoting sports for as long as I can (at least another 30 years). Is this a bad move?

    Let me know when you get the chance.

    Thanks in advance,
    Jules

    • Jim Wnek

      Hello,
      Thank you for visiting.
      I apologize for not getting back to you sooner.

      *****
      Just recently, my doctor is noticing an “endpoint.” Is it possible for a complete tear to reattach itself? OR is it possible for MRIs to give false positives..?
      *****
      A complete tear (from my experience will not re-attach itself) however a partial tear does have research that it may reattach.
      MRI – YES it is possible (however very unlikely) to give false positives – but it is more likely to not show something as opposed to showing something.

      I hope that makes sense.

      *****
      I was told that I may be a “coper” and can try conservative treatment, however, I’m in my early twenties and plan on playing intense pivoting sports for as long as I can (at least another 30 years). Is this a bad move?
      *****
      I would recommend surgery.

      Yes – I have worked with a “coper” however the individual(s) usually have only a partial tear and are not active (meaning no running, jumping, or activities that require cutting)

      Having a complete tear and not having surgery would be tough. Due to what you want to do (play sports that require pivoting) would put you at a high risk for further damage to you knee.

      Good luck
      Keep me posted.
      jim

  • Jules

    Also, I was wondering if you have ever worked with any copers before? If so, how long were they able to continue playing for? Did they have any problems with instability?

  • john

    Hi..am a male aged 19..I play a lot of football bt 2 months ago I twisted my knee during a trainig session,I heard a tearing sound.went 2 c the doc but was told I had soft tissue damage n was told 2 give it 3weeks..wich I did bt wen I tried 2 play again my knee gave way again!! Am getting frustrated coz futbo is my lyf..wat cn I do 2 speed up the healing process n wil my knee eva get back 2 100percent?

    • Jim Wnek

      Hello
      First thing that we need to know- Is there damage? If so, what?

      If there is no damage and you only have a severe sprain or strain then a solid 4-6 weeks of therapy would help you get back.

      Hope this helps
      Jim

  • Cathy Luxton

    Hi Jim,

    my 17 year old son tore his ACL while playing football about a month ago. He will be a senior. Going by everything I’ve read, it seems like he’ll have a recovery of at least six months. He has had seven therapy sessions, the therapist seemed to know more than than the orthopedic surgeon we went to. We just managed to get an MRI done:

    Findings: There is a large joint effusion with plica thickening. The patella is normally seated. The retinacula and articular cartilage are intact. The marrow signal intensity demonstrates minimal edema in the posterior tibial plateau, possibly minimal contusion. There is an area of probably contusion in the alteral femoral condyle. There is edema adjacent to the fibular collateral ligament, but no definite tear. The biceps femoris tendon and iliotibial band appear intact as well. There is also edema adjacent to the medial collateral ligament without a definite tear. The anterior cruciate ligament is torn and there is anterior displacement of the tibia with respect to the femur. The PCL appears intact. The patellar tendon and quadriceps tendon appear intact.
    There is medial meniscal degenerative signal. There is a questionable small tear of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus. There is a large tear of the posterior horn of the lateral meniscus.
    Impression: There is an ACL tear with a small posterior horn medial meniscal tear and a large posterior horn lateral meniscal tear with a possible bucket-handle fragment pulled medially to the intercondylar notch. This is best seen on the coronal images.
    There is a large effusion and plica thickening. There is edema outlining the medial collateral ligament and fibular collateral ligament suggesting a strain. There is contusion in the lateral femoral condyle and posterior tibial plateau. There is no definite fracture. The remaining tendons and ligaments appear intact.

    I think I know what you are going to say, along the lines of your suggestion to Kayla!
    I would appreciate your comments.

    • Jim Wnek

      Hello,
      Sorry for delay in my response.

      To be short and sweet.

      YES- surgery is needed.
      Torn ACL, tears in both meniscus.

      Looking at 6 months rehab to get back to close to 100%

      Please let me know if you need any other advice or help.

      Keep me posted.

      Jim

  • Robert Jones

    Hi Jim,

    I injured my knee during a takedown while practicing martial arts (capoeira). Felt instability during event. Swelling, slight stiffness, and muscle weakness were experienced a few days after injury. Had MRI done 5 weeks after surgery. Results are below.

    Findings: There appears to be an ACL tear near the femoral insertion. PCL is intact. Menisci appear intact. There is no significant knee joint effusion. Quadriceps and patellar tendons appear to be intact. Adnormal signal is seen in the lateral trochlear cartilage. The patellar cartilage appears to be normal. There is mild chondral irregularity in the posterior femoral condyle with minimal associated subchondral edema. There is also a small area of chondral irregularity in the medial femoral condyle with slight underlying bone marrow edema. No fractures are seen. Regional muscalature appears normal. The patellofemoral ligaments appear normal. Quadriceps and patellar tendons are normal.

    Impression:
    1. ACL tear.
    2. No definite meniscal injury.
    3. There appear to be small partial-thickness chondral defects in the medical and lateral compartments aas well as possible chondromalacia in the lateral trochlea.

    I cannot nail down how much damage I am dealing with. Orthopedists has started me out with 3 sessions of physical therapy. He will revisit my condition after therapy. What are you thoughts, if any, regarding my MRI results? I would like to recover without surgery. Is that possible based on my MRI report? I am a recreational runner and martial artists and would like to return to those activities and am willing to work hard towards recovering.

    Thanks!

    Robert

    • Jim Wnek

      Hello Robert
      Thanks for visiting

      *****
      What are you thoughts, if any, regarding my MRI results? I would like to recover without surgery. Is that possible based on my MRI report? I am a recreational runner and martial artists and would like to return to those activities and am willing to work hard towards recovering.
      *****

      We’ll you will need surgery. Reason- you are a runner and most importantly you participate in martial arts.

      Full recovery and full participation in martial arts without surgery is possible. (not recommended) but it is possible.
      With an extensive rehab – strong emphasis on strength and stability along with an ACL brace you could.

      Good luck and keep me posted
      Jim

  • Markel Keys

    Hello I am 5 months out of the surgery and have been rehabbing on my own I feel strong and I feel like I can get back on the field today I know I’m taking risk seeing that I was back squaring(reps 135) and doing lunges with weights stepping up on a platform also doing step ups with resistant bands and many other activities…. but I have to take these risk because I don’t have doctors around me like NFL athletes YET but I am on the verge of an Adrian Peterson recovery only problem is there is still soreness in my knee I have been jogging and doing slight cuts and things I can almost leg press more then I did before the injury and fast twitch muscles have made me quicker I’m looking to run a rub 4.3 40 coming off this recovery my comeback season is coming up and I’m looking for advice to see what this soreness is the pain from 1 to 10 is a 2 but I just don’t want a setback if there is anything I may do please

  • Scott Earhart

    First off let me say how you are responding to people is one of the best things I have seen. Giving professional advise not for money, just to help people is amazing! So thank you for doing this.

    I have a few questions, I tore my ACL/MCL playing basketball. A kid fell into my knee collapsing it inward. I am 25 year old male and in good shape so my Doctor did surgery within 5 days of the incident. Surgery went well, he used my hamstring for the ACL and pined my MCL back into place. As of right now I am 19 days post surgery. Doctor said he wants to start physical therapy after week 3. I am still using crutches to help me walk and my knee feels very unstable. I get pain in my MCL when I bend it or try to walk freely. My MCL has been giving me the most pain, then my knee cap. As of today I am getting full contactons in my quad, I can get to 90, and I with something holding my foot I can get my leg to be straight.. So here are my questions:

    How fragile is my MCL at this time? If leaned to my side could it tear (sometimes it feel like it could)?

    Will the MCL slow down the recovery?

    Is it normal for the MCL to hurt more?

    My shin is a little sore, is that normal?

    I thought getting to PT right away is key, why would he have me wait 3 weeks? I don’t want scar tissue to build.

    The back of my knee is sore, could I have done damage back there that he didn’t see?

    When picking a PT clinic what should I look for. A chain (Athletico or ATI) or a local more technical place, but with older equipment?

    Sorry for all the questions, my doc is very in and out kind of guy, and me being young he’s not even that concerned. He promised me I would be back faster than D Rose.

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Scott
      Thanks for visiting.

      Well first, not sure why you didn’t start therapy right away.

      How fragile is my MCL at this time? If leaned to my side could it tear (sometimes it feel like it could)?

      It will be pretty sore. You will start to have scar tissue build which will be attaching so it may start to feel like its pulling along the side.
      *****

      Will the MCL slow down the recovery?
      Not from my experience. You will have to be cautious but with normal protocol you should be just fine.
      *****

      Is it normal for the MCL to hurt more?
      Everyone is different. Yes for some people the mcl could hurt more.
      *****

      My shin is a little sore, is that normal?
      Yes- due to lack of motion (primarily extension) you will tend to keep foot dorsiflexed causing increased tightness in your shin.
      *****

      I thought getting to PT right away is key, why would he have me wait 3 weeks? I don’t want scar tissue to build.
      Yes it is. Not sure why. Scar tissue can be a problem.
      *****

      The back of my knee is sore, could I have done damage back there that he didn’t see?
      Soreness is common. Very unlikely that something was overlooked.
      *****

      When picking a PT clinic what should I look for. A chain (Athletico or ATI) or a local more technical place, but with older equipment?
      It really is preference. I live and practice in the greater chicagoland area. Both Athletico and ATI are both very good companies/clinics.
      A lot depends on location and who you work with.
      *****

      Are you from the chicagoland area?

      If so, my offline business is: http://www.core1inc.com.
      We are located in Downers Grove.

      Hope this helps
      Keep me posted
      Jim

      • Scott Earhart

        Yes I am, I’m from the south side. I had my surgey done by Dr. Blare Rhode. I would like to come in a check out the clinic. If I were chose you for PT how many times a week do u normal see a patient?

  • Dan P

    Hi Jim

    April this year playing soccer I exended my knee and twisted awkwardly, after hearing the dreaded ‘pop’ a feeling a surge of crippling pain, off I went to the medical center. 2 weeks later an MRI confirmed a complete tear of the ACL, meniscus damage and MCL sprain.

    As of now (3 months since the injury) I am able to bend/straighten it significantly (physio says its not far off 130) and I am doing light bodyweight excercises (lunges, squats etc) I plan to return to soccer so I am looking at ACL surgery later on this year (October hopefully) in the mean time, should I be carrying on with excercises like this? Or should I be ‘resting’ for preparation of the surgery? I’m just worried that I may be aggravating it more but I feel comfortable doing the excercises.

    My other question is regarding that I’ve encountered a very loud click occurring in the core of my knee (nearer the back) and occasional pain, is this normal? And is the pain coming from the damdaged meniscus or the ACL?

    My final question is the period between injury to surgery (approximately 6months) am I more likely to have problems recovering from it the longer I’ve been holding off surgery?

    Many Thanks !

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Dan, sorry for delay in response.
      First thanks for visiting.

      Question:
      should I be carrying on with excercises like this? Or should I be ‘resting’ for preparation of the surgery? I’m just worried that I may be aggravating it more but I feel comfortable doing the excercises.————–Definitely keep with your exercises. You need to strengthen all surrounding muscle group to help stabilize and remember —-ice, ice, ice 20 minutes on 1 hour off then repeat.

      Question:
      My other question is regarding that I’ve encountered a very loud click occurring in the core of my knee (nearer the back) and occasional pain, is this normal? And is the pain coming from the damdaged meniscus or the ACL?—————The click normally is not normal. But with your type of injury – it is. Other structures may be getting tight by helping stabilize the knee joint due to the lack of having an intact ACL.

      Question:
      My final question is the period between injury to surgery (approximately 6months) am I more likely to have problems recovering from it the longer I’ve been holding off surgery?———– not really- assuming you don’t cause any further damage to that knee. everyone is different. everyone heals and responds at different paces. but what I will advise is get your involved leg as strong as possible while you wait. but a good 6 months you should be pretty solid.

      Keep me posted
      Jim

  • Siddharth

    Hi doc !! This is siddharth i am 19 years old !!
    i had a ACL injury in may 2013 .. and i am hestiant to go for a surgery .. !!
    FINDINGS :
    The anterior cruciate ligament is thicknend and edematous and interstitial hypernitensity and laxity with fraying and blurring of fibres with a focal discontinuity near the fermoral attachement suggestive of grade 3 ACL tear . The femorao-tibial attachement appears intact . There is anterior tibial translation of 6.5mm.

    patchy areas of hyperintensity are seen in lateral femoral and tibial condyles and a small area in lateral femoral condyle of stir images suggestive of marrow edema .

    Posterior cruciate ligament is normal.
    medial and lateral menisci are normal .
    medial and lateral collateral ligaments are normal.
    patella is normal in signal intensity and cortical outline.
    patellar ligament and quad tendon are normally vizualized .
    Menimal fluid is seen paracondylar regions of femur .. !

    i have opted for Physiotherapy and it has really helped me ! I am 90% fit and the doctor has not suggested for surgery .. !!
    what r ur suggestions . ??

    • Jim Wnek

      Hello Siddharth
      First. thanks for visiting the site.
      Second. for the record I am not a doctor. I am a rehab professional that works in the field of sports medicine and physical therapy and have rehabbed hundreds of patients with ACL complications.
      I own a sports training and physical therapy practice in the greater chicagoland area. My company is http://www.core1inc.com.

      To answer your question.
      I would suggest you follow the advise of your doctor and your therapist.
      My questions to you would be:
      Do you play sports? If so, which type of sports?
      What type activities will you be involved in?

      A lot depends on the amount of stress you will be placing in that involved knee.

      keep me posted
      I will be introducing a customized rehab/prevention program based on your individual needs.
      When I am ready to roll this out I will let you know. If you’re interested – I am more than willing to help.

      thanks
      jim

  • Aiden R

    Hi, i tore my acl in january, and had surgery on february 14th, currently my PT gave me clearance for full effort 100% drills no contact basketball. We have been extensively working on agility and cutting the past month. And she says that in two weeks she says its fine for me to play full contact 5 on 5 again. Is this too soon? The knee feels extremely stable but i do have some pain in the patellar region due to the patella tracking, and i can not jump as high off the rehabbed knee compared to my non rehabbed knee. I do have a custom fitted sports brace and am 17.

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Alden

      You are 5 months post op.
      Is this too soon? Yes and no.
      Everyone is different. Everyone will progress at different levels.
      Sounds like you are kicking butt with you rehab program (except for jumping abilities)

      Too hard for me to say yes or no to going full out 5 on 5. But if you feel confident and you are wearing the brace then I stringy believe you will slowly regain your full strength especially jumping abilities.

      In regards to the knee pain. That is common especially now that you are going full out. Just ice, ice, ice!

      keep me posted
      jim

  • I m Nikhil i was playing basket ball whn i jumped n landed my knee got twisted n i heard a
    sound.after that i had n plaster for n week n thn i wore a knee brace for a month. My mri report says
    marrow edema in the posterior and mid lateral tibial plateau,posterior lip of medial tibial plateau and anterior weight bearing surface of the lateral femoral condyle
    moderate amount of fluid in joint space
    sprain of ACL
    radial tear in the posterior horn of lateral meniscus
    mild edema in the posteromedial and postero-lateral superficial soft tissue of the knee joint

    i m not able to do full movement of leg
    i had n injury 6 week ago
    please suggest me is it critical
    thank you for responding to me

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Nikhill
      Thanks for visiting

      Question: please suggest me is it critical

      Based on what you supplied here. I don’t think it is critical. However, what did you doctor advise? Did he or she recommend surgery for the meniscus?
      Meantime I would be working diligently to regain motion, strength and stability.

      Not sure how much movement you are lacking but after 6 weeks from the injury you should be pretty close to full range of motion and then working more and more on strength, balance and stability.

      keep me posted
      jim

  • ashton

    I have a question I just had ACL reconstruction surgery and I just got my staples out today and they said I would beable to start therapy soon and to start to try to walk on it .
    So I get home and a drink spilled and I was trying to clean it up and my crutches slipped and I had to catch myself from falling twice in a row …and now my knee hurts worse than it did earlier today ….do you think it just got joustled or did I re mess something up..

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Ashton

      Thanks for visiting.

      Right now – ice, ice, ice 20 minutes on 1 hour off.

      If it was me- call your doctor and explain and tell them you are coming in to have it checked.

      It may be overreacting but hey who cares. You want to make sure everything is okay.

      keep me posted
      jim

      p.s. be careful on those crutches.

  • Gagandeep

    Sir, 2 months ago when i am playing soccer during a sprint my leg got twisted giving so much of pain. My MIR report told us that there is complete ACL tear, medial meniscal root and horn tear.Sir i don`t want to go for surgery.Is there any way to recover my ligaments and one more question i also going abroad within 3 months but if i will have surjery than my plan will be ruined so how much gap can i make in my surjery………thank you……..:-)

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Gagandeep

      Well, sorry to hear about your knee.
      You definitely need surgery.

      A complete tear will not heal on its own.
      Meniscus tear you may be able to get by without surgery but really depends on your symptoms and function.

      If you had surgery today 3 months might be a little quick. But it really depends on exactly what you will be doing. If you will not be to active then having surgery and having a 3 month rehab time before trip might be doable. Really depends on what you need to be able to do with that knee.

      good luck and keep me posted
      thanks
      jim

      • Gagandeep

        Firstly,Thank you sir for your suggestion…….Secondly,Sir i am going to canada for study which is of 2 years and after that i am thinking of surgery……is there will be any problem and i will also don`t participate in any knee stress sport or job….help please….Thank you…:-)

        • Gagandeep

          sir,may i also do massage of my knee….?
          and what should i eat?

