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Riding with a torn ACL/after surgery?

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  • Riding with a torn ACL/after surgery?

    I apologize, this is my second thread already on my first day back, but I'm hoping that I can maybe get some insight on this problem

    Last summer in a freak non-horse related incident. I had a show coming up the following week, so I did everything I could to avoid seeing a doctor. I took it easy and iced a lot, and then I showed for a week (I could barely walk, mind you) and then slowly recovered. I knew that I should have gone to the ER right away, but I really didn't want to miss the rest of my show season, and I couldn't lose any more time at work.... I'm sure some of you out there can sympathize.

    Anyway, fast forward to this year. I am a runner, so as soon as I could, I started running again. I have been having problems with my knee giving out when I run and getting very sore if I sit for too long. I finally got myself in to the doctor, and after xrays and an MRI, he determined that I did indeed tear my ACL, and he is strongly recommending surgery to reconstruct it. Of course my first question was when can I be on my horse again! He is telling me that I won't be doing ANY sports, riding included, for 9 months after surgery at the soonest, and probably closer to a full year I know of a lot of people who had my same injury who were back in the game after just a couple of months, so I'm shocked that he would tell me that it will be that long a recovery, especially considering I was riding and showing less than 10 days after injuring it in the first place, albeit painfully.

    Have any of you had this surgery? How long were you out of commission after the injury BEFORE surgery? How long did recovery from surgery take? Have any of you opted to not have the surgery at all?
    Last edited by melody1; Mar. 6, 2010, 09:39 PM.

  • #2
    I am sure that different versions of the same injury and repair take different times, and your healing, fitness, attitude to risk, type of riding and available horses all make a big difference.

    I'd ask the doctor when you can do other activities and see if that tells you more. Mine told me I should be on an exercise bike the day after surgery and could jog 3 months later, but not ride a horse for 6 months and not play basketball or twisting sports for 9 months. To me riding seems somewhere between a bike and jogging in terms of knee strain except when mounting or falling so I let pain be my guide and tried to avoid falling.

    I had mine done in late August 2007. I sat on a horse about a week later, and gradually rode more over the next couple of months mounting from the wrong side. I know I won a BN HT about 2.5 months post surgery but I was still in some pain and unable to do much two point or rising trot for at least the first 3 months.

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by melody1 View Post
      Have any of you had this surgery? How long were you out of commission after the injury BEFORE surgery? How long did recovery from surgery take? Have any of you opted to not have the surgery at all?
      Yup had the surgery - had to as I completely tore my ACL and a good portion of my meniscus. I couldn't walk - period. Tore it in June, surgery in July but didn't ride again until March of the following year (I could have ridden a month or two sooner but no indoor and winters in New England can be brutal as you probably know ). Listen to your doctors and follow the physical therapy no matter what - that will help a ton even if it is beyond painful.
      "When a horse greets you with a nicker & regards you with a large & liquid eye, the question of where you want to be & what you want to do has been answered." CANTER New England

      Comment


      • #4
        I tore the ACL in my right knee almost 20 years ago...no bone damage, so the doctor refused to do the surgery..I practically begged him, and even got a second opinion. I was 34, and both surgeons figured I was 'too old." Wow, have times changed, huh?

        I put myself back together with physical therapy, and rode as soon as I could. It actually felt better on a horse than on an exercise bike. But, my knee STILL bothers me, still buckles occasionally, and now feels numb at times. I've stopped going to doctors about it - they just send me to a physical therapist. I'd go for the surgery in a minute if I were you - 9 months sure beats a life-time of pain!!
        Good luck to you!

        Comment


        • #5
          I tore mine when I crashed a jump, and limped around for about 6 weeks before I convinced the parents I was actually hurt. Went to an ortho doc, had an MRI and found out I had a tear that was a 2 out of 3 (3 being completely torn in half.) Doc said had I come in immediately after getting hurt, he would have done surgery, but it had already started healing so there wasn't much of a point in doing it now. (This was about 15 years ago.)

          I walked (well, limped) out of the office with a knee brace and a list of exercises to do. I really didn't stick to the exercises, and still have trouble with that knee, so I'd suggest doing all the P.T. you can.