  • ashton

    Well I called my doc office he was in a surgery so they said they would ask him and call me back well they never did …and then the weekend came and then labor day but during the time of waiting I have started walking on it a little here as there without the crutches and I can bend it a little and I try to put my leg straight and I feel like its straight but I think my knee is still so so swollen that it won’t go down all the way …..I have an appointment tomorrow for my first physical therapy and I’m nervous they will say I’m not far enough along to where I should be …..thank you for responding so fast !!!!

  • Nick Frankel

    Hey Jim
    I’m a 15 year old from Australia, Avid cricket player,
    Relatively keen for afl too. My main hobbie out of organised sport is bmx riding, which is actually where I hurt my knee 2 months ago. I misjudged a jump, landed with all my weight on my left leg and it popped and cracked and was extremely painful. Swelling within 5 minutes. I went to the doctor and an ultrasound revieled a grade one MCL sprain and I was happy with that because that meant I could get back to normal within about two weeks, but after a later doctor appoinment, about 6 weeks post injury I was told I had probably torn my acl, based on what I described what happened and what happened several times afterwards when I tried to return to some sports.
    Whenever I do something my knee will be fine, but if I land on my left knee heavily it will give way and hurt just as it did the first time. The third time it happened my brother was watching and said my knee folded a way it shouldn’t have folded and I was wondering if you think it’s an acl injury ? If so should I start doing some physio just incase of surgery? A week after the last time I re strained it I can walk but can’t completely straighten my knee. Should I get a brace or something in the meantime to stop more injury occurring ?

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Nick,
      First I AM SO SORRY. For some reason one of my security plugin features for the site has been kicking all new incoming comments into to spam folder.
      So I apologize for just getting back to you.

      The third time it happened my brother was watching and said my knee folded a way it shouldn’t have folded and I was wondering if you think it’s an acl injury ?
      —Sounds like it is. “I hope I’m wrong.” Reason being is because you have no stability in the knee upon increase pressure.

      If so should I start doing some physio just incase of surgery?
      —Yes.

      A week after the last time I re strained it I can walk but can’t completely straighten my knee.
      —Reason you cannot straighten the knee is because of joint effusion. Your knee is swollen and all the fluid is accumulating in the joint space. Therefore limiting your range of motion and causing your knee to be unstable.

      Should I get a brace or something in the meantime to stop more injury occurring ?
      Yes, I would. Brace, ice and start performing knee stabilization exercises.

      Again sorry for delay. All is fixed on the site.
      Keep me posted or inform me on what has transpired since you submitted your questions.

      thanks
      jim

  • Swati

    Hi!

    I’m pretty active. I got my ACL injury in July this year while doing plyometrics on a hard surface but I must mention that I also unintentionally overtraining myself for the last one month of activity. I didn’t have too much pain or instability or swelling, just a bit of pain and instability enough to deter me from exercising. :P

    I’m doing physiotherapy since 15 days – some improvement in pain and instability has taken place but the progress isn’t linear and I tend to get more pain and instability when I stand/ walk for as long as 15 mins at one go.

    My problem is I have no insurance or money for surgery or even MRI actually. I might somehow do an MRI if need be, but surgery seems pretty out of question. The doc has asked for an MRI if I don’t start improving in 15 days of physio.

    I know it isn’t enough info but is there a way to tell the extent of my injury (if I’ll need a surgery) from the way I’m progressing?

    Thanks…

    • Jim Wnek

      Hello Swati,
      As you may have seen in a previous reply. I apologize for not getting back to you right away.

      I know it isn’t enough info but is there a way to tell the extent of my injury (if I’ll need a surgery) from the way I’m progressing?
      —-with continued pain and instability it looks like you do have an ACL issue. Without having an MRI to confirm- it is hard to say for sure you will be fine without surgery. So, based on your progression it is looking like surgery is in your future

      Hope it all has worked out.

      please keep me posted
      thanks
      jim

  • Josh Curry

    Two weeks ago an MRI showed that I have a partial ACL tear, along with trauma to my miniscus. The diagnosis was that it was not a major injury, but would require rest for full recovery. The injury dates from about a month before. Since the original injury I have been working with light exercises for muscles around the knee, and over the last month and a half have been doing exercises to slowly increase strength and ROM. I have been doing some stretches to test torque of knee, towards being able to engage meditative sitting position, but some aching has come back into the knee, which feels like a reversion of progress. What can one do when aches come back? Is it necessarily bad (I’ve been told that some ache after phys. ther. is good) or should I treat it as a reversion of progress and back off completely? How do I know when healing is complete?

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Josh
      Sorry for delay.

      What can one do when aches come back?
      —rest, ice and over the counter meds.

      Is it necessarily bad (I’ve been told that some ache after phys. ther. is good) or should I treat it as a reversion of progress and back off completely?
      —- yes and no. yes you will have some soreness and yes you will feel soreness after therapy sessions. but there is a difference between muslce soreness and pain and swelling from trauma. You may just be re-aggravating the original injury. (I hope not!)
      I wouldn’t back off unless you truly feel like you are doing more damage than good. If not, then keep working it.

      How do I know when healing is complete?
      —-no pain or soreness for 2-3 complete days. Everyone has different ways of knowing but I’ve found this to be a good way.

      Please keep me posted.
      again sorry for delay

      thanks
      jim

  • meet

    hello sir .. im 28 yars old female. on march 2013 during skiing my leg got twisted , according to my MRI report i have ACL grade-1 strain with minimal joint effusion. and its been 6 months and i m still in pain and feeling instability.

    i m doing exercises of hamstring,squats, quadriceps, straight leg lift etc.. i also do icing one time a day .i just want to ask u that as it has already been 6 months . how long more will it take to heal in your opinion ?? i m unable to fold my leg properly. i have to climb stairs daily at my work place (10-15 steps) . should i avoid stairs? will i be ok as i was before ingury ? shoud i avoid walking too?
    what r ur suggestions for my acl strain ??

    • Jim Wnek

      Hello Meet,
      First so sorry for delay. My website plugin was pushing all comments into my spam.

      i m doing exercises of hamstring,squats, quadriceps, straight leg lift etc.. i also do icing one time a day .i just want to ask u that as it has already been 6 months . how long more will it take to heal in your opinion ??
      —–Question for you. Has the pain, swelling and discomfort subsided since initial injury? Do you only have pain? swelling? or discomfort? meaning do you and one, two or all three? How long does it last? does the knee buckle or give out?
      —–6 months you should feel better than you do now. Healing time varies from person to person. But in my opinion you should be healed at this point.

      i m unable to fold my leg properly. i have to climb stairs daily at my work place (10-15 steps) . should i avoid stairs?
      —–Stretching may be able to help you with folding you leg. I would guess that you still have swelling present within the knee joint which is not allowing you to have full joint motion to allow folding of you leg. control the swelling within the joint, stretch and you hopefully will be able to again.
      —–Yes and No. Yes because stairs do requires more muscle control and effort which may put a little extra strain within your joint therefore causing increased strain. No because since stairs do work your legs more they are helping get you stronger.

      will i be okay as i was before injury ?
      —— I would say YES. But everyone is different. Everyone heals differently. with proper exercises, icing you should be fine.

      should i avoid walking too?
      —-NO walking is the best activity for you.

      what r ur suggestions for my acl strain ??
      —–proper stretching and strengthening program. You need to have as much stability within you leg as possible.

      keep me posted
      jim

  • Dev

    I was injured during a football practice and my doctor told me that i had a slight acl tear.
    I’m also an active thespian and need use of my knee for our opening in six weeks.
    Can my acl heal in time for opening night?
    What can i do to heal faster?

  • Rajeev Jaglalsingh

    I had ACL surgery on 20/09/13 using the patellar tendon graft and I am in a lot of pain. My MRI report stated that I had a complete ACL tearn and a meniscus tear. I want to find out how long would i be able to walk and im not comfortable using crutches.

  • Aaron

    My story:
    I’m as sophomore in high school and after the whole preseason, 7 on 7’s, two-a-days, camp, and was in line to start varsity at slot receiver. However, in our season opener I was the last line of defense on the kickoff team and when I made the tackle I felt (and think I heard, but not entirely sure) a pop in my knee- It was the first kickoff of the game. The next day an MRI revealed a tear in my ACL and a slight tear in my meniscus. MCL was also sprained.

    I am now a week and a half out of surgery and feeling decent. (My surgery was done by taking patellar tendon.) I have used the CPM and gotten it maxed out at 120 degrees for a few days now, and can put 50% of my body weight (around 80 pounds is half) on the leg while using crutches. Through therapy I have regained the ability to do straight leg lifts on my own. I’m supposed to do sets of 10 but I usually go above that. My stitches were just removed and the surgeon has said multiple times about how it “looks in great shape.”

    Well after that rant here is my question. When I recover, will I be able to run at the same speed and cut as hard on my right as my left? I am terrified of “losing a step” as many say. It’t the one aspect that has always set me apart from the rest of the pack and I really really would not want to lose that. Lacrosse and track season starts in a bout 6 months and I was told that I will be able to play. I don’t expect to be fully back to normal by then, but I was wondering if by next football season I’ll be the same as before?

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Aaron
      Thanks for visiting.
      Not sure why my replies never posted.

      When I recover, will I be able to run at the same speed and cut as hard on my right as my left?
      –YES (with proper rehab and training you will be able to regain most)

      I am terrified of “losing a step” as many say. It’t the one aspect that has always set me apart from the rest of the pack and I really really would not want to lose that. Lacrosse and track season starts in a bout 6 months and I was told that I will be able to play. I don’t expect to be fully back to normal by then, but I was wondering if by next football season I’ll be the same as before?

      – Hard to say. But with technology (surgery procedures) today along with proper rehab and training for back to sport you should be pretty close to what you were before.

      Good luck
      Jim

  • Tavish Rice

    Hi! I recently tore my ACL/MCL while playing soccer and had surgery a week and a half ago. My main sport is soccer and I’m wondering first what the timeline would be in a best case scenario in order to recover. I was also wondering if there were any things you knew from experience that I can do or use that will help with recovery and/or therapy?
    Thanks!!

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Tavish
      As I said in a previous response
      Sorry, not sure why my reply never posted.

      My main sport is soccer and I’m wondering first what the timeline would be in a best case scenario in order to recover.
      — 6 months return to sport

      I was also wondering if there were any things you knew from experience that I can do or use that will help with recovery and/or therapy?
      — Too much to go into via reply. If you’d like a customized program based on you age, gender, type of surgery, sport, position?
      Email me at: jim@core1inc.com
      We can customize a program for you and send it to you via video.

      Good luck
      Jim

  • Sadie

    I’m military and I hurt my knee doing combatives class (ironically enough after I spent a month and a half training for and competing in a combatives tournament with no serious injuries). I really enjoy combatives and don’t want to give it up but when I hurt my knee, although they initially thought it was a sprain, eventually I got sent in to get an MRI and they found that I tore my ACL and meniscus. They thought it was a complete tear. Shortly after that, I went in for reconstruction surgery, but the doctor went in with the scope and found that while the tear looks complete on the MRI it is only a partial, so they closed me up. That was in August. I’ve been doing physical therapy and working really hard to get back to the level of fitness I want and need to be at without pushing myself too hard, and my leg feels much stronger than it did before surgery and my range of motion has improved quite a bit. I still can’t straighten my leg all the way out on my own though and my knee itself still feels unstable fairly often. At least once a day, I feel like it’s going to buckle when I move wrong. In November, I’ll find out if they want to push for surgery anyway after all my strengthening, but I’m worried the best decision won’t be made because I’m not even all that sure what the best decision is for me. With that little bit of information, do you have an opinion? I really like my ortho surgeon and he seems really wise about this, but being tied up by military rules and regs and whatever is what worries me. I know I can push for a second opinion though if I need to. I thought asking you would be worth a shot and helpful when I try to figure out what I need to do to take care of myself and get back into combatives and fight training. Thank you for any assistance!

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Sadie,
      So sorry for delay in response. As you may have read in my previous response my website security plugin was pushing all comments to my spam folder.

      Your questions:
      With that little bit of information, do you have an opinion?
      —– I would get surgery. It sounds like you need it ( unstable knee, knee buckle) not good signs.

      I really like my ortho surgeon and he seems really wise about this, but being tied up by military rules and regs and whatever is what worries me. I know I can push for a second opinion though if I need to.
      — A 2nd opinion wouldn’t hurt. But be prepared the hear what you r were already told by previous surgeon. In regards to rules and regulations. I’m not quite sure but if you cannot perform your duties then I would assume you need to get your knee 100% fit for duty.

      I thought asking you would be worth a shot and helpful when I try to figure out what I need to do to take care of myself and get back into combatives and fight training. Thank you for any assistance!

      I would consider surgery at this point.

      good luck
      keep me posted
      jim

  • Karen

    Hi, My Boyfriend Tore his ACL on The Job, for a Tow Company, on October 21st 2012 he had surgery in April 2013 to replace it. The Original plans were to use a cadaver, but during the surgery those plans changed , a piece was taken from his inner thigh instead . Through his recovery he has been going to therapy which he attended about 5 weeks after surgery, 3x a week. He gained a lot of muscle strength on his thigh & calves, but recently in the last 3 to 2 weeks his knee feels loose and has been giving out a lot( which previously wasn’t happening). He also noticed in the beginning his foot wasn’t facing straight forward, after months of therapy that problem had been corrected, he had been walking perfectly straight. This is no longer the case, his foot is once again turned as he walks and he can’t straighten it. Can anyone please tell me if this is normal behavior for the knee and what can possibly be happening? Is it possible the ACL has been released? Is it possible too much therapy is causeing the problem? Is it possible to request another MRI to check the injury, and does the doctor have to comply with your request? If anyone has any professional answers for me I’d greatly appreciate it. Thank you.

    • Jim Wnek

      Can anyone please tell me if this is normal behavior for the knee and what can possibly be happening?
      —-It is not normal. Yes some patients do have set backs. sounds like this is what is happening. The loose feeling maybe due to increased swelling which causing instability in the knee. Foot out when walking could be just his body compensating for lack of motion and strength in his leg.

      Is it possible the ACL has been released?
      —–Yes , but unlikely. It could have not taken but percentage is low.

      Is it possible too much therapy is causing the problem?
      ——it could be. Too much strengthening and work then the knee can handle can cause increased soreness and swelling.

      Is it possible to request another MRI to check the injury, and does the doctor have to comply with your request?
      —–Yes it is possible but doctor may not request. All you can do is ask and explain your concerns. However from my experience without him sustaining a major injury to it since surgery it is unlikely doctor will agree with your request.
      But i would sure try!!!

      If you hadn’t received another MRI since you last responded. Here is what I would do.
      Continue with rehab. Rest when you can, strengthen, stretch, ice and really work on his functional stability and endurance.

      I hope this helps.

      keep me posted
      jim

  • surya

    Dear Sir,

    about 7 days back I met with accident and got injured my knee and the MRI report as below:

    the ACL demonstrates retained tibal/femoral bony attachments. it appears bulky with increased intrasubstance signals and shows loss of parallelism to the intercondylar roof, note anterior translocation of the lateral tibia over femur – Acute Interstitial injury/partial thickness tear.

    sir is it sufficient if i take rest or should i undergo surgery/am average working person/

    please i require your kind help.

    • Jim Wnek

      Hello Surya

      I would try a conservative approach.
      Rehab for 6-8 weeks and see how your knees responds. If no progress then I would consider surgery.

      keep me posted
      jim

  • Nikit

    Hi im a 16 year old boy and i injured my knee on 3rd september 2013 and soon found out that i have an ACL tear.

    This was in my MRI report-

    Findings-

    Hyperintensity is noted within the ACL ,which appears bulky, demonstrates laxity, intra substance fluid and disruption of it’s fibrea. Fluid is seen around it’s distal attachment. there is evidence of marrow edema in the lateral femoral and tibial condyles. Buckling of the PLC is also noted.

    Degenrative changes in the posterior horn of medial minicus.

    There is mild synovial effusion with distension of the suprapettla bursa.

    The pettla and fibular head appears normal in outline and marrow signal.

    The lateral minicus appers normal in size,outline and signal intensity.

    The medial and fibular collateral ligaments , quadraceps tendon and ligamentum patellea apper normal in outline and signal characterisitcs.

    IMPRESSION-

    Post-trauma apperances with tear of the ACL and degenerative changes in the posterior horn of the medial miniscus.

    #I don’t want to get operated for this injury . I don’t feel any buckling in my injured knee and there is no instability, but swelling appears with exercise and i don’t feel any pain in my injured knee.

    I am a basket ball player.

    What do u suggest ????

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Nikit,

      Well, I would suggest going through some extensive rehab. Strengthen that knee as much as possible. While you are going through rehab i would have your therapist test that knee as much as possible to really see what it can handle and not handle. If your knee shows that it is stable enough then I would suggest forgoing surgery and continue with keeping that knee as strong and stable as possible.

      keep me posted
      jim

  • Rameshselvam

    Sir Two Weeks before my left knee got twisted and get ACL Grade:2 Injury and MCL Grade:1 Injury for MRI Report…will you please tell some tips to recover my knee injury…..Thank you .

  • Ethan

    Hello,

    I recently tore my ACL about 3 weeks ago. I’m due for surgery on November 5th. I just wanted to know how long it will take me to play basketball again. I also wanted to know if I was fully committed to PT and worked hard each time, what would be the earliest I could return.

    Thank you

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Ethan

      With surgery on 11/5/2013 you are looking at 6 months to return. then it will have to be implemented slowly.