          I can't remember how long I stopped riding for, I would guess it was about 6 weeks or so before I got back on, maybe longer. I rode with that knee brace for a couple years afterwards--the knee was just too unstable and it was fairly painful to ride without the brace. (It was a neoprene only brace, no metal hinges to scrape up my saddle.) It was conveniently breech tan color, so I showed with it and didn't attract too much attention. I slid it over my field boot, pulled the boot on, and then pulled the brace up over my knee.

          I haven't ever had surgery, so I can't compare my pain with what it would have been like to have surgery, but I wish I would have had the option to have had it fixed, just because I think it healed kind of funky. I probably would have been out of the saddle longer, but I think it would have been worth it in the long run. It doesn't bother me too much now, but I do have low grade knee pain even today, just not all the time. Or maybe I'm just used to it and don't notice it too much. I did ride with the brace on for a couple years, but eventually ditched it, and haven't felt like I needed it since then.

          9 months does seem like a long time for recovery, but I agree that it would be worth it if it fixes you. If I could do it over again, I think I'd have the surgery.

          Comment

          • Original Poster

            #6
            Thanks for all of the replies.

            I have a complete tear, but no damage as far as the MRI shows to the surrounding ligaments/bone/meniscus. I am in good physical shape (I run, swim, and ride, all competitively), and other than the instability, my knee doesn't really bother me unless I have been doing a lot of running. I have full strength and range of motion. I didn't for about 4 or 5 months after the injury in July though.

            Seven-up, it is interesting that your doctor said it was healing? From my understanding of ACL tears, they never actually heal themselves, the ligament actually has to be replaced, which is why surgery is usually the best option. Some people who are older or do not lead active lifestyles can learn to limit their activities so that they can go without the functioning ACL. Maybe it would be beneficial to get it checked out again? My surgeon was telling me about how just last week he did a surgery on a 40-something year old woman who had torn it ten years ago and hadn't ever gotten it taken care of.

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            • #7
              I blew mine out 2 years ago. I opted for the surgery, although I did not end up needing a full replacement (long story). The recovery is very dependent on how well you handle the physical therapy and what kind of shape you're in before surgery. I use the same ortho/rehab group the Portland Trailblazers use, and they said they'd have me in the saddle (well, back on the "court") in 3 months after full ACL replacement, 6 months at the most. 9 months is super conservative, in my experience. The PT is excruciating and intense. You will probably be evaluated by PTs before surgery to see how strong your leg/knee is now, and they'll tell you what to expect afterward.

              There are 3 kinds of replacements: patellar (your own pateller tendond), hamstring (your hamstring tendons) or cadaver (you guessed it, someone else's tendon). My surgeon would only recommend patellar grafting as he felt it is the strongest over time and only one leg is affected by surgery.

              Good luck!
              Proud member of the "Don't rush to kill wildlife" clique!

              Comment

              • Original Poster

                #8
                My surgeon also recommends the patellar tendon graft.

                I have been through PT for other things before, and like I said, I am in GOOD shape now and I have worked hard on my own to get my knee and leg back to full strength. I have no problem pushing myself as hard as they recommend that I do to get back to my sports as quickly as possible.

                By "riding", do you guys think that just walking around bareback is what they're considering? I really can't see how that is any more stressful to my knee than walking around on my own two feet
                Last edited by melody1; Mar. 6, 2010, 09:42 PM.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by melody1 View Post
                  Seven-up, it is interesting that your doctor said it was healing? From my understanding of ACL tears, they never actually heal themselves, the ligament actually has to be replaced, which is why surgery is usually the best option. Some people who are older or do not lead active lifestyles can learn to limit their activities so that they can go without the functioning ACL. Maybe it would be beneficial to get it checked out again? My surgeon was telling me about how just last week he did a surgery on a 40-something year old woman who had torn it ten years ago and hadn't ever gotten it taken care of.
                  That's my recollection of what he said, but I was 17 at the time, and I can't say for sure that I really had a total understanding of what he was telling me. It might have been that since mine was only torn about 2/3's of the way, maybe there wasn't a need for it to be replaced?? It seems like the way he explained it, if he operated on it, he would have to undo whatever healing/scar tissue was there, and then repair it, so it would be more invasive than just fixing a brand new injury, but I could be way off base there. By the time I got it checked out, I could already (carefully) bend my knee without pain, which was something I couldn't do the first few weeks. So something was healing. What? I don't know.

                  Who knows. That is interesting that they are operating on old injuries now. That sounds like something I'll have to investigate once I have health insurance again.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Mine is completely ruptured and I have never had it repaired. I believe I did it skiing when I was about 23. I was very gung ho in those days and all I did was ice it and self medicate with tequila. I was limping around for a few weeks and it was a bit unstable for a while (a few months). Only discovered I had done it when I tore my meniscus 11 or so years later and had surgery on that - physical exam and MRI didn't reveal the lack of ACL, but when they operated there was nothing there.

                    Since I had spent the intervening years skiing, hiking, riding, etc my surgeon said it probably wasn't worth fixing. I am told that having developed quads is important (riding helps with this) and that although women rupture their ACLs more often than men that we are more likely to be able to tolerate not having one.

                    I do have some arthritis in that knee, but it's much worse in my other knee which has never been injured. The no-ACL, no-cartilage knee is the better of the two.

                    Good luck with your surgery and PT. When having PT by the way, make sure your PT person knows you are fit and don't be afraid to ask for harder/more exercises.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      My DH had ACL reconstruction several years ago, and his surgeon said the same thing re: they don't heal on their own. He is so glad he did it and doesn't have any problems with that knee. He was very vigilant doing exercises before surgery to strengthen the surrounding muscles, and also listened to the doctors on what he could do when post-op. He said the knee feels great and doesn't even think about it when he's playing golf, tennis, or basketball.

                      If possible, I recommend you ask for the allograft replacement first (cadaver tendon- I think they normally use an achilles). They did that for my husband and it was much better since he basically didn't have to heal from two surgeries, but only one (two being the one to take the patellar tendon graft, and the other for the ACL repair). Now, they might be in the OR and find the graft isn't the best quality and not use it, but I would still ask about that option.

                      Can't help with return to riding as he stopped riding when he injured himself and didn't come back to it. I believe return to running was 3-6 months, and things where twisting the knee was involved was longer. I think the surgeons said it basically takes almost a year for it to fully recover where you don't need a brace or anything when doing things that involve torquing the knee.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I had a complete tear of my ACL on April 3rd of last year. I had surgery to reconstruct with Patellar tendon graft on May 14th. I was in PT fairly religiously for the summer. I started trail riding lightly, only walk and slow trot, over October/November. Then, miserable winter outside, so I started back riding the end of February, and when it was decent in March as well. Now I am riding pretty regularly and enjoying it. My knee still aches a little after a fairly tough ride, but am glad to be back in the saddle anyway!
                        www.lazydacres.com

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                        • #13
                          I torn mine in April 08 skiing. Didnt know it at the time. Rode/jumped/showed but it was unstable at times especially when getting on. Had an MRI in July and found out it was torn but no other damage. Had patellar tendon graft in Sept. Rode lightly 6 weeks later, lots of sitting trot. Jumping/lessons started again in January. Back to regular riding since then. I have lost some range of motion and it still gets sore I think because my quads and hamstrings are still weak. I am forty and in OK (not great) shape. It hurts more on somedays then others and I think it will be like that for a long time still.
                          Its a drag and something I think will affect me for the rest of my life but I can still ride and that what I really care about.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            I tore my ACL in October 2008 with associated bone bruising, meniscal damage, and medial ligament strain. I've elected not to have the surgery since physiotherapy and some (although not as regular as I should be) rehab seems to be doing the trick for me.

                            My physiotherapist let me try riding about a month after I injured my knee and it was a disaster...not the ride itself, but the aftermath. It set me back at least two weeks.

                            I have been tiding fairly comfortably since just before Christmas, but had to be very careful in those first few weeks. My knee wasn't strong enough for me sit a strong buck and I had to ride with my stirrups very long at first. I didn't find rising trot or jumping particularly painful, but actually putting my leg on my horse was initially impossible and my balance wasn't good. It took me until mid-February to feel I was back riding at the level I was before I injured myself.

                            I do still have some pain and occasional instability, but am starting back into running now that weather has improved and am hoping for the best. My knee affects me less when I'm riding than doing any other activity, although that is probably due to my spending more time riding than doing any other activity!