      It could be sooner and it could be longer. It really depends on how you heal and respond to the surgery and rehab.

      keep me posted
      jim

  • kim

    Hi I fell down stairs and landed on cement two months ago. I went to see an orthopedist and after an mri I was told that I have a sprained acl and bone bruise. I have been doing physical therapy for a month and I still have pain everyday and swelling. I am 25. I am noticing a lot of improvement in walking with less of a limp and my knee feeling stronger but I do have pain when walking and sitting in many positions. I was wondering how long it usually takes to recover from this type of injury. Also what symptoms I should watch out for that would make a follow up with my orthopedist necessary (he said to come back in 6 weeks which is now if I was still in pain however when I asked my physical therapist he said he thinks im ok but in a “wavy” period)

    • Jim Wnek

      Hello Kim
      Thanks for visiting.

      Sprained ACL and bone bruise healing time?
      Everyone heals differently and at different paces.

      On average you will see good progress around the 6 weeks mark. However, some may be a little quicker and some longer.

      As far as symptoms to keep an eye on are as follows:

      swelling (especially when and how often)
      Any sharp pains
      knee giving out “buckeling”
      and antalgic gait pattern (limping or compensating)

      Now, since you continue to have pain and swelling even after 6 weeks post injury. You just might be taking a lot longer to heal.
      Bone bruises sometimes do take longer to heal because they are so deep. Also, depending on what grade sprain of your ACL you most likley just need a lot more time to recover.

      keep me posted
      jim

  • PRAHLAD

    I am 22 years old.before 2 and half month ago I was playing football and I had knee injury . after 2 days of my injury I visited the dr. he suggest me the knee brace , rest , ice and exercise after x-ray but after 2 months I can’t able to jump as well as run but walk normally after that I again visited the dr. than he suggest me for the MRI .My MRI report impression tell , ” Grade – I ACL tear .Contusional marrow edema in lateral femoral and tibial condyles. Minimal suprapatellar bursal effusion and joint effusion”. After viewing this report dr. speaks me that no need to surgery and again one month rest with hinged knee brace. so sir plz suggest me what should I do and when I will back in my normal activities.

  • Aaron

    My story:
    I’m as sophomore in high school and after the whole preseason, 7 on 7′s, two-a-days, camp, and was in line to start varsity at slot receiver. However, in our season opener I was the last line of defense on the kickoff team and when I made the tackle I felt (and think I heard, but not entirely sure) a pop in my knee- It was the first kickoff of the game. The next day an MRI revealed a tear in my ACL and a slight tear in my meniscus. MCL was also sprained.

    I am now a week and a half out of surgery and feeling decent. (My surgery was done by taking patellar tendon.) I have used the CPM and gotten it maxed out at 120 degrees for a few days now, and can put 50% of my body weight (around 80 pounds is half) on the leg while using crutches. Through therapy I have regained the ability to do straight leg lifts on my own. I’m supposed to do sets of 10 but I usually go above that. My stitches were just removed and the surgeon has said multiple times about how it “looks in great shape.”

    Well after that rant here is my question. When I recover, will I be able to run at the same speed and cut as hard on my right as my left? I am terrified of “losing a step” as many say. It’t the one aspect that has always set me apart from the rest of the pack and I really really would not want to lose that. Lacrosse and track season starts in a bout 6 months and I was told that I will be able to play. I don’t expect to be fully back to normal by then, but I was wondering if by next football season I’ll be the same as before?

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Aaron,
      So sorry for such a long time for my response.
      I hope this response finds you and you are doing well.
      To answer your question.

      Yes you should be fine for next football season.
      Come June and July of 2014 you should be feeling pretty darn close to 100%.

      Please keep me posted.
      If for some reason you are not feeling like you are making progress and are behind – let me know. I can help

      Good luck

      Jim

  • gilda

    here is the finding minimal joint effusion is appreciated .negative forbakers cyst the aclis attenuated the posterior cruciate and colateral ligament are intact there is abnormal signal intensity at the posterior horn of the medial meniscus the lateral meniscus is unremarkable the retinacula quadriceps femoris and patellar tendons are normal osteocondral defect isnoted in the medial patella negative for muscle strain

    impression

    consider partial tear inthe acl torn posterior horn of the medial meniscus ostheochondraldefect medial patella minimal joint effusion the doctor said diagnosed with acl tear meniscal injury knee left do i need a surgery and how long to recover thanks

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Glida
      I am so sorry for delay in my response.
      Hope this response finds you and you are doing well.

      Will you need surgery and how long to recovery?
      From the impression and findings – yes.

      Recovery 4-6 months to feeling back to normal.
      Maybe longer if you require your knee to be involved with running, jumping and cutting activities.

      Please keep me posted

      Jim

  • Jaffer

    Hi Jim,

    I was playing soccer last week and during the game I went for a tackle and positioned my foot hard without full balance and then heard a pop noise followed by minor to intermediate pain which lasted very shortly. I was then able to walk normally but the next day I was in pain and couldnt bend it or extend it all the way so was limping for the next few days. Went to the doc and he physically examined the knee and suspected lateral meniscus damage and after a lot of googling so did I but he asked me to get the MRI done. I rested and followed the RICE formula and made sure I iced every day and applied anti inflammatory cream on the knee before I went to sleep. I then got the MRI done and its been almost over a week and I regained almost 90-95% motion from my knee since every day I slowly started stretching my leg and doing some small gentle exercises day by day and now I dont fail pain when I walk and can extend it all the way. When I bend it back all the way, there is very minimal pain which is getting less as time passes. I did the MRI and spoke to the doc about the results. The MRI indicates there is a diffuse intermediate to high signal changes seen along the ACL with loss of sharp outline to the ligament. Its says menisi and PCL are in tact and fine but it says a small joint effusion is present with fluid extending into the suprapatellar space. It says everything else is fine and the conclusion is diffuse tear of the ACL with marked edema. Now the doc said my ACL was in tact during my first visit before the MRI after moving my leg in different positions. Is this an ACL grade 1 sprain? Doc thinks I dont need surgery because although the outline isnt thick and clear in the MRI, it still is present there so he thinks maybe some fibres were damaged making the ACL looks thin but if it has stability then physio can help strengthen the muscles around it and I can return to my regular activity. So Im not sure what to make of it. Is it an ACL tear? I play frequently at a high level and I have a big match on December 13th which is around 20 days away. Its a try out at a club and it is extremely important to me. Is that too soon in your opinion? Am I risking making it a complete rupture? At the moment I have stability and almost full motion with slight occasional pain which is decreasing over time when making certain movements. Would really appreciate your feedback on this as I cant seem to find a similar case like this one. Appreciate your help Jim.

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Jaffer
      Sorry for delay in response.
      I know its past dec 13th.

      What has happened?
      I am interested to know.

      thanks
      jim

  • Syed Bukhari

    Hi,
    I tore my ACL and sprained MCL while playing basketball In my left knee 5 weeks ago.
    5 days ago I had a successful surgeryand will be starting therapy in a day or two. I am, however, Having a lot of pain on my other knee and am not able to bend it all the way (probably about 70 degrees) plus I have a lot of swelling in it. I did not injure it and the symptoms started a few days before surgery. I talked to my doctor and even he is shocked on why this is happening. He will have me get a MRI so I’m just waiting for that. But I was thinking what you think might have happened. I know the other knee intakes a lot more pressure to compensate but my orthopedic surgeon said it’s not a norm for the knee to swell up like that especially that much.
    So what do you think?

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Syed
      Sorry for my reply not being posted

      So what do you think?
      —-Very interesting. Yes by compensating for the left your right could be overworked but that quickly seems odd.
      My thought is that maybe you already had an injury to the right but never showed any signs or symptoms and now that you are compensating with the right your right knee is letting you know something was wrong.

      Hopefully you’ve had everything taken care of

      Keep me posted
      Jim

  • Venkat

    Hi,

    I have twisted my left knee on 16th of Dec while playing shuttle and following are the MRI observations. The doctor is advising surgery for Minisci and acl ligament reconstruction. Could you help me know if they are really required? Following are the observations

    1. pathcy hyperintensity and irregularity of the anterior cruciate ligament at the femoral attachment site – S/o TEAR.
    2. Small focal hyperintensity in the femoral attachment of the posterior cruciate ligament – s/o EDEMA/CONTUSION
    3. The medial meniscus appears to have been stripped off with non visualisation of the posterior horn and is flipped medially giving rise the appereance of double pcl sign – S/o BUCKET HANDLE TEAR OF MEDIAL MENISCUS
    4. Small patch hyperintense signal involving the media collateral ligament with normal thickness of the ligament – S/o GRADE 1 SPRAIN OF THE MEDIAL COLLATERAL LIGAMENT.
    5. Mild synovial effusion.

    Appreciate your help and inputs.

    Venkat

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Venkat

      Could you help me know if they are really required?

      Based in the MRI impression.

      Yes. I would take the advice of your doctor.
      If not then I would get a second opinion.

      Did the doctor look at the MRI films?

      Keep me posted
      Jim

  • Ram

    Hi,

    About 4-weeks ago I did a stupid thing and attempted a front-flip with boots on grass. When I landed my left foot felt firmly planted but I fell on my back. So, it’s just an awkward landing that put stress on my knee. My left leg felt bad. I heard no pop, but I was able to walk on it pretty normal right after it happened. However, it felt a bit unstable. The next day I felt as if it may buckle or give out when I turned slightly left. I experienced this sensation maybe 5 times at most. There was not swelling and very little pain (1-2 out of 10). Now (At the 4-week mark), I have no pain or swelling… but my knee feels a little loose, different, or weak (It’s hard to articulate). My leg straightens out normal; it doesn’t seem to hyper-extend. I’m still able to do heavy lifting, running, and I even played a half-hour of tennis without any feelings of instability despite my left knee not feeling as tight as my right. I have not yet gone to get an MRI. If this is a partial tear (Sprain Level 1 or 2) of my ACL, can I expected to regain tightness in the joint as the ligament(s) heal? or am I just in the bucket of I have to wear cyborg brace every time I want to do anything. If it’s not a complete tear and the tear is less than 50% across, can it return back to normal or close (95%)? Do some people come out of Level 2 Sprains normal without surgery?

    Thanks,
    Ram

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Ram
      Thanks for visiting

      If this is a partial tear (Sprain Level 1 or 2) of my ACL, can I expected to regain tightness in the joint as the ligament(s) heal? or am I just in the bucket of I have to wear cyborg brace every time I want to do anything.
      –Without an MRI its hard to know for sure. But from the sounds of it – it may only be a sprain.

      If it’s not a complete tear and the tear is less than 50% across, can it return back to normal or close (95%)? Do some people come out of Level 2 Sprains normal without surgery?
      —-You know everyone is different. Yes you could experience healing but couldn’t say for sure how much. Yes we have seen level 2 sprain do fine without surgery however it really depends on the severity of the sprain.

      Good luck and please keep me posted

      jim

  • Kunal

    Hi,I injured my right knee in first week of June,2013.I took rest of 3-5 days the swelling went away but there was mild pain which can be ignored.So I ignored it.But in the first week of August 2013, I visited orthopedic surgeon and carried out MRI (0.2 Tesla open) &its report is
    *Small hyper intense signal in acl s/o grade 1 injury.
    * contusion in lower end of femur.
    My surgeon told me it would heal and not to worry gave me some pain killer and collagen tablets.After taking medicine for 1 months I was not improving much and there was mild and dull pain in my knee .
    So again I carried out MRI(1.5 Tesla closed) scan on 15th Nov. The report was
    *ACL shows mildly altered signal intensity appearing hyper intense at its tibial attachment on STIR and T2W images s/o ACL Sprain.
    *Marrow edema involving lateral femoral and tibial condyles.
    *Mild joint effusion.
    Again the same orthopedist told me it would heal surgery is not required.
    Now my knee has improved and there is no mild pain (which i had earlier) but when i walk and run a lot ,there will be mild pain in my right knee .
    So sir,what is your suggestion in my case?

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Kunal

      From what you mentioned it sounds like you need some skilled rehab to get that knee stronger.
      Not just the knee itself but your whole lower extremity. Strength, stability, balance, etc…

      Get yourself some rehab and you should be just fine.

      Please keep me posted
      jim

  • Alana

    Hi I’m a 21 year old female field and indoor hockey goalkeeper. On the 21st of November 2013, I hyperextended my left knee in an indoor game by stopping a run suddendly. Straight away it felt painful and sore, yet I was able to play on for about 25-30min till the end of the game. I folled the RICE strategy straight away. There was only a little swelling. For a few weeks I rested it, being told by the physio that it was bruising of the the fat pad. When the pain did not subside and infact got worse when I went for prolonged walking I went to get a second opinion from a doctor, who straight away referred for the MRI. There was signs of a sprain/ minor tear. I have not been able to return to playing yet, because it becomes to painful and feels unstable. I work as a waitress and simply walking (bearing no weight) I can’t get through a six hour shift without pain and my knee giving out on my a couple of times, even while wearing a brace. When it gets really bad, there is a poping/ clicking feeling when it gives way. Is it possible that it is tearing more? My season starts in April and I really want to do what I can to be able to play then. Thanks for your help.

    • Alana

      Sorry sprain/ minor tear of the ACL.

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Alana

      First sorry to hear of your injury.

      Is it possible that it is tearing more? My season starts in April and I really want to do what I can to be able to play then. Thanks for your help.
      —-There is always a possibility of it tearing more. But I highly doubt it based on what you mentioned.
      My recommendation is this- get into some skilled physical therapy right away and start getting that knee stronger.

      My question to you. I know you mentioned sprain/minor ACL. Did they list what grade?

      Please keep me posted

      Jim

  • kunal

    HI,
    I had injured my right knee after I fell down from bike. I took rest for 3-5 days and my swelling went away but there was mild pain (which can be ignored, so I ignored it).
    But after 2 months (first week of august), there was always mild pain and pinching type pain (while walking or taking rest).I went to doctor and carried out MRI (0.2 tesla open type).Its report was
    *Small hyper intense signal in acl s/o grade 1 injury.
    *contusion in lower end of femur.
    My surgeon told me not to worry and it would heal and gave some pain killers, collagen tab and physical exercises.He also checked my knee by bending it at 30 degrees and said “your ligament is intact”.
    Even after 2 months I was not improving so carried out next MRI(1.5 Tesla closed type) on 14 Nov(after 2 months).Its impression was
    *ACL shows mildly altered signal intensity appearing hyper intense at its tibial attachment on STIR and T2W images s/o ACL sprain.
    *Marrow edema involving lateral femoral and tibial condyles.
    *Mild joint effusion.
    The same doctor told me it is not serious and increased medicine doses.
    The mild pain in my knee has gone away at this moment. But whenever I run and walk (continuously for 3-4 hrs) a lot, there would be same mild pain.
    I also don’t find my both knee same. I am really worried for my knee and confused what should I do for complete healing. I need your suggestion and opinion.

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Kunal
      First thanks for visiting.

      Next sorry for delay. I’ve been busy with the holidays.

      From the information provided.
      I would recommend formal physical therapy for your knee.

      In physical therapy we have 3 goals.
      1. Calm pain down
      2. Stretch
      3. Strengthen

      We try doing doing them in that order.
      At least 4-6 weeks to see if you can get your knee back to feeling close to normal.

      If skilled physical therapy is not an option for you please contact me back.

      I have had dozens upon dozens of requests for customized physical therapy rehabilitation programs.
      For several reasons.
      Some do not have insurance and cannot afford it.
      Insurance ran out.
      To high of a deductible and or co-pay.
      Don’t have time.

      Hit me back if you’d like some more information on a customized rehab program.

      If not, please keep me posted or if you have any additional questions.

      Good luck.

      Jim

  • kunal

    Thanks for reply.Sir,Is it possible to heal acl 100%?.Even after 6 months, I don’t feel my both knee same.I have been doing PT for 3 months.Which type of exercise should I do
    for calming down pain?

  • rakesh

    i met with acl injury 1year back and at the time of incident it was not a remarkable problem for me.but now slowly i feel instability and pain on long standing. MRI shows acl sprain with mild joint effusion. please reply me whether it is possible to treat such condition without surgery.

    • kunal

      Hi rakesh,I have knee injury which is similar to yours.It would heal but it will take time.Even after 7 months i feel sometimes mild pain in my knee.

  • John

    Hello Jim,
    I am a 16 year old football player and I fully tore my acl in a non contact situation in late November. It was a full tear with no damage to any other parts of the knee. I have been doing daily PT with my school trainer to prepare for surgery which is January 14th. I have a few questions:

    Will I be able to play at full speed by mid August?

    I have decided to use the Patellar graft as opposed to the hamstring because I have heard it is the “gold standard” for this procedure. But when the doctor looked at my MRI and X-Ray, he said my growth plates were open, and I was still growing. I believe I will only grow 1-2 more inches maximum, so do you believe this was the right choice for graft?

    Will I be able to participate in football camps in mid June?

    Thanks for the help,
    John

    • John

      *Running back position in football

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey John

      First sorry to hear about your injury.

      Will I be able to play at full speed by mid August?
      Come middle of August it puts you at 7 months. To answer your question: it depends on how well you rehab and attack your strengthening.
      Most ACL’s you have full recovery at about 6 months. Seeing that you are a football player you may require a little longer. It really depends on your strength and conditioning program. You will really need to start being aggressive around the 4-5 month mark (if you are able and your doctor clears you.)

      so do you believe this was the right choice for graft?
      — yes

      Will I be able to participate in football camps in mid June?
      —-it depends on how you progress with your rehab.

      Keep me posted

      Jim

  • David

    Hello Mr. Wnek,

    I am an 18 year old soccer player and I tore my ACL on December 27. I had my MRI later that day and it was revealed that my ACL was completely gone. We preceded to schedule surgery on January 2 with a patellar tendon graft. One week in I am able to fully extend my knee and have 95 degrees of bend. I have physical therapy 5 days a week with experienced and dedicated physical therapist and ATCs. My hopes are to be able to return eventually by May for my senior season of soccer. I have read stories of athletes returning to play in 3-4 months. Is there anything in particular that enables athletes to have a quicker return to play or is by “chance”.

    Any feedback and/or advice would be greatly appreciated!

    David

    PS: I have been through knee rehab before with my other knee from a partial menisectomy in mid August and was able to return to play early October, but I know the ACL will be more strenuous and involved.

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey David
      Thanks for visiting.

      First sorry to hear about your injury.

      Is there anything in particular that enables athletes to have a quicker return to play or is by “chance”.
      —“chance” has a little to do with it. There are many things that factor into the healing process.

      really depends on your body- how quickly it heals itself
      your nutrition- plays a major role in aiding the healing process
      how aggressive you attack your rehab
      ice, rest, train, rehab

      you will have to take it day to day but one piece of advice I will give you is this
      while you rehab your knee— make sure you keep the rest of your body in shape.

      Keep me posted

      jim

  • ned

    I am a 50 year-old male who has practiced martial arts for the past 10 years, mainly tai kickboxing. I suffered a knee injury during a sparring session. The MRI (two months past injury) shows “High-grade near full thickness tear of the anterior cruciate ligament” and goes on to say intra-substance degeneration of the lateral meniscal body and of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus. I have not really trained since the incident and I am going bonkers. I don’t meet with the Ortho until another week and a half….
    My knee feels stable but weak, with stiffness and some discomfort mostly interior side of knee.
    Does this mean surgery? Should I not train at all? in the interim?
    If surgery….at my age am I looking at a full year?

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey ned

      Thanks for visiting

      Does this mean surgery?
      —–I you are wanting to get back to tai kickboxing. Then YES.

      Should I not train at all? in the interim?
      —- When you say train (I am assuming you mean kickboxing) If that is what you mean then I advise against it.
      If you are looking just to do some fitness activities that doesn’t require a lot of lower extremity use or out a lot of stress in the ACL that is fine.

      If surgery….at my age am I looking at a full year?
      —- Tough to say. Maybe. It really depends on how you and your body heals.
      If all goes well you could be back in 6 months. Maybe not at full force but at least starting getting back into it.

      Good luck and please keep me posted.

      Jim

  • kapil dev

    hi i am 26 years old I had a injury in my knee grade 1 sprain of anterior cruciate ligament seen minimal effusion seen but no e/o meniscal tear doctor adviced me to take some medicine I also took but still now I didn’t came to my normal stage. Can I go for a gym workout

    • Jim Wnek

      Hello kapil dev

      If your doctor did not lace any restrictions on you and your therapist feels comfortable then yes a gym workout would be fine. I would just take it slow and see how your knee responds.

      Good luck
      Jim

  • chieko

    I am an active 56 year old female, 5’7″, 110 lbs who recently had a hard fall and landed on my knee. OW! I’ve been to 2 orthos. Neither addressing the ACL tear yet, they want the bones to heal first but I wasn’t even given a brace or any support for the knee…just crutches and limited weight bearing. What’s your take? When I tore 2 menisci in my left knee, I had to wear a full leg knee brace. Never needed surgery though. I have had a total hip replacement (left) due to AVN. Don’t want to end up w/ instability in my right knee since it may add stress to my replaced hip and I want to keep that one for awhile. BTW, I already have chondromalacia patella of the injured knee. THANKS!

    RE: Grade II tear ACL, patellar fracture, tibula fractures

    MRI OF THE RIGHT KNEE
    TECHNIQUE: The examination was performed in the standard fashion in
    the 1.5 Tesla GE magnet at AIC.
    HISTORY: Patient reports knee pain and symptoms of instability.
    There is also a history of a fall on 01/11/2014.
    COMPARISON STUDY: Radiographs dated 01/12/2014.
    FINDINGS:
    OSSEOUS STRUCTURES: There is a mild comminuted fracture of the
    tibial epiphysis, extending into the metaphysis. It has a T-shaped
    like configuration, with a transverse component extending along the
    anterior border of the tibia, and a vertical component in the
    sagittal plane, that propagates into the posterior epiphysis. This
    is noted in all sequences, and is associated with reactive edema,
    consistent with an acute fracture. There is no articular surface
    depression, and neither of the fracture lines demonstrate significant
    distraction. There is no evidence of an infiltrative or marrow
    replacement process identified.
    EXTENSOR COMPARTMENT: The quadriceps tendon, infrapatellar tendon and
    patella retinacula demonstrate normal morphology and signal intensity
    and no significant disruption.
    PATELLOFEMORAL JOINT: There is a contusion of the patella,
    associated with a coronal oriented fracture line in a subcortical
    location, and extending into the apex of the patella. This is best
    seen on the sagittal sequences. An effusion is seen, and there is an
    inflammatory reaction involving both the quadriceps and Hoffa’s
    fat-pad.
    LIGAMENTS: There is architectural distortion and signal alteration
    involving the anterior cruciate ligament, primarily at its
    attachment, and extending into the mid-level. Both the posterior
    bundle and the posterior fibers of the anterior bundle are affected.
    The findings are felt to be most consistent with a grade II ACL
    interstitial injury (sagittal sequence series 4, images 10-12,
    coronal sequence images 12-14 and axial sequences images 13-15.
    MENISCI: There is no evidence of a significant meniscal surface tear
    present. Meniscal configuration is unremarkable.
    SOFT TISSUES: The iliotibial band and popliteus tendon demonstrate
    normal morphology and signal intensity. There is no evidence of a
    significant muscular signal alteration or atrophy noted. The
    popliteal and neurovascular complex is within normal limits. The
    visualized peroneal nerve is unremarkable.
    Impression

    IMPRESSION:
    1. There are mildly comminuted fractures involving both the tibia
    and the patella, as described. There are multiple small fracture
    lines noted, but they do not demonstrate any significant distraction.
    No articular surface depression is noted.
    2. There is a grade II partial tear of the ACL.
    3. There is an effusion.

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Chieko

      Sorry for delay in my response

      What’s your take?

      After looking at your MRI findings. Note: I am not a doctor nor do I play one on TV (haha)

      I would take the advice of your doctor.
      Let the fractures heal.
      The Grade II ACL tear could be significant depending how much is torn and/or still intact.
      You could function with a partial tear however, you may not. Only time and rehab will tell.\

      Please get me an update? Curious to see what has unfolded.

      Thanks
      Jim

  • Tara Tapia

    Hi, I’ve torn my acl in my left knee 4 years ago and had reconstruction surgery on it and its perfectly fine. I went back to playing soccer just 8 months after. Just recently I partially tore my acl in my right knee and fractured my tibia. Its been 3 weeks and im able to walk normally and hike. I’m waiting on my ortho for a second opinion on surgery or just physical theraphy. I run competitively and am planning to in the fall. How long do you think it’ll be until I can run again?

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Tara

      Sorry for delay.

      How long do you think it’ll be until I can run again?
      —Well there are 2 things you need to make sure of before you start to run.
      1. The fracture is healed.
      2. If you do not have surgery- you need to make sure you have very good quad control as well as stabilization in that knee before running.

      Just make sure it is strong enough. You do not want to further damage anything.

      Hopefully your knee is doing better.

      Keep me posted

      Jim

  • deepak

    i have a grade 1 acl strain ,there is so much pain in my knee but its completely stable .
    can non surgical procedure be able to restore my knee to full level?

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Deepak

      can non surgical procedure be able to restore my knee to full level?

      YES

      If you need help customizing a program- just email me at: jim@core1inc.com

      Thanks
      Jim

  • gibor

    How long after minor ACL surgery I can walk? and when I can start my office job?

  • rodney

    I am a marine engineer and injured my knee whilst playing football. Below is how my MRI report reads. Kindly suggest remedial options. I am not in favour of a surgery at the moment as I am ready to give up playing football.
    —————————————————–
    MRI LEFT KNEE JOINT

    A plain MR of the left knee joint was performed on high field 1.5 Tesla scanner.

    Observations:
    Normal femoro-tibial and patello-femoral alignment is seen. There is osseous contusion noted in postero-lateral tibial plateau. Rest of the bones show normal marrow signal. The femoro-tibial and patello-femoral joint space and articular margins are normal.
    Grade I strain of LCL is noted. No disruption of the fibres is seen.
    There is near complete tear of ACL from femoral site of attachment. Few remnant fibres are seen.
    The ACL and PCL are normal. The MCL appears normal. The anterior supporting structures, medial and lateral patellar retinacula are normal.
    Medial meniscus is normal. Lateral meniscus is normal.
    Minimal effusion noted.

    Remarks:
     Osseous contusion in postero-lateral tibial plateau.
     Grade I strain of LCL is noted. No disruption of the fibres is seen.
     Near complete tear of ACL from femoral site of attachment. Few remnant fibres are seen.
     Minimal effusion.
    —————————————————
    Thanks for ur help
    Rodney

  • Meeran

    I got my knee twisted while playing football(soccer) by landing my foot in a small pit in the grounded, but soon I was able to walk , after a month I got swelling in my knee and was in deep pain, I consulted an Ortho and he gave me a set of exercises , after a week of rest followed by a month of exercise , after another two I tried playing football again, I am able to play as before but sometimes during play there is a bit of dislocation in my knee which gets into place after bending my knee without any pain. Is is okay to continue playing or should I quit ??

  • Meeran

    I got my knee twisted while playing football(soccer) by landing my foot in a small pit in the ground, but soon I was able to walk , after a month I experienced some swelling in my knee and was in deep pain, I consulted an Ortho and he gave me a set of exercises , after a week of rest followed by a month of exercise and after another two months I tried playing football again, I am able to play as before but sometimes during play there is a bit of dislocation in my knee which gets into place after bending my knee without any pain. Is is okay to continue playing or should I quit ??

  • Kendra Robinson

    Hi Jim,
    I am a 15 year old girl who plays club and high school volleyball. Last week at my tournament I tore my ACL after landing funny. My doctor said that after surgery it will most likely be six months until I can play at the level that I am playing now. Is there any possibility that it can be sooner with good physical therapy and recovery?
    Thanks,
    Kendra

  • Digvijay

    I am a 23 year old male wheighing 160 pounds. I had injured my knee 2 years back while exercising.There was pain but no swelling. I consulted a doctor , he did some physical tests on my knee and told me there is no problem and instucted me some knee strenthenig exercises. Over time my knee healed and the pain went away. A month back i did some rigorous exercises and the pain reappeared and i started walking with a limp. This time I got a MRI done. The main findings are-
    ACL tear (Grade 2)
    LCL strain grade 1
    Minimal synovial effusion.
    I am yet to see a doctor.
    what could be my options and would i be able to run again? I would appreciate your advice.

  • Tracy

    My 13 yo daughter tore her Right ACL, she had patella graft sugery Feb. 10th, she has since been going to PT 2/week and is at full extension/range of motion. She is a R handed fastpitch softball pitcher. She has been throwing without using much leg, just upper body. She has just recently started to push of fully. Is it too soon to her to pitch in a game? She has no pain during practice.

  • Christopher

    Is “near complete tear of ACL “can be treated and recover without surgery?,what is “near complete tear”?

  • Sahil Jain

    Hi, can you please help and suggest me the appropriate treatment for an acl tear on my right knee.

    The MRI concluded this :

    ACL is hyperintense and edematous on PD-FS with maintained attachments.

    PCL is edematous and hyperintense on PD-FS with few fibres maintaining continuity.

    Collateral ligaments are normal.

    Marrow contusions/ edema seen along medial patellar facet in patella. Medial patellar retinaculum near insertions show areas of PD-FS hyperintensity.

    Tibio-femoral joint spaces are maintained with intact articular cartilages.

    Fluid is seen in supra and retro patellar bursa extending to the knee joint recesses. Patellar and quadriceps tendon are normal.

    Medial and lateral meniscl is normal.

    Visualised muscles are normal in strength intensity and bulk.

    Rest of Visualised bones are normal in cortical outline and signal intensity.

    Thank you in advance.

  • MJ

    Hello,
    While playing basketball this past week I landed awkwardly and as it turns out, tore my acl with partial tears to the lateral and medial meniscus. Interesting thing is, I had a far more devastating knee injury about 6 years ago where I’m fairly certain I tore my acl. However I never went to a doctor and eventually resumed playing (albeit with some instability).

    My question is, is it possible that the acl has been torn all along and this latest injury was just a residual? Additionally, at this point my knee almost feels “back to normal” yet the doctor says that I should get surgery asap. Is it wise to get it right away or would I be ok waiting for a few months?

    Thanks!

  • rachel t.

    hi
    about 4 weeks i was playing soccer and girl hit me in the shoulder and my leg was in the right position to move so when she hit me my knee cracked and felt like it went the other way. i was able to walk fine right after but when i got home i had lots of pain in the back of my knee but my knee wasnt swollen, the next day about 24 hrs after i got hit it started to swell it was swollen but not rlly badly swollen. when i went to the doctors she said it could possibly be a bone bruise but she doesnt think its the acl. when i went back a week ago i still couldnt straighten my leg all the way and when i bent it all the way i felt like pressure and stiffness around my knee. the fact that i couldnt bend it all the way concerned her so that day i got an mri, when my doctor called about my results she said she THINKS its my acl she wasnt really sure, so i dont know what it could be bc earlier she said it possibly a bone bruise and probably not an acl now she does thinks its my acl well she THINKS not sure. i am going to go to a different doctor for a second opinion but by any chance do u might have an idea what i could be??

  • Jennifer H

    Hi! I’m curious about your thoughts re: prognosis and recovery time. In mid march I was playing sports when teammate rammed into me, injuring my right knee. There is presently minimal pain (isolated to MCL), lingering swelling, stiffness, and reduced range of motion. An MRI showed sprained calf muscle, sprained MCL, cartilage damage, and minor ACL tear. I’m a 40yr old woman prone to joint instability and pain, though not typically in my knees. Thanks!

  • TGold

    I’m a 16 year old girl and I just tore my ACL in the beginning of February and had surgery at the end of February. I want more than anything to return to field hockey in the fall. The season starts in August, but I’m assuming that’s still too soon. If I’ve been going to the gym on my own and doing phyisical therapy twice or three times a week, what’s a reasonable estimate for my return to sports?

  • Hunter Grafton

    I’m two months out of Acl reconstruction which they used a patellar tendon graph. I plan to play college hockey this up coming year. PT is going very well and strengths coming back little by little. What is your thoughts on returning 6 months after the surgery? Do you feel I should wait longer and keep building strength back up? Hockey isn’t as physically demanding as football, so I’m curious on your thoughts on a return timetable. Thank you for your time!

  • Michael

    I just found out that I tore my ACL 2 months ago while playing soccer. I knew I injured my knee when I did it, but I waited…and waited until I knew it wasn’t getting better to bite the bullet and see the orthopedist. I am scheduled to have surgery in 6 weeks.

    My question is whether I am risking further harm/injury to my knee by continuing to play soccer on a torn ACL until surgery. The soccer would be pick-up, much lower intensity, etc.

    Just emailed my orthopedist about this, but I would really appreciate another knowledgeable opinion.

    Best Regards

  • Michael

    Not sure if it matters, but I am:

    27 years old; male; former division 1 collegiate soccer player; no other chronic physical injuries.

  • Michael

    Also, (1) there is no longer any pain or swelling in the injured knee & (2) I can sprint w/o pain although I can tell that my knee is not right.

  • vikas Dahiya

    Hi.
    While playing soccer my left got injured.
    my MRI report say following. I didn’t understood what it ia please help me

    Marrow contusion in lateral femoral and tibial condyles with mild knee joint effusion. Grade 1 sprain of anterior cruciate ligament.
    Thank you.

  • Dora B

    Hi,
    I’m a 29 year old female who have been playing basketball since I was 10 years old.
    I recently played basketball and I was jumping up and hyperextended my right leg and landed akwardly. I immediately felt a pop. I went to the doctor after the game and the doctor suspected a torn acl. I got a MRI and found out I have a torn ACL, sprained medial meniscus and an impaction slight fracture to my posteolateral tibia. I have yet to see a orthopedist yet, but I was wondering what is your opinion on recovery time after knowing all that. This is my first knee injury and I’m reluctant to back playing basketball especially since 2 years ago I tore my labrum and rotator cuff in my right shoulder. Thanks in advance

  • Bernard Daos

    Hi Jim,

    Reading all these juries and your comments are very intriguing and interesting. I really like your response one the various knee injuries. I have a good indication on what to do with my grandson injury. My grandson torn his ACL playing soccer in March. We took him to an Orthopedic Doctor to get advice on what we should do. He explained that at his tender age of 14, he would not recommend surgery at this time because it might impact his growth (growth plate). He is doing find now and is currently running track and cross country (doctor gave him permission to participate in these sports. Just recently we went to Shriner Hospital (children Hospital) to get a second opinion on his knees. They Orthopedic Surgeon gave us two options,
    #1 wait until he is know growing and have a surgery
    #2 or have a youth surgery performed. (not impacting his growth plate)
    My grandson wants to have the surgery and we feel the same way. What do you thing we should do?

    Bernard Da0s

  • Ayan Sarkar

    Respected Sir,
    I met with an accident and according to my MRI result my ACl is completely torn but rest are okay. I underwent 4 weeks of physiotherapy and now I can walk straight up even without a brace but for safety I wear it. The thing is I never felt instability but stiffness in the knee.
    I am not a sports person but an IT professional but I am a recreational athlete. I just did slow pace jogging for about 5kms 5days a week. I just want to know that without a surgery but intense physiotherapy can I walk and do slow pace jogging normally after couple of months.
    Thank you
    Ayan Sarkar

  • Gulshan Ali

    Already i have operated my knee (Patella tendon repair ) and now I fall down again and got following injury please elaborate me is need to surgery or not for now.