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              I had a complete tear of my left acl in March of 2005 and then surgery in June. I opted for the donor graft (or whatever you call it). I did not want a secondary surgical site, and especially not the riding muscles of my hamstring affected! The surgeon described taking the inside muscle of the hamstring on the same leg. Anyway, PT was hell and the recovery was painful, but I wish I hadn't waited the 3 months to have the surgery, as I ruined the meniscus in the duration (due to the unstable knee and constant giving out). I was back on a safe horse in a month, just walking. It took a long time to rebuild the strength in that leg, a year or so, as far as good riding goes, then again I was in my late thirties. Like everyone else mentioned, riding was comfortable, easier than PT. Getting on and off was a challenge and I still mount and dismount from the off side since the surgery.

                              Good luck with your surgery! If you have a safe horse to ride, who will be very patient with you taking your time getting on and off, you should be able to get back in the saddle a lot sooner than 9 months, but if you have green impatient horses, you might want to get your strength and balance back first.

                              Comment

                              • Original Poster

                                #16
                                Originally posted by CrazyDog View Post
                                I tore my ACL in October 2008 with associated bone bruising, meniscal damage, and medial ligament strain. I've elected not to have the surgery since physiotherapy and some (although not as regular as I should be) rehab seems to be doing the trick for me.

                                My physiotherapist let me try riding about a month after I injured my knee and it was a disaster...not the ride itself, but the aftermath. It set me back at least two weeks.

                                I have been tiding fairly comfortably since just before Christmas, but had to be very careful in those first few weeks. My knee wasn't strong enough for me sit a strong buck and I had to ride with my stirrups very long at first. I didn't find rising trot or jumping particularly painful, but actually putting my leg on my horse was initially impossible and my balance wasn't good. It took me until mid-February to feel I was back riding at the level I was before I injured myself.

                                I do still have some pain and occasional instability, but am starting back into running now that weather has improved and am hoping for the best. My knee affects me less when I'm riding than doing any other activity, although that is probably due to my spending more time riding than doing any other activity!
                                Hmm, wow, it sounds like your initial injury did a lot more damage than mine. Mine hurt like hell for probably a month and a half to two after I hurt it, but it wasn't enough to make me miss more than a day of work (it happened on a friday night, I was off crutches and back to work Tuesday teaching lessons and doing barn work and minimal riding) and I was at a showing the following week. I do remember having my right stirrup about two holes longer than my left because my knee was so swollen and stiff that I couldn't bend it to get in stirrup at the regular length, but the pain was bearable. I'd say that it took me about two months to really have the same strength while riding, but now the problems OFF the horse are what get me.

                                Originally posted by blackstallion2 View Post
                                I had a complete tear of my left acl in March of 2005 and then surgery in June. I opted for the donor graft (or whatever you call it). I did not want a secondary surgical site, and especially not the riding muscles of my hamstring affected! The surgeon described taking the inside muscle of the hamstring on the same leg. Anyway, PT was hell and the recovery was painful, but I wish I hadn't waited the 3 months to have the surgery, as I ruined the meniscus in the duration (due to the unstable knee and constant giving out). I was back on a safe horse in a month, just walking. It took a long time to rebuild the strength in that leg, a year or so, as far as good riding goes, then again I was in my late thirties. Like everyone else mentioned, riding was comfortable, easier than PT. Getting on and off was a challenge and I still mount and dismount from the off side since the surgery.

                                Good luck with your surgery! If you have a safe horse to ride, who will be very patient with you taking your time getting on and off, you should be able to get back in the saddle a lot sooner than 9 months, but if you have green impatient horses, you might want to get your strength and balance back first.
                                I'm hoping that I'll be back in the saddle doing light work in close to a month. My nine year old Arab is as easy to ride as they come (for me, at least), and she is a saint about her manners when I'm working around and on her. I'm not riding any green beans right now, thank goodness, so I'm sure that doing light work on her will not be a problem. We also have a giant mounting block that puts me practically OVER her back, so I don't foresee mounting being a problem either.

                                Thanks!

                                Comment


                                • #17
                                  I am 5 weeks out from my ACL repair with a hamstring graft, which I would recommend as there is less risk of anterior knee pain. I sold my horse -wah - as I knew I would be out of showing for most of this year. I am slowly getting my range of motion and muscle strength back - keep up that PT!

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