    Impression : MRI right knee reveals
    a). Grade II ACL Tar
    b) Grade II Tear of ligamentum patella
    c) Small bony fragment near the inferior pole of patella – ?old fracture – suggest CT correlation
    d) Joint effusion

  • Sheryl

    I had a injury and had MRI I need andvice if I need a surgery.
    Results shows:
    Full thickness ACL tear with acoompanying focal depressed fracture along posteromidical tibial platue . marrow edema is s en in the lateral femoral and tibial condyles..
    2. Popliteal muscles strain with minimal fascial edema.
    3. Minimal infrapatellar subscutaneous edema and Hoffa’s fat pad edema.
    4. Minimal joint effussion..

    Thank you.

  • Bishwa Mohan Pati

    Sir I ve done surgery of acl with miniscous before 2 months and 10 days ago….
    Yesterday I be done MRI…plez sir check the MRI and reply…..plea sir
    As I play for district level cricket.. I m very much worried about my leg
    Reports are
    1-edematous prothesis…no evidence of complete tear
    2-buckling of pcl
    3-minimal joint
    effusion
    Plez sir reply….its my second time i ve done surgery

  • Devansh Yadav

    Sir, what is meaning of acute acl tear?

  • arumugam

    Hi,
    My report:
    MRI RIGHE KNEE JOINT T2 Pb FS, T2, GRE AXIAL 5AGITTAL STIR CORONAL Acute grade II partial tear of anterior cruciate hQgment ot the femora attachment site with ligament laxity Bone marrow contusion & edema seen in posterior aspect of tibial condyles an anterior aspect of lateral femoral condyle Mild contusion seen in the fibular head Sprain of popliteus and soleus muscle with minimal fluid plane Mild joint effusion seen in the intermusculai Multilobulated multiseptated ganglion cyst noted adbacent to the of femoral shaft measuring 53 × 23 cms po sterior aspec The anterior horn, body and posterior horn of both medial and lateral menisci sho normal morphology and MR signal patternNo evidence of tear No free frctgment Seen in the joint The posterior cruciate ligament and the adjacent ligaments of Humphrey and wrisber appear normal The transverse ligament appears normal The medial collateral ligament and the lateral collaterc\l ligament are normal Rest of the bones around the knee joint show normal MR signals in all The QHicular caHilage of potella, femur and tibia appear normal sequence.
    Acute grade 2 partial tear of ACL

    Pls suggest me the solution I don’t want surgery. Can bend my knee during sleeping,sitting. Can I go to my job after one week with knee brace is it safe. Can I walk with knee brace for long distances.
    Pls suggest exercises to grow my teared portion

  • Abu Salek

    Sir,
    I am a 24 years old male, I got injured while playing football,
    Doi: 06/11/2014
    I don’t want to go for operation, so please suggest me something other than surgery.

    MRI Report:

    Mild joint effusion is noted as evidenced by increased area of fluid signal intensities in both the gutters of the suprapatellar bursa and intra-articular joint space.
    ACL is not well visualized while the increased tangential distance between the posterior surfaces of the lateral condyles of the tibia and femur is noted.
    PCL shows increased laxity.
    The bones comprising the knee joint show normal configuration and position.
    The marrow signal is normal with a normal trabecular pattern and normal epiphyseal lines.
    The cartilage covering the patella, femoral condyles and tibial plateau is of normal thickness and has normal signal characteristics.
    The cartilaginous surface is smooth.
    MCL & LCL are intact and of normal signal intensity.
    The soft tissue surrounding the knee joint and adjacent vascular structure are unremarkable.

    Impression:
    Consistent with ACL injury.
    Mild joint effusion.

  • Taimoor Ali

    Hello!

    On 12th November, i twisted my knee and heard a popping sound whle falling. Pain on inside areaof knee which we call ACL but I immidiately move my leg straight and back to thigh all went fine. But few hours later minor swelling on inside knee and joint like little bit going out of place when walking. Did icing but still slight swell. I went to doc he checked and said the it can be good in week or two. No MRI OR XRAY told by him and as I am 20 I play soccer and m a defender and good in speed. I wanna ask what can probably happened to me. Will I be good in future ? Will I able to sprint or my sports comes to an end??? I dont do gym as play football like 3min match after 2 weeks an daily 45min play

  • Leticia

    Hi.
    I tore my acl and meniscus 3 months ago playing soccer, and 2 months ago I had my surgery. I’ve been going to physical therapy everyday. However, I still have no full extension. Why am I taking so long to have full extension? Is that a bad thing? Also, I can bend my knee no further than 110 degrees. Should I be able to bend it more or is that normal?
    Thank you,
    Leticia.

  • atul

    I’m 31 year old while playing football my knee was twisted on 22 oct 2014 when I gone through mri report is
    There is area of altered signal intensity involving lateral femoral condyle s/o bruise .. …
    IT is hyperintense on T2W1 & hyperintense on T1W1
    The ACL show fuzzy outline . pcl is lax but shows normal signal intensity and outline.
    Collateral legaments are normal in outline and signal intensity.
    Both menicas are normal in outline and signal intensity.
    There is joint effussion .
    Surrounding soft tissue are un remarkable.

    Impression
    1 partial acl tear
    2 joint effussion
    3 bone bruise lateral femoral condyle

    Plz suggest me what should I do is surgery needed or heal by rest and exercise

  • Brahma

    Hi..
    I have recently fell down while playing cricket..
    After consulting the doctor, as suggested i have underwent to MRI scan.
    In the report seems there is some partial discontinuity of the ACL tear i.e suggested to Grade-II to Grade-III.
    After consulting the doctor with the results, suggested to undergo Surgery.
    Is it possible to get treated without undergoing surgery as it is partial discontinuity at ACL tear.
    Please suggest…

    Thanks in Advance
    Brahma
    8977132679

  • Jen

    Hi Jim- my daughter is 3 weeks post surgery for a torn ACL and MCL. ACL was reconstructed with her hamstring and MCL was screwed back to her shin bone. The OS also drilled tunnels through her bones and attached anchors and an internal brace to stabilize her knee. Because of the MCL repair she was locked in a brace at 30 degrees for the first 10 days. She is now having a lot of pain and poor range of motion. Still a lot of swelling also. Is this normal? Can’t straighten knee and only at about 50 degrees on bending it. She is a high level soccer player (a junior In high school and being recruited by several D1 colleges). Will she be able to play again at that level after this injury?
    Thanks for any advice!

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Jen,
      Thanks for visiting the site.
      Sorry to hear about your daughters injuries.

      ********
      She is now having a lot of pain and poor range of motion. Still a lot of swelling also. Is this normal?

      — Yes, this is normal. She had a lot of work done in her knee. The body is in healing phase. The body is pumping all of its nutrients to the repaired site. However, the brain doesn’t know any better and will not turn off this response. Which is why it is SO important to be icing 20 minutes on 1 hour off every hour if she is able.
      The surgically repaired site can only absorb so much nutrient. Therefore the area will start to accumulate fluid which then causes a lot of swelling. It will throb and feel very uncomfortable. So you MUST elevate the knee at heart level or above and ICE,ICE,ICE.
      ********

      Can’t straighten knee and only at about 50 degrees on bending it. She is a high level soccer player (a junior In high school and being recruited by several D1 colleges). Will she be able to play again at that level after this injury?

      —- Not being able to straighten out is normal. However, getting swelling under control will help. The fluid (swelling) that is remaining near the repaired site is filling the joint space. It is called joint effusion. Which is one of the reasons she cannot extend or flex more right now. It is important that her therapist or whoever is doing rehab with her focus on getting that knee to full extension sooner rather than later

      —- Yes, in my experience working with high level D1 female soccer athletes. She will be able to return to that level. It will not be easy but I am sure being high level and very competitive she will have no problem putting in the work.

      *******
      My company specializes in working with athletes. We are located just outside of Chicago.
      Our website: http://www.core1inc.com

      If you’d like my help as she is going through this – all you have to do is contact me.

      Good luck and keep me posted.

      Thanks
      Jim

      • Jen

        Jim thank you so much for your prompt reply. Wish we were closer to Chicago!
        Jen

  • Arpit srivastava

    Respected sir…

    my M.R.I. report is showing post-traumatic partial tear of acl and intra-substance tear of lcl . bone marrow edema in distal end femur, minimal synovial effusion. abnormal fluid collections in bursas and partial tear of quadriceps tendon in right knee.

    I dont have any type of pain right now.. now my main problem is that , I m not able to fold my leg ..

    so, is that there is any need of operation? ??

  • lidya

    I got this acl partial injury like 4 months ago.. i already got a surgery at that moment, but i have to start my ballet practice today, what do you think i should do on my first practice in my class?

  • lidya

    my name is lidya, i’m a ballet dancer.. i got this acl injury partial 4 months ago, andi already had a surgery at that moment.. but today is my first practice in my class.. what do you think i should do? cause i don’t feel confidence enough yet..

  • Rahul Jhajhria

    Hey!
    On 24th Jan 2015 during warming up sessions of basketball i tried to dunk and injured my left knee..
    Then I consulted an ortho and had an MRI done…
    The MRI report says that i have:
    1. Trabecular fractures in lateral femoral and tibial condyles with associated marrow contusion edema.
    2. Mild effusion in suprapatellar bursa.
    3. Acute partial tear involving anterior cruciate ligament.
    4. Sprain involving medial collateral ligament.
    My question is that what has happened to my knee? Do i require any surgery? And how much time will it take for me to play basketball again?
    Sir please help me by answering the questions?
    Thanks.

  • Rahul Jhajhria

    Hey!
    On 24th Jan 2015 during warming up sessions of basketball i tried to dunk and injured my left knee..
    Then I consulted an ortho and had an MRI done…
    The MRI report says that i have:
    1. Trabecular fractures in lateral femoral and tibial condyles with associated marrow contusion edema.
    2. Mild effusion in suprapatellar bursa.
    3. Acute partial tear involving anterior cruciate ligament.
    4. Sprain involving medial collateral ligament.
    My question is that what has happened to my knee? Do i require any surgery? And how much time will it take for me to play basketball again?
    Sir please help me by answering the questions?
    Thanks.

  • Matthew

    Hi,

    I am a male 31 years old avid garage league hockey player. I recently partially tore my acl, discovered doing an MRI. No other injuries/tears were found in the knee other then some small bone bruising.

    Within one week of the injury I had full range of motion and almost no pain. I have been doing recomended strengthening and so far have had only 4 instances where I felt my knee “giving” out in the last 5 weeks. When that happened I would feel intense pain. Shake out the knee and then return to what I was doing before with almost no lingering pain.

    I have skated a bunch of times with no pain. I have obviously avoided any contact but I am anxiously looking to return.

    I was wondering what has been your experience with patients who play hockey? Also from what I have been reading my injury is not typical of a “normal” acl tear considering my lack of swelling/pain and having full range of motion.

    Do you believe that with the proper supporting brace I could return to hockey? Also with the nature of my sport and the forces exerted on the knee do you believe surgery should be considered?

    Thanks for taking the time,

    Matthew.

  • Matthew

    I should add that it was diagnosed as a high grade partial acl tear.

  • Hi sir
    M 28 year old my knee acl damage in accident past 6 year know my knee pain
    M don’t operation my knee please suggest me what can I do

    thanks

  • Palak

    I am 19 years old & studying engineering.When I climbed down on stairs,I felt a bit little pain in my left knee & from the one day after my knee is feeling locked & can’t bend it at 90 degree (but upto approx. 70 degree i can bend it.).This was happened in last week.My ortho told me to go for X-ray but it was normal.Then doctors detects from my blood tests & from testing of fluid that the uric acid level is 7.38 & prescribed Ebuxo-80 tablets. My knee is swollen also doctors had doubt for that uric acid is not only the reason behind it so the doctor also suggest to go for MRI.so my MRI report is as below & my ortho advised to no need for surgery just give time to re-heal itself & there is no big issue
    My MRI report:
    ACL is bulky with intrasubstance hyperintense signal within,mainly near the tibial attachment-sprain / partial tear.
    PCL does not show significant tear.
    Instasubstance hyperintense signal seen in the posterior body of medial meniscus-Grade 2 signal.
    Lateral meniscus show no significant full thickness tear.
    The medial & lateral collateral ligaments show no significant tear.
    No evidence of significant tear of patellar tendon seen.
    No significant abnormal marrow signal is seen on visualized femur,tibia or patella.
    No significant avulsion of quadriceps tendons seen.
    Moderate supra patellar effusion is seen.
    Tibio-fibular joint appears unremarkable.
    Flow voids of popliteal vessels are preserved.
    Now,my question is how do it long to recover for my knee? I worried about my exams which will start after one week

  • Johanna Armstrong

    Hi. I recently fell and I twisted my knee inwards doing martial arts and then sat on it sideways. There was bad pain mostly on the outside of my knee at the lateral side along the fibula area. there was no bruising and very slight swelling in the soft area to the left of my kneecap. I had pretty Much full range of movement and have since. I could walk with no limp but pain on lateral movements and Physio and surgeon both said on stability tests that I had not torn ligaments. the MRI found thickening and oedema at the proximal site of the ACL consistent with partial tear and the lower part of the ligament appeared normal and no sign of it being horizontal and chondral damage at the posterolateral corner but no ligament damage there. All other ligaments were fine but there was an area of bone bruising posteriorly on the femur on the lateral side. It is 7 weeks now and indbt really feel and pain anymore and my knee only hurts on lateral movements a bit. In your opinion should i have surgery or should this settle down. I wouldn’t worry if it didn’t do martial arts but pivoting is required. I’m a fit and healthy 49 years old and female. Thank you for your thoughts. Johanna

  • pravin tiwari

    Sir, I have a partial ACL tear and doctors have suggested me that it does not require any operation it will take sometime. I have been waiting since 4 months but nothing is improved much and I want to join jym also please suggest me what should I do to recover my self from that injury.

  • rowhel

    hello sir,
    last 4 months ago fall from tree. i have an injury at my right knee. my mri report says that i have an interstitial tear at acl,mild fracture at tibia and femur and moderate knee effusion. doctor drains blood from my knee and give me a plaster cast for 45 days. after that i feel little good but i can’t put total weight at my knee. i can’t walk freely. it’s that acl problem? is it necessary to surgery my acl ligament? plz give me a suggestion. sorry for my bad english
    rowhel

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Rowhel

      First, thanks for visiting the site.

      Question: doctor drains blood from my knee and give me a plaster cast for 45 days. after that i feel little good but i can’t put total weight at my knee. i can’t walk freely. it’s that acl problem?

      Answer: Rowhel the irritation or soreness you are experiencing from when you put weight through your knee is most likely from the mild fracture of the tibia. That fracture site is most likely still very tender and will take some time to be able to full weight bear. Start by placing a little pressure through it each day and gradually build up your tolerance with weight bearing.

      Question:is it necessary to surgery my acl ligament?

      Answer: At this time I don’t think surgery is needed. I would go through an extensive rehab program with strong emphasis flexibility, strength and balance. Mainly stability and the ability to apply pressure through the joint.
      If after rehabbing your knee for 4-6 weeks and no progress. Then I would return to your doctor and seek an MRI just to make sure there was no further damage to any structures.

      Hope all works out.
      Keep me posted.

      Thanks
      Jim

  • Gese Lee

    Please help me doc. Im 15 years old and i injured my knee during a basketball game. The MRI says that i have a High Grade Partially torn ACL. I can fully extend my leg reaching my stomach. What do i do? Is PRP enough or i need surgery? My doctor says that i need surgery but he also mentioned extensive physical therapy, what are your thoughts? Please reply i need to get back on the court ASAP

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Gese Lee
      First thanks for visiting.
      Second, sorry to hear about your injury.

      Is PRP enough or in need surgery?
      — Partial tears generally do not require surgery. So extensive therapy for 4-8 weeks and see if your knee feels stronger and stable.
      If after therapy your knee feels no different then YES surgery may be required.

      So- my opinion is go through an intensive strength training program with emphasis on your knee and see if you feel stable enough to play basketball without any deficits.
      If you still feel weak or unstable then I would consider your doctors recommendation for having your ACL repaired.

      If you do not have access or do not want to go to someone to get your leg stronger. Email me or reply back to me here in this post.
      My team and I can custom design an 8 week strength training program to try and get you as strong as possible. The program would be video taped and you can watch and perform on your own.

      Our custom program does come with a fee.

      If you’re interested just let me know.

      Good luck and keep me posted

      Jim

  • Michael

    Hi Jim,
    I have recently torn my Acl, while wrestling. With this, I am scheduled for surgery. Is it possible for me to recover completely and return to playing sports. I understand that recovery will be 8 months to a year. If I train properly in physical therapy, is it possible for me to return playing sports and other physical activities?

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Michael,
      First thanks for visiting the site.
      second, I apologize for delay in response.

      I have been overwhelmed with questions and inquiries here on the website.

      So- regarding your torn ACL surgery.

      Q: If I train properly in physical therapy, is it possible for me to return playing sports and other physical activities?

      A: YES sir. Actually with an aggressive rehab protocol without having setbacks I could see you getting back sooner.

      If you need any help or guidance or flat simply need a better rehab protocol in regards to your rehab.
      Just reply back to me here and I will be more than happy to help you out.

      Good luck and hit me back letting me know how surgery went and how your rehab has been so far.

      Thanks
      Jim

  • malay parmar

    what is the solution for hyperintesity involving posterior horn of medial meniscus interstitial acl injury & para ligament cyst probably gaglion along medial surface of pcl with intact fibers?
    How much time it takes??
    I get some medicines & an injection on my knee..i dont know which injection was that!! Bcz they didnt provide me any detail.& i face this problemm from last one month..it is very hard to bear it…please describe me with proper exercise and everything…and one more thing one more pain is in one vain from knee to bum nearest point of weist back side…please…

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Malay,

      Thanks for visiting.

      You are looking at 4-6 weeks after surgery.
      I would consult your doctor and see of surgery or rehab is best for you.

      Good luck
      Jim

  • Braj

    MRI finding Partial Acl Tear (ACL Intact)

    1. Details of how and when this injury happened.
    Ans:- Normally I am Playing Badminton on weekend for last 1 year .On Dec 2015 while Playing the game , I twisted My knee foe few sec I feel My knee cap dislocated and come back in 2 sec , i feel pain for few minute but gradually decreased,Not much Swelling after the injury, i was able to walk after injury and take rest for 6-7 days .i was able to do all my daily activity in those period as well , i had litil pain on outside of knee area, After injury i didn’t play any games or running i am low on confidant.

    2. At present, can you straighten or bend the knee completely?
    Ans- Yes i can straighten and bend My knee , My ROM is good i don’t find any different from other my knee.
    3. Is your knee swollen?
    Ans- Now i don’t think so, but may be litil bit
    4. Can you walk freely?
    Ans – Yes
    5. What treatment (including physiotherapy) has been taken so far?
    Ans – I visited Multiple Doctor , doc tested Lacman And pivot shift test which both come negative ,with litil laxity on both legs. i was doing Knee Strength exercise at home with help of Resistance band and no impact exercise but not regularly.
    i am doing one time 5-10 massage with mayovedic oil.

    7. Concern :- I am worried about the itchy pain on outer side of knee with some warm sensation coming, pain is not severe but still don’t know why may be bone bruise, And My hip making pop sound but no pain when i extent my legs and i had previously multiple ankle sprain with same leg which now a days paining .

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Braj
      Wow thanks for the detailed answers. Really helps.

      Q: Concern :- I am worried about the itchy pain on outer side of knee with some warm sensation coming, pain is not severe but still don’t know why may be bone bruise, And My hip making pop sound but no pain when i extent my legs and i had previously multiple ankle sprain with same leg which now a days paining .

      Itchy pain and warm sensation is common. It is the the lateral compartment and what your are experiencing is normal healing process.
      Hip making a “pop” sound is from having a tight hip flexor. Add some stretching of your hip flexors and rotators and the pop noise should go away.

      Good luck and keep me posted.

      Thanks
      Jim

  • Danial

    hello docter , I am from Pakistan .. i play soccer for the city club .. i once have a knee pain by slight twisting during the game in last april .. i was not aware of any ligament injury or anything like this . after a bit of rest i started playing again and have the proper knee injury by twisting the knee .. in MRI report it was mentioned that i have fully torn/rupture ACL .. but i can climb staris .. i have no swelling.. i have done a track .. my surgeon said to me this report is wrong he checked me clinically, but i cannot run now , i cannot play soccer .. i dont know what to do .. help me plzzzz

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Danial,
      First thanks for visiting.
      Second for the record I am not a doctor.

      Just a rehab professional and strength & conditioning specialist looking to help people with ACL questions.

      Well your case in interesting.
      MRI are not always 100% correct but they are pretty darn close.
      However, there are reports that can be wrong. I would request another MRI only because your doctor is disputing the results.

      In the end if your doctor clears you to play or participate in sports and you have no pain or difficulties – then have it.

      I wish you luck and keep me posted.

      Thanks
      Jim

  • Jamila McBride

    Hello I am trying to currently make one of the biggest decisions of my career. I wrestled for 9 years and tore my acl and mcl. Acl was a complete rupture mcl was a grade two. I had surgery to repair in 2012 and used my own hamstring to do so. I joined a semi pro womens football team and have only been playing around 3 months and have now torn completely my acl and my meniscus. My meniscus looks like they can stich it and not have to remove it. My ortho doctor advised me that he recommends surgery to repair my acl but I have full range of motion right now and am able to walk with no pain. I do have minor instability with full extension but other than that feel okay. He told me its my decision if I want to try and play now and have surgery at seasons end or give this season up and have surgery now. For an athlete this was the worse thing for me to hear. Now I cannot decide if I should keep playing and wait for surgery. I know there are risk for further damage but what kinds of things could I do that would make what has already happened worse than it already is? Would wearing a brace and continue to play help. I just want to make the right decision to play long term but I also want to play right now. I appreciate any thoughts in advance

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Jamila
      Thanks for visiting.

      What further damage could occur?
      Many things such as meniscus or other structures.

      I think if you wear an appropriate ACL brace you could possibly get by for some time.
      That timeframe is uncertain.
      Just keep up with your training making sure your knee is as string and stable as possible.

      Good luck
      Jim

  • Dear Jim

    I am Arka, 20 years old.I had an injury in my knee a month back while jumping from a high wall. At the time of landing my right knee twisted and there was a pop sound. After that i was not able to stand and my knee continuosly gave away while walking , I rested for a while there and after about an hour was able to walk( with a straigtened leg) .

    I consulted a doctor and MRI was done the following is the report:

    1. Partial tear in the ACL and mild buckling of PCL.

    2. Grade I- II tear of posterior horn of medial meniscus

    3.Mild intra-articular and peri-articular effusion.

    4.Mild diffuse oedema of the periarticular subcutaneous tissues.

    I want to know whether its required to undergo a surgery or normal rehabs wil cure it. If yes please suggest me some exercises.

    I had my leg plastered for 3 weeks and now i am using a knee brace to walk.As of now, I can walk without the braces as well but i just want to confirm whether it will not elevate the injury and put me into trouble.

    I do play sports like badminton and basketball and want my knee to be back to normal.

    Regards
    Arkaprava

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Arka

      Its 50/50 regarding surgery for a partial tear.

      Some can get by and be fine and some cannot.

      Bracing or casting will help scar formation however your leg will become weak for lack of use.

      Maintaining strength, balance and stability in your knee you could get by without surgery.

      It will be challenging and may ultimately require surgery.

      Good luck and keep me posted

      Jim

  • Hadeth

    Hi Jim, thanks for this article! I torn my ACL and partially tore my MCL in September and had ACL reconstruction on March 3rd 2016. At the 4 week mark i was doing so well, i was walking around with no crutch and everything. Now I’m at the 6 weeks mark and its so bad, I cant walk without a crutch and the Zimmer splint, i cant do wall squats cause i feel this pain in the middle of my knee. My pt doesnt seem to be taking my worries seriously, cause i tell her this every week! I don’t know Im just scared cause i was doing so well, I haven’t lost extension and i have about 125 degrees flexion. I’m so scared that i retore it or worse the surgery failed :( whats worse was that i fee i could have lived without ACL surgery cause i was walking fine by 3 weeks after the initial injury that the doctors thought there was no way i had no ACL.

    Is it bad that my recovery has hit a “wall” and is regressing??

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Hadeth
      Sorry this delayed reply finds you now.
      I have had an overwhelming amount of people needing my help.
      Which is great.
      We are working on a better method.

      So I have a few questions:
      What type of surgery did you have? (meaning did they use your patella, hamstring or cadaver?)

      Did you sustain any type of mishap or injury?

      Yes sometimes people do hit a wall. That is when having a good experienced therapist or trainer can be very beneficial.

      We are diligently working on programs that someone like you can get here on acl injury pro and my team and I can help you every step of the way with rehab.

      If it was me I would encourage your doctor to order an MRI to see if anything is compromised.

      Keep me posted and good luck

      Thanks
      Jim

  • kartheik

    Hi Sir,
    This is Kartheik from Chile.
    I got my acl and meniscus surgery both in March 28th as doctor told while drilling bone they got some crack on my knee so they changed angle and fixed scroo. After 6 weeks I started bending my knee but today my knee got dislocated again while walking still I warned hinged knee cap.
    I just started bending knee only 3 days .
    This is 7th week from surgery… I Request to advise my situation.
    Thank in advance.

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Kartheik.

      Your situation is very complex. Its tough for me to advise without seeing and working on your knee.
      There really is not a protocol to follow. Your rehab will have to be slow, steady and based off how you feel and your knee reacts to different exercises.
      My advise is take one day at a time. Listen to your therapist and work hard to get your strength and stability back.

      Good luck and keep me posted

      Jim

  • Thomas

    Hi,

    I was hoping for some tips/advice on my knee injury.
    I tore my lcl off the bone which they reattached and tore my acl completely which they grafted together with my hamstring tendon.
    The surgeon said it went as well as hoped and the cartilage, meniscus etc were good so no other damage. Will it be a standard acl rehab time as lcl was reattached or longer?
    I can walk a bit without crutches now and my flexion is getting better doing exercises everyday till i see the pyhsio. How long till i can run, or use the gym properly?
    And how long till i’m playing football again? Or at least be training?
    My surgery was 11 days ago and i was very active before and heal quick but i know it’ll take time, which is hard but i’m determined to rehab hard and get back asap. Thanks.

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Thomas

      Rehab time most of the time it is longer. However different surgeons have protocols in place that they would like followed. So some may be more aggressive and some more conservative.

      How long before you can run? Usually rule of thumb is at the 12 week mark. However there are many factor that could come in to play that you could do earlier. Flexibility, strength, stability and most importantly your Doctor’s approval.

      Hopefully you’re kicking some rehab behind and getting after it in the gym.

      Keep me posted
      Thanks
      Jim

      • Raison

        I had an accident on my right knee while playing football.
        my MRI scan report shows Anterior meniscus horn tear and suggestive partial Acl thickness tear
        so I need to know it’s medical treatment

  • Katie Leyden

    Hi,

    I’m a 26 year old female netball player and about a week ago I tore my ACL. My symptoms are swelling, pain, instability, unable to straighten or contort my leg and am using crutches but can’t walk without limping. MRI diagnosing confirms the following injuries:
    – acute full thickness mid substance rupture of ACL
    – large ruptured bakers cyst
    – LCL sprain grade 2
    I have an appointment next week with an otheopedic surgeon to determine treatment.
    Just wondering a few things.
    1. I will need surgery to reconstruct my ACL correct?
    2. If so, how would my Tendon to be grafted be selected?
    3. How long until I could return to running?
    4. How long until I would be able to return to playing competition sport?
    5. Given I need surgery, how long until I would be admitted to hospital?

    Thanks! Katie

  • jobin james

    Hi sir, i hav suffered an acl sprain with normal r.o.m which i endured for 1 month. When the pain was continuous, i consulted an orthopedic who did a lachman test after which i suffered immense mobile pain in my leg. M.r.i showrd diffuse edema in a.c.l with normal surrounding structures. Past 1 and half month i was on rest hence healed upto 90%. I can walk with a limp. But i want to know is when will i get complete previous r.o.m. and why is just a sprain causing such big problem for a this long time?

  • Viren Patel

    Hi ,
    I am 16yrs old ,I was injured while playing football 5 months ago since then I have problem in running & bend my knee
    My MRI reports:
    1st MRI was scan was done after 1 month of injury
    dated :25/03/2016
    1.Complete tear of mid portion of anterior cruciate ligament.
    2.Mild joint effusion
    3.Marrow edema in the later femoral & tibial condyles.
    After going through the report the doctor suggested me to undergo surgery but I thought of taking 2nd opinion of another Doctor.
    As I took my my second opinion Doctor told me go through 2nd MRI scan
    2nd MRI dated:13/04/2016
    MRI of the right knee joint was performed using T1 and T2 weighte sequences in multiple planes using a surface coil and small FOV.
    1.The alignment of the knee joint is normal.The joint is well preserved and the articular margins are smooth.No obvious bony erosion or destruction is seen
    2.The articular cartilage is uniform in thickness and shows normal signal intensity.
    3.There is T2 hyperintensity with fraying of fibres near femoral attachment of anterior cruciate ligament suggestive of high grade partial tear .The posterior cruciate as well as the collateral ligaments appear normal.
    4.The medial and lateral menisci are normal.
    5.Visualized bones reveal normal signal intensity without any focal lesion.
    6.No effusion detected.
    7.The patellar and quadriceps tendons are normal.Other tendons around the knee joint are normal.
    8.The muscles around the knee joint and the intermuscular planes are normal. There is no abnormal soft tissue component or fluid collection. The neurovascular bundles are intact.
    Impression:
    1.MR scan reveals,high trade partial tear of anterior cruciate ligament near its femoral attachment.
    2.As compared to previous MRI dated 25/03/2016, marrow edema in tibia and lateral femoral condyle and joint effusion have significantly resolved.

    By going through my second MRI doctor said that surgery is not required and you should rest for a month and do exercises suggested by physiotherapist and may visit Doctor a month later .
    And gave me medicines.
    1.Celin 500MG TAB
    2.Instrel TAB
    3.PAN 40MG TAB
    4.Phlogam TAB
    5.Pirox 0.5% gel
    After a month I made a visit to the doctor but the problem was not solved he adviced me to do 3rd MRI
    3 rd MRI dated:11/06/2016
    Report
    1.The alignment of the knee joint is well preserved and the articular margins are smooth. No obvious bony erosion or destruction is seen.
    2.The articular cartilage is uniform in thickness and shows normal signal intensity.
    3.There is moderate to marked attenuation of the anterior cruciate ligament near its femoral attachment.The posterior cruciate as well as the collateral ligaments appear normal.
    4.Subtle marrow edema is seen in the posterior lateral tibial plateau. Other visualized bones reveal normal signal intensity without any focal lesion.
    5. No effusion is detected.
    6. The medial and lateral menisci are normal.
    7. The patellar and quadriceps tendons are normal. Other tendons around the knee joint are normal.
    8.The muscles around the knee joint and the intermuscular planes are normal. The neurovascular bundles are intact.
    IMPRESSION:
    1. Poorly remodeled high grade anterior cruciate ligament injury near its femoral attachment. Please correlate clinically for insufficiency.
    2. Subtle marrow edema in the posterior lateral tibial plateau, suggestive of resolving marrow contusion.
    Comparison has been made with previous MRI dated 13/04/2016, there is further resolution of marrow contusions and partial healing of anterior cruciate ligament tear.

    By seeing these report doctor doctor told me to rest more and do regular exercises and the physiotherapist told me not to run atleat for 9 months from today.
    So please suggest me for faster ways to recover as I am a footballer . It’s a start of my career and I have not played for more than 4 months and I am very desperate to play it. So please suggest me something good.

  • Shaelyn Kelley

    I hurt my right knee doing parkour. I jumped off a an eleven foot high wall and landed wrong. I went to the orthopedic doctor and he said my ACL was drooping and it was halfway torn and i had bone fragments floating around and bruises on my femur and tibia. i’ve been injured for nine months now and i still feel pain. I’ve done a month of physical therapy and i wear a brace sometimes, but i still feel pain. Anything i can do to help? How long do you think i’ll feel pain?

  • kazem

    Hi this is my MRI Report
    please more Explain to me Is there a problem and Should I Be Concerned?
    can i back to sport ?

    please ansewer …

    Right Knee Joint MRI:

    Medial and lateral menisci have normal shape and signal intensities.

    There is subtle increased T2W & TRIM SI of ACL suspicious for sprain.

    PCL , MCL , LCL and patellar tendon appear normal.

    Visualized bones and muscles have normal signal intensities.

    There is extra-articular edema and moderate knee joint effusion

  • Laura

    Hello, I stumbled along your blog while trying to do as much research as I can after finding out that I have sustained an ACL tear in my right knee. I injured my leg at the end of February while training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I was fighting from my knees with my right foot planted and right knee bent. My training partner dove into me with her knee making contact with my shin. With my shin taking the brunt, a hematoma developed immediately growing to the size of a softball on the upper inside of my shin. The pain was exruciating. The fact that my leg swelled so quickly and so much, I went to the ER thinking that my shin was broken. While in the waiting room, I noticed that there was a lot of pain in my knee, but I attributed that to pain radiating from the now grapefruit sized bump on my shin. X-rays were negative and I was advised to ice and elevate. Two weeks later the hematoma was drained and subsequently developed an infection. I took about a month off from training to allow the injury to heal. During this time, there was still some pain in the knee and it appeared to be unstable at times and would also catch. I went in to my primary and she referred me to physical therapy.

    I got into see the therapist at the beginning of June. She assesed the knee and it tested positive for a meniscus tear. While manipulating the knee, it would catch, pop and there was audible crepitus. At this time, she said I needed an MRI, recommended a surgeon and gave me home exercises to do, since she was very confident that surgery would be in my future. Two weeks later I had the MRI.

    My primary called on a Saturday morning to give me the results of the MRI and started the conversation with, “Your knee is messed up.” The MRI findings were as follows:

    1. Findings consistent with a moderate to severe partial-thickness tear involving the Proximal ACL.
    2. There is osteophyte formation projecting off the medial and lateral knee compartments.
    3. Moderate-sized knee effusion
    4. Meniscal tear in the medial and lateral posterior horn possible, but not definite
    5. 5mm loose body withing the aterior aspect of the medial knee compartment.
    6. There is a mild parthial-thickness tear involving the LCL at its attachment site onto the fibular head
    7. There is edema within the subcutaneous fat anterior to the patella and patellar tendon, consistent with the seuela of prior direct trauma to this area
    8. Findings consistent with a 5mm ganglion syst posterior to the lateral tibial plateau at the level of the fibular head.
    9. There is a 1.5cm Baker’s cyst without evidence of rupture and a 5mm loose body is seen withing the Baker’s cyst.

    This was a shock to me as I expected the MRI to come back showing cartilage damage, but I certainly didn’t expect anything about ligament tears. I am not a gym rat by any means, nor do I train for MMA fighting. I train in Jiu Jitsu simply for myself and I enjoy every minute of it. I have competed and planned on competing in the future (I was supposed to this coming November, but guessing that is out of the question). I have an office job and I am a mom to a very active soon to be 13 year old that is super competetive in Jiu Jitsu and we travel for tournaments. What are the chances that I could forgo surgery, brace it up and go on training and chasing my son from tournament to tournament?

    If surgery is inevitable, would it just be an ACL reconstruction with cartilage clean up, or would they likely address the LCL as well? Would that also extend/change the rehab protocol?

    Any help would be appreciated

  • sachin roy k

    Impression
    Mild joint effusion.
    Anterior cruciate ligament appears mildy bulky andhyperintense.However the fibers appears to be intact-likely suggestive of strain.
    Mild hyperintensesity in lateral femoral and tibial condyles-suggestive of edema.
    These are my MRI reports impressions.l want to play footbal,cricket etc can you suggest way to over come this problem or exersices,will it heal?

  • sachin roy k

    I want to be back on ground again I’m a college student.

  • Sushant kumar

    Hi jim,
    I had ACL tear and willing to take suggestions from your end as 70% of Dr are suggesting me to go for surgery and few are telling to have exercise , thats why i need your help regarding the same.

    I got injured while my bike sliped and i feel twist jurk at my left knee on 22nd may 2016.

    My MRI report says .
    * PD fat sat intra substance hyper intense signal in ACL with maintained continuity of ligament. No bony avulsion..
    * moderate left knee joint effusion .
    * medial and lateral meniscus normal in configuration and signal intensity .no tear
    * neurovascular bundle around left knee joint intact.
    * no sizeable intra articular loose body.

    Right know how i feel.
    I am able to walk slowly.
    I am doing exercise with concern of my physio from last 40 days and feeling much better.
    There is no swelling.

    Unable to walk fast.
    Unable to put any load on my knee.

    Now i want to know that is it possibe to overcome with exercise or i have to go for surgery.

    Thanks.

  • abrar

    i undergone will ACL surgery before 6 months and recently will doing the physiotherapy i felt some thing went wrong and when i met my doctor he suggested me for MRI

    After seeing the MRI report my doctor told every thing is fine need to take rest for 10 day and suggested me for physiotherapy

    Report as follows

    1)the reconstructed ACL appears bulky and streakily/ amorphously increased intrasubstance signals without evidence of ligamentization at the time of imaging its proximal end appears acutely angled into the femoral prosthetic tunnel.

    Notings

    Pratial sisruption of the hoffa’s fat pad

    Significant effusion is noted into the joint capsule.

    • Jim Wnek

      Hello Abrar

      I would take the advice of your doctor.

      Rest and then resume physical therapy.
      Your focus and emphasis should be on ROm, strength and function.

      Good luck
      Jim

  • Natasha

    Hi Jim, I injured my knee while playing field hockey and took a months rest and went back to playing as I thought it was just a sprain..I injured it again after 2 weeks of normal play..then I took rest for another 2 weeks and went back to playing and played normally for a month along with a squat and lunge challenge which required me to do 200 up squats and lunges daily..I made sure I wore a hinged brace while playing..unfortunately I didn’t wear the brace for a particular match and I injured it again for the third time..after this I went to the phsyiotherapist and he suggested that I wait for a week and do the RICE treatment..after a week I went back and all the swelling was gone..he said that I have a partial acl tear and also meniscus sprain..he said I require almost 4-5 months to get back to playing..he’s been giving me heat therapy now for almost 2 and a half months along with strengthening exercises…I feel fine and can do most exercises such as squats without any pain…do you think my injury will reoccure? Also how long will it take for me to get back to playing? And if I continue my previous workout now for as many as 200 above squats and lunges in a day will it cause hindrance to my recovery?

    • Jim Wnek

      Hello Natasha

      First are you 100% positive you only have a partial acl tear and meniscus sprain?
      Without an MRI it is very difficult to diagnose.

      So without having imaging of the knee it would be tough for me to give advice to your questions.

      Good luck
      Jim

  • Hi.. In December, 2016, I was injured by a player while playing football in school. But I didn’t mind that one and kept playing and when i tried to shoot the ball I fell down, this happened three times and after that i was carried by my friend I had a swelling in my knee. After someday I was able to walk and when I tried to continue my sports I injured myself again and again after sometime i would likely to heal and again getting injured in the same time. Firstly my physician said it was nothing but a effusion and i just have to strengthen my thigh bone so he advice some exercises and swimming and I did. And it helped a lot but soon while trying to continue football I again injured my self on August, 2016 so this time he said to have an MRI as there’s a possibility of an ACL tear so the reports said…
    – Lateral Meniscus partial tear.
    -Partial ACL tear
    -Medial Meniscus partial tear

    do i need surgery or some strength training will be enough? And how long would it take to heal on its own?

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Jack

      Well this is a tough question.

      I am not sure how old you are.
      If you are young and want to play sports and the tears are substantial then YES to surgery.
      Rehab after will get you back close to 100%.

      To heal on its own. Not sure. Depends on so many factors.
      you’ll need to be performing a very intense strengthening program and then after only time will tell.

      But surgery may be your best option.

      Good luck
      Jim

  • Nihal Pai

    How much time is required to heal a partial acl tear so that i can start my rehab exercises?

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Nihal

      For a partial tear to heal. It really varies.

      Some take shorter then others.

      I would say a good 6-8 weeks but a lot depends. How much of a tear, how much stress are you putting on your knee, are you diabetic, are you a smoker.
      So cannot give you a clear answer.

      Good luck
      Jim

  • Nihal Pai

    I incurred a partial ACL tear in my right knee while I was playing football.
    How long will the ligament take to heal/recover so that I can start my rehabilitation and strengthening exercises? Will I be able to play football in my life again?

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Nihal

      How long will the ligament take to heal/recover so that I can start my rehabilitation and strengthening exercises?
      —- Not sure. Depends on how much of a tear.

      Will I be able to play football in my life again?
      —– OF course. As long as the knee is stable and can handle the stress and physical demands of football.

      Good luck
      Jim

  • Nihal Pai

    I incurred a partial ACL tear in my right knee while I was playing football. My doctor has prescribed me to wear a hinged knee cap to support my knee. How long will the ligament take to heal/recover so that I can start my rehabilitation and strengthening exercises? Will I be able to play football in my life again?

  • Antony

    Hi ,

    I have twisted my knee while playing football on 13-05-2106. At that moment i had feeled extreme pain o knee for 10-15 minutes . After then its gone . I hav applied Ice for first 2 hours after injury .
    Doctor said me to rest for 3 months (with physiotherapy)..But i did only 2 weeks .
    After 2 months i strtd playing . From then Its hearing POP SOUNDS from knee continuosly when i bend knee .
    What should i do ? Do i require any surgery ?

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Antony

      From then Its hearing POP SOUNDS from knee continuously when i bend knee .
      What should i do ?
      —- Go back to the doctor. Get formal x-rays and an MRI

      Do i require any surgery ?
      —–Depends on if anything is damaged in your knee.

      Good luck
      Jim

  • Matt

    Hey Jim, great article. I have been playing soccer semi professionally since May. About a month in I started feeling a slight ache that gradually worsened the more I played on it. I had an MRI done after approximately 2 months of this ache and was diagnosed with a partially torn ACL (all else normal). This seemed strange to me as I couldnt recall any acute incidents of twisting or popping. It just began with a slight ache. I can reproduce the pain by raising my heal against resistance (or sprinting). There is no instability. My sports injury specialist said my symptoms were very atypical. Does this sound like a partial ACL tear to you? How long would recovery take? Thanks!

    • Jim Wnek

      Hey Matt

      Sorry to hear about your injury.
      As I said in my previous response.
      I am truly sorry for this delay in getting back to you.

      We get a lot of inquiries per day.

      So to answer your questions

      Does this sound like a partial ACL tear to you?
      — YES

      How long would recovery take?
      —- Not sure. Have you been going through rehab? With intense and sport specific functional training/rehab you can get back close to 100%. Assuming you don;t experience any setbacks or irritation.

      Good luck
      Jim

  • Abhishek Bansal

    Hi
    I am a badminton player and i am injured in my right knee
    MRI report : 1) moderate knee efussion
    2) marrow contusion in posterior aspect of tibial plateaus and lateral femoral condyle
    3) all complete tear at femoral attachment
    4) small grade 3 tear in posterior body of medial me

    How much time i will take to recover ?
    Thanx

  • Abhishek Bansal

    Hi
    I am badminton player and injured in right knee
    MRI : 1) moderate knee joint effusion
    2) acl complete tear at femoral attachment
    3)small grade 3 tear in posterior body of medial meniscus
    4)marrow contusions in the posterior aspect of tibial plateaus and lateral femoral condyle
    How much time I will take to recover?

    • Abhishek Bansal

      And do I need surgery??

  • Abhishek Bansal

    I was injured 2 months ago…doctor told me to rest and gave me knee immobilizer..

  • Mohammed

    I injured my left knee while playing football. The MRI findings are as follows:

    A Focal tear is seen in the anterior cruciate ligament near its femoral attachment.
    Focal contusion in the lateral femoral condyle.
    Mild to Moderate joint effusion.

    How will this take for me to completely recover? I am just 17 years old.

  • hello..doc.

    i’m rijul.i had a partial acl tear on sep 2 this year, while playing football..i usually play around 4 games in week.i shoot the ball..my friend blocked and soon..i felt pain on my right kNee.i was not able to walk.. but there were no swelling. then I consulted two doctors. but I was not satisfied.becoz they havnt taken me seriously.. then I found another doctor. he consulted me very well. and said it’s a partial tear. no problem on X Ray. and he sent me to a physiotherapist. initially he said there is no injury at all.no exercise were there .program was only with teens machine,ultrasound.but i felt like areas of pain is changing..on 7 th day i felt pain on my back leg…what should. i do..iwant to return to football..as soon as possible..and i have some questions.
    1)how long i will take to cure this injury?
    2)will it happen again?
    3)what all i dont do with my injured leg during the injury period?
    4)afterr covering all injury how long i should wait to play again?
    hope you will help..me with enough information soon..

  • My son is 14 he had an MRI and showed ACL tear with a muniscus slight tear. He hurt during practicing football, there was no swelling he never heard a pop or a tear sound. He was able to bear full weight with in a week after rest ice and had a strengthening program from the school trainer. We went to a sports ortho only because he said he felt his knee was loose. She suggested surgery he loves baseball what are the odds if any to start baseball in march we are now in October and his surgery is November 10?

  • Aamer

    Hi,
    My name is Aamer
    I recently had a knee injury while playing football. The MRI reports us as below :-
    •Grade II sprain of lateral collateral ligament.
    •Marrow edema with underlying contusion noted in lateral femoral and tibial condyles.
    •Grade II signals are noted in the posterior horn of medical meniscus.
    •ACL is bulky and shows heterogeneous signals in the body, s/o intra substance tear with mucoid degeneration
    •Mild patella femoral join effusion with extension in the supra patellar recess.

    Can you please advise

  • Kimberley

    Hi there, I was injured when a friend tripped on my leg, 10 months ago, and doctors were very vague when the told me it was a ‘soft tissue injury,’ which honestly was a load of jargon seeing as it wasn’t explained to me at all. 5 months into my injury I had an MRI and they finally told me that a small percentage (which I was not given) of the fibers in my ACL were damaged. I’m only 13 and considering that my injury wasn’t that severe, according to the doctors (I was only in a splint for 2 weeks), I should be healed by now. I’ve had physio on and off since then and have been given a range of exercises. I don’t know how much is overdoing it and whether it is safe for me to go back to ballet. (I’m quite serious). I also enjoy basketball, netball and handball but I don’t know whether it is safe for me to do so. All my teachers and friends are starting to think that I’m faking and I’ve been discharged from the hospital. How can I speed this process up and could there be any underlying problems, even though the MRI said there wasn’t???

    Thank you

  • Sabeet

    Hi Sir,

    I’ve recently (1.5 months back) injured my knee playing basketball. I have a partially torn ACL with a Grade 1 Tear of the lateral horn of the Medial Meniscus. Been resting, with some games of squash infrequently and although I can straighten my knee and play/run now, I still feel some pain whenever I do play/run.

    Any advice would be highly appreciated!

  • shivam

    hi. i had an ACL tear on my right knee 5 months ago, i had a surgery done 3 months ago, so when do u recomend me to start sports? i usually play volleyball, football and badminton mostly. i can now put weight on my knee and also bend it fully plus i also feel confident walking.

  • shivam

    hi. i had an ACL tear on my right knee 5 months ago, i had a surgery done 3 months ago, so when do u recommend me to start sports? i usually play volleyball, football and badminton mostly. i can now put weight on my knee and also bend it fully plus i also feel confident walking.

  • Amitesh Mishra

    Hi Jim,
    I really loved your article.

    I met with a Right Knee injury (in June 2016). One of my friend hit me really hard on my right knee from front while I was standing (my legs straight), it was very painful but i thought it will go away in couple of days but I noticed little swelling in my knee and some pain. I had to keep pillow below my knee to avoid pain, as it was very painfull sometimes.
    But I thought it will be fine but it didn’t.

    I showed to a doc (knee surgan) and he said it ll get normal. And after a month i went for treckking, playes football one day, started running, climbing stairs sometimes, little pain was there but my knee was functioning properly; but pain never went completely.

    Suddenly 15 days back (November 2016- After 6 Months) my knee experienced a lot of pain and i was not able to walk properly, my knee was jammed.
    I went to the same doc and he asked me to do MRI. This is what my MRI report says-
    The articular cartilage is uniform in thickness and shows normal signal intensity. No infusion dedected.
    The patella is high riding in position with Insall- salvati ratio being 1.3-borderline patella alta.

    The medial patellar retinaculum appears to be thinned out as compared to the lateral component.
    The pateller tendon is normal.
    The medial and leteral menisci are normal.

    There is chronic Grade 1 sprain of anterior cruciate ligament without any significant tear.
    The posterior cruciate and collateral ligaments appear normal.
    The muscles and tendons around knee joint appear normal.
    There is no abnormal tissue component or fluid collection.
    The neurovascular are intact.

    After this report the doc asked me to take physiotherapy and asked me to meet him after 10 days and give feedback.
    After 10 days my pain was comparatively less but i was not able to completely bend or straight my knee. I visited the doc amd he applied the tape on my knee and asked me to continue the physiotherapy exercise and said that if it doesn’t gets well or improves in 10 more days then I have to think about the surgery.

    I really do not want to go through surgery.
    Do you think observing my MRI reports and my history that surgery is required.
    Or should i visit some other knee doc.

    Kindly suggest.

  • Amitesh Mishra

    Hi Jim,
    I really loved your article.

    I met with a Right Knee injury (in June 2016). One of my friend hit me really hard on my right knee from front while I was standing (my legs straight), it was very painful but i thought it will go away in couple of days but I noticed little swelling in my knee and some pain. I had to keep pillow below my knee to avoid pain, as it was very painfull sometimes.
    But I thought it will be fine but it didn’t.

    I showed to a doc (knee surgan) and he said it ll get normal. And after a month i went for treckking, playes football one day, started running, climbing stairs sometimes, little pain was there but my knee was functioning properly; but pain never went completely.

    Suddenly 15 days back (November 2016- After 6 Months) my knee experienced a lot of pain and i was not able to walk properly, my knee was jammed.
    I went to the same doc and he asked me to do MRI. This is what my MRI report says-
    The articular cartilage is uniform in thickness and shows normal signal intensity. No infusion dedected.
    The patella is high riding in position with Insall- salvati ratio being 1.3-borderline patella alta.

    The medial patellar retinaculum appears to be thinned out as compared to the lateral component.
    The pateller tendon is normal.
    The medial and leteral menisci are normal.

    There is chronic Grade 1 sprain of anterior cruciate ligament without any significant tear.
    The posterior cruciate and collateral ligaments appear normal.
    The muscles and tendons around knee joint appear normal.
    There is no abnormal tissue component or fluid collection.
    The neurovascular are intact.

    After this report the doc asked me to take physiotherapy and asked me to meet him after 10 days and give feedback.
    After 10 days my pain was comparatively less but i was not able to completely bend or straight my knee. I visited the doc amd he applied the tape on my knee and asked me to continue the physiotherapy exercise and said that if it doesn’t gets well or improves in 10 more days then I have to think about the surgery.

    I really do not want to go through surgery. Its only been 10 days in physiotherapy.
    Do you think observing my MRI reports and my history that surgery is required.
    Or should i visit some other knee doc.

    How much time it will take me to get back normal as i am facing problem in walking properly, now i am not doing sports activity aswell.

    Kindly Assist.

    • Amitesh Mishra

      I forgot to mention my age is 28 years.

  • KIMATHI CHRISTOPHER

    Hello Sir,
    Am a football player,26 years old and am on my sixth month of rehabilitation after surgery.Afew days ago i started having pain at the back on my knee preventing me to fully extend or stretch my leg.
    What could be the problem and what can i do to take the pain away and be able to stretch my leg again.

  • Kevin

    Hi my name is kevin.. Hurt my knee skydiving. I want to return but not to soon as it is my job and is high impact. Do u think I’ll need surgery based on this report or adequate rehab could be enough? Thank you

    • Kevin

      The grade of the ACL tear described below is a Grade 1 tear.

      ———————————————————
      Reported by: Robert S Loeb, M.D.
      Electronically signed by: Robert S Loeb, M.D.

      RL/dh
      dd: 12/21/2016

      Exam #: Dec 19, 2016 – MRI – RIGHT KNEE W/O CONTRAST

      MRI OF THE RIGHT KNEE WITHOUT CONTRAST

      HISTORY: Diffuse right knee pain and swelling. Injury 12/17/2016.

      TECHNIQUE: Multiplanar and multiecho sequences were obtained without contrast.

      FINDINGS:

      Extensive soft tissue edema is seen around the knee with multiple fluid collections more prominent medially, but also laterally.

      Patellofemoral articular cartilage is normal.

      There is strain of the anterior cruciate ligament with minimal distal partial tearing. The posterior cruciate ligament is maintained. The medial and lateral collateral ligaments are intact with lateral collateral ligament strain.

      Significant contusions are noted in the proximal fibula, the medial and lateral tibial plateau and the lateral femoral condyle.

      The medial and lateral menisci are normal in size, shape, and signal intensity. Articular cartilage in the medial and lateral compartments is maintained.

  • Mike Jarman

    Hi

    I am 48 years old and 3 weeks ago I damaged my knee playing soccer.

    The MRI has shown that I have torn anterior cruciate, a torn miniscus and a sprained medial collateral.

    I am currently on crutches. I have a couple of questions;

    Firstly how long should it be before I am off crutches and able to walk? I have a leg brace and my consultant advised my to try walking when I feel comfortable – I understand his point but it would be good to have a target to aim for. Last week i inadvertently put my full weight on my knee and it collapsed inwards, so I am not ready yet.

    Secondly, should I have an operation to repair the ACl? My consultant has said that we should discuss the option of not having an operation. Are there additional complications/risks with someone my age having the operation? Though it is time I gave up soccer, I do have an active lifestyle which I want to keep up.

    Anyway I would appreciate any feedback you have.

    Best wishes Mike

  • Hannah

    Hi. I’m a 15 year old female and on Janunary 11th will be my 5 month post acl surgery. March will be my seventh month and that is when track season starts. I really love running hurdles, but I was wondering if I shouldn’t do any hurdle events this year, or track season at all. Is 7 months too early to join track/start hurdling again?

  • Shubhanshu Singh

    hey,
    I suffered a partial acl tear while playing football. after MRI my report reads as follows:
    ACl appears bulky and edemantous with intrasubstance hyperintense signal intensity, ill defined margins and surroundings soft tissue edema likely suggesting partial/interstiatal injury.
    anterior horns , posterior horns and bodies of both medial and lateral menisci are normal in morphology, orientation and signal intensity
    Medial Collateral Ligament, lateral collateral ligament , illotibial tract, biceps femoris tendon, politeus tendons are normal. patellar tendon and quadriceps are normal
    minimal joint effusion is seen
    lower end of femur,upper end of tibial and fibula and the patella show normal signal characterstics with no evidence of any bone fracture.
    the muscles,tendons and fascial planes around the knee joint are normal.

    these reports are 2.5 months old and injury is 3.5 months old. i have gone through several week of physiotherapy. i experience no such problem in walking and jogging,but still don’t feel to my full knee strength. i still feel pain when in squatting position. i find it difficult to run and play sports.
    what you recommend to go for surgery or physiotherapy.
    if surgery how much time it will take me to comeback to my regular work and sports activity respectively after surgery.

    • Jim Wnek

      Hello there.
      Thanks for stopping by the site.

      Well, surgery may be premature.
      Based on what you’ve told me.
      I would focus on a good well designed strength training program.

      This will have stabilize your knee.

      Also, not sure on your what your range of motion is at this time.

      I would make sure you are stretching and getting full range of motion.

      The pain you are experiencing when in squat position – not sure.

      Where is the pain? Is it just when you when you squat or when you do any other movements?

      If you have surgery and its an acl surgery.

      You are looking at 4-6 months for for regular work and then return to sport activity.

      Keep me posted
      Thanks
      Jim

  • Chris

    In december i fell while playing football skin above my knee cap was lacerated and orthopaedic surgeon diagnosed i had a grade 2 partial tear and told me it wont require a surgery
    Now after two months the skin is fully healed and i dont have any pain either
    I have been doing some exercises my physical therapist told me to do!
    When do you think i can go back to playing?

  • vinuthna

    hello my name is vinuthna… im 22 and above 100 kgs. i had a knee injury while i was playing volleyball. i soon visited the orthopedic the same day he sad it would be fine in 3weeks and prescribed vit e capsules its been more than 3 weeks so i visited new dr he said acl ligament had some laxitiy and asked to get x ray and mri there was nothing in x ray my mri report said…
    post traumatic edema in the posterior aspect of the medial condyle no fracture
    grade 1 injury in acl without any tear
    osteochondral injury in lateral patellar facet cartilage with mild lateral sublaxation of patella probably due to mild trochlear dysplasia….
    when the dr saw my mri hes saying its more than grade 1 injury and i have a instability still… hes saying to go for arthroscopy is it really required? im really scared no dr is saying properly what the problem is

  • gaurav singh

    Story-I have acl injury during long jump. I heared some sound when i landed on grond. My MRI REPORT SAYS-
    1ST-grade2 tear of acl
    2nd-grade1 sprain of mcl with moderate size reactionary synovial effusion.
    I dont want to undergo with surgery. Without surgery is it possible to get my old stage. And please tell my the time duration of healing.
    Regards

  • Ellen

    I am 59 years old and have a torn ACL as well as torn cartilage in my knee. I am not an athlete. I do walk about 3 miles per day and I also care for my adult disabled son. He is ambulatory. I am in physical therapy at the moment. What is your opinion about surgery for me? I am trying to avoid it.

  • Nicole

    Hi,
    I was skiing a few weeks ago and caught an edge on my skis, felt a “pop” and knee bent at a very awkward angle. Swelling and stiffness occurred within a few hours, so I decided to ice it and see how things went. The next day, the swelling was so bad that you could no longer see the knee. I went to the hospital and they did an xray – it was pretty swollen so they could not tell exactly what was going on but determined there was no break, they also put me in a zimmer brace and crutches and referred me to the Acute Injury Knee Clinic. Had my appointment within a week and the Doctor suspected ACL tear and moderate LCL sprain. I was given a different brace, which I have been instructed to wear all day to prevent the ACL from tearing further and to try and stabilize my knee so the sprain can heal. I was referred to physio as well, once per week to try and get some range of motion back before returning to the doctor on April 13. At physio I am receiving ultrasound and electrical treatments to try and stimulate the muscle and get blood flow going. I was told this injury could take 14 weeks (or more depending on surgery) and there is a high probability of surgery. My question is, does it really take that long? I am going stir crazy – I am used to going to the gym 5 days a week, cycling, skiing and hiking. Also, is surgery absolutely necessary?

    Thanks in adavance:-)

  • Solomon Lamptey

    Hi Jim, I suffered an acl tear on 3rd September 2016 while playing football. I had MRI done after about two months which indicated a partial tear of my acl and anterior and posterior horns of the lateral meniscus tear. After three months of physiotherapy, my knee still feels unstable and I also get shin splints. It’s six months now. How do I go about it please?

  • Anna

    I had an ACL reconstruction (no other injuries, just fully torn ACL) for 5 months ago and my surgeon used patellar tendon graft. I still don’t have full active extension and I’m having problems with swelling and anterior knee pain. I can’t do deep squats and I still haven’t been released for jogging or jumping.

    My physiotherapist thinks that it looks like I’ve overworked my patellar tendon. Is this usual and how can I get back on track with my rehab again?

  • Kalpesh Jain

    Hello Sir,
    I am 25 years old. 4 weeks ago I got knee injury while playing cricket then on the last week in MRI report in short words I got following result:
    Intrasubstance hyperintense signal in distal fibers of ACL without significant fiber discontuinity.
    Grade 2 hyperintensity is seen in distal body and posterior horn of medial meniscus.
    Minimul intraarticular fluid collection is noted.

    1) Grade1/2 changes in distal fubers of ACL
    2) Grade 2 hyperintensity in distal body and posterior horn of medial meniscus.

    So I just want to know that is it possible to recover without surgery ??
    Can I back to sport without surgery for this ??

    Please reply,

    Thanks,
    Kalpesh Jain

  • Bimlendu Kumar

    I got an accident. I bike hit on my left knee. After that I got problem while stare and fast walking.
    As per my MRI report..
    IMPRESSION :-
    Bulky and heterogeneous anterior cruciate ligament with laxity of fibrs – likely high grade partial tear.
    Construction in lateral femoral condyle, both tibial condyles and head of febula.
    Recommend clinical correlation.
    …..
    Some Doctors advice for surgery.
    Please suggest best treatment.

  • Tauseef

    Hi, Tauseef here. 6 weeks ago, i had a knee injury in right leg while i was bowling as a spinner in cricket. My knee “gave way” and fell. I went to a doctor and after some diagnostic, he said rest for 10 days and you will be alright. After three days, i went to another orthopaedic and he told me to rest and gave me an MRI reccomendation after three weeks. MRI said “mild joint effusion, acl edema and thickening, abnormal signal from PCL” orthopaedic asked to go for surgery as first option and then said first go for physiotherapy of one month. Down the road, three weeks of physiotherapy including electric stimulation, ultrasound and ROM exercises, instability symptoms are no more. I can extend my leg to 0 degree. ROM is almost 99%.
    I never had much pain but there was swelling following injury and diminished in a week. I am occasional crickter. I am ready to give up on sports if needed.
    Do you think i can avoid surgery and resume a passive life style? I mean climbing one or two floors of stairs, walking and gym exercising. How long should it take to recover to its full? I am 25 years of age and male.

  • Rahul B

    Hi,
    I injured my knee 5 weeks ago and x ray confirmed its a partial Tibial spine avulaion where acl is displaced by 3mm apx. I was not able to walk and straighten my knee. Doctor advised to rest the knee.

    Currenly i am able to walk (not freely though) And straighten my knee. But it hurts going up/down stairs. I haven’t tried running yet.
    Is there any sign through which i can know that avulsion is healed? I have regained strenght upto an extent. Please help.

    Thanks in advance.

  • Liz

    My brother (aged 44). Heard a ‘pop’ sound while working out a week ago. He went in for an X-ray but no fracture was observed. An MRI taken showed he had a subtear of his acl and kinking of his biceps femoris. He is able to fully extend his knee but has excruciating pain when he attempts to bend his knee. He is unable to flex his hip with his knee in full extension. He can’t move his leg up, and off the bed. Is this the normal presentation of a partial acl tear? He has started sessions of Physiotherapist and his therapist is taking him through ultrasound and gentle massage to help reduce the pain. He is also doing heel slides and static quads. Is this enough?
    Will Kinesiotaping help?

  • sachin roy k

    sachin roy k

    Impression
    Mild joint effusion.
    Anterior cruciate ligament appears mildy bulky andhyperintense.However the fibers appears to be intact-likely suggestive of strain.
    Mild hyperintensesity in lateral femoral and tibial condyles-suggestive of edema.
    These are my MRI reports impressions.l want to play footbal,cricket etc can you suggest way to over come this problem or exersices,will it heal?
    I want to be back on ground again I’m a college student.

  • sachin roy k

    sachin roy k
    Hi, jim my problem is that I have-
    Impression
    Mild joint effusion.
    Anterior cruciate ligament appears mildy bulky andhyperintense.However the fibers appears to be intact-likely suggestive of strain.
    Mild hyperintensesity in lateral femoral and tibial condyles-suggestive of edema.
    These are my MRI reports impressions.l want to play footbal,cricket etc can you suggest way to over come this problem or exersices,will it heal?
    I want to be back on ground again I’m a college student.

  • Wrestlingdoc

    Hello, my name is Brianna. I have recently suffered my third ACL tear. I am a competitive freestyle wrestler. I was returned to sports 6months post opp the first time. However the second time I took my time and didn’t get back into sport specific activity until about 2 years. I got reinjured at the 4-5 year mark. I have had my hamstrings used twice for repair. And I really do not know why I tore it this third time. I am planning to use Paterllar tendon this time but am very concerned with recovery this time around. I have read graft maturation takes 2-3 years. How long should someone like me stay away from athletics? I was hoping a year and a half with hardcore PT and neuromuscular training but it seems that this may be too soon. Thank you

  • Tanisha

    Hi Jim
    I am a 17 year old girl .I twisted my knee while playing basketball 3 years back .I did my MRI and there was a Partial tear distal anterior cruciate ligament with significant hemarthrosis with femoral condyle / tibial plateau bone contusion
    I was advised to stop playing and was asked to do regular exercises to strengthen my ligament . I was quite ok but Now after 2 years .I went for a dance audition and i twisted my knee and was feeling very uneasy and my knee was buckling and unstable .I consulted a Ortho and he suggested am MRI. The report says “High grade partial thickness tear of proximal ACL with associated small bone contusions in both tibial condyles and lateral femoral condyle . Peripheral vertical oblique tear of posterior horn of medial meniscus with adjoining horizontal intrasubstance component (Cleavage tear ) . Minimal joint effusion extending into suprapatellar recess .The muscles and tendons about the knee are unremarkable.No soft tissue collection is seen.

    Right know ,I am able to walk comfortably I am doing exercise with concern of my physio and feeling much better.There is no swelling.

    My question to you, is surgery a must or rehabs can do .

  • Susan

    Hi Jim,
    I am a bit worried. I am 3.5 weeks out from an Autograft ACL reconstruction and I am behind in my PT and am not sure why. I am still using crutches and have a lot of pain during exercising. I go to PT three times a week and do exercises two to three times a day. I am seeing improvement but I am definitely not at where the protocol lists from the doctor’s office. I don’t really know if I can even speed things up now because I feel that I am adequately pushing myself as much as I can as it is, while suffering from some severe depression as well. I just wanted to ask you if this is something to be concerned about or not.

    As I mentioned, I am seeing progress, am a very fit 43 yr old female, am working on this several times a day but am behind “technically.” I am just scared because my surgeon said that at our next visit, if he doesn’t see enough ROM he will have to do another surgery. Holy cow the mere thought of this make me sick.

  • Sankeerth Soman

    Hello Sir
    I suffered a full ACL tear and a slight peripheral tear on my meniscus. I play full time soccer and I am 20 years old. Awaiting surgery this wednesday. I would like to know how much time I have to take after the surgery to get back to competitive soccer. Thanks in advance.

  • Bharath

    Mucoid degeneration and hyper intense signals are seen in acl of left knee with para meniscus cyst in posterior to posterior horn of medial meniscus.
    My injury was a month ago during squats.lechman test was positive since then sliding in knee joint has decreased gradually in span of this 1 month still i cant walk properly and quickly still iam getting partially positive in lechman test.is there any possibility to heal completely in upcoming days?
    Shall I wait or shall i go for surgery ?if so how long shall i wait for further recovery?
    How long does it takes to get complete stability in knee?

  • Sudheer

    Dear Sir,

    I have fallen from my bike and have got my knee injured. As per the MRI report, the below is the information that is obtained. Kindly help what shall I do ?

    1. ACL is thickened and heterogeneous with poorly delineated mid segment and femoral attachment. Concern for high grade partial thickness/ full thickness tear. Buckling of PCL seen.

  • Sijin

    Hey I had an acl injury while playing football i don’t want to undergo surgery but I would like to know whether I could play again and it’s about 5 months that I hadn’t played and MRI report says like this

    OBSERVATION

    Moderate suprapatellar joint effusion is seen extending into the central recess.
    Focal partial tear is seen involving the proximal mid-substance of the postero-lateral bundle of the anterior cruciate ligament-?High-grade partial tear.Thickening with interstitial tear is seen in the mid -substance antero-medial bundle of the anterior cruciate ligament.
    lll-defined areas of bone bruise is seen in the postero-lateral aspect of the lateral tibial plateau appearing hyperintense in FSPD images with intermediate signal intensity in T1W images.Focal area of bone bruise is also seen in the anterior aspect of the lateral femoral condyle appearing hyperintense in FSPD images

  • rahul magan

    Hi

    I have twister my knee two months back and got MRI done last week.

    The report says partial ACL tear with patella subluxation and fluid present in knee.

    I don’t have paid in knee but cannot bend my knee fully as if it is stuck. I can bend it to 110 degree max that to when my PT put pressure on it.

    Pleas suggest the cure.

    Regards,
    Rahul

  • nayan

    i am 34 year old.and falling from scooty and got knee injury.mri report says.
    1-a small vertical(longitudinal) tear in body of medial meniscus,involvinf its articular surface.
    2-intrasubstance signal alteration in mid and distal ACL without full thickness tear sprain.
    3-focal mild thining of articular cartilage on anteroinferior aspect of medial femoral.

    nedd operation or not??

  • Abhishek kumar Singh

    Sir I am abhishek
    My re constructed acl was torn again
    But in MRI
    IT SHOW THAT near complete tear of grafted acl what does mean.
    Can it’s torn and can I need surgery. Because I am not a sport man. I am student.

    • Jim Wnek

      Hello,

      Well unfortunately it means that the grafted ACL is almost fully torn.
      That means it most likely will need to be repaired again.

      Good luck and keep me posted.
      Jim

  • AMIT

    My MRI Report Says Partial Intrasubstance tear is seen to involve in the mid segment of ACL. Complex tear is seen to involve the posterior horn of the lateral meniscus (vert & horizo comp.) The tear extends to partially involve the meniscal root. Focal Partial Interstitial tear is seen in the upper and lower segments of Patellar ligament. Grade 1 tear in the anterior horn of the lateral meniscus.
    I play Cricket like 2 times every week and go on hills for trekking, jumping, and other activities, also i love to go on road trips in my car self driving.
    Do i need surgery for ACL and meniscus? I am not sure how much my ACL fibres are torn. I have completed 1 month Physico, and hardly walks for 10-15 mins on my on leg.
    Some says PRP or steam cells can get back torn ACL heal naturally. Does a Partially torn ACL and meniscus in my case will heal naturally.

    Please suggest.

    • Jim Wnek

      Hello,
      Well, you have a lot going on.
      First what does your doctor recommend?
      Is therapy helping?

      PRP and stem cells are good treatments. Not sure on research for fully healing a torn ACL.

      Yes a partially torn acl and meniscus may scar over and heal on their own.

      Good luck and keep me posted

      Jim

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