# Riding with a torn ACL



## powderhound82 (May 2, 2007)

Hi all,
Stepped off the dirtbike at about 20 mph the other day, Doc suspects a torn ACL, had a MRI this morning and will be hearing the results tomorrow. I will probably put off surgery until the fall if I can help it. Does anyone out there have experience riding with a torn ACL pre-surgery? What were your limitations and what kind of brace did you use? I have a brand new Nomad sitiing in the garage with about 5 miles around town on it and the snow is starting to melt in the high country. This is not going to be easy.


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## bikephan (Apr 14, 2008)

ACL, a little harder than mine, complete tear PCL. I had a hinged knee brace made, and have been doing physical therapy. So far the first month has been fine. rode a month before my wife forced me to the doc. 
It really depends if you have a complete tear etc. Talk to the doc, ask about braces and physically therapy. that is what I did. Also helps that my brother's wife is a doctorate in physical therapy. I am trying to hold off for about 3 months so I can get it done during the hottest month down here, since is scope and I should be back on the bike in a month. 

I can't really say I notice a hesitation while riding but I can tell afterwards.


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## ferday (Jan 15, 2004)

dude i've ridden a lot with a torn ACL (2 complete tears). i used a cti brace. just pedaling around, and light XC was never a problem, even felt good. some of the bumps combined with certain leg positions would cause a minor dislocation however. i stuck to smooth hardpack / the road.

also...if you ever come off the bike and land badly with the ACL torn, you risk doing severe and irreparable (ie. lifetime) damage. sucking it up now means a lifetime of riding later...

on the bright side, i was back into full DH/FR riding and XC racing with no issues at all, once the repair was healed.

good luck!


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## powderhound82 (May 2, 2007)

Thanks for the info, I somehow got lost in the system and the only doctor that knows what is going in is gone until tues, so I still don't know the official prognosis from the mri. That combined with being couch ridden is not helping my attitude.



ferday said:


> i was back into full DH/FR riding and XC racing with no issues at all, once the repair was healed.


That's good news! How long was the recovery process?


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## ferday (Jan 15, 2004)

powderhound82 said:


> Thanks for the info, I somehow got lost in the system and the only doctor that knows what is going in is gone until tues, so I still don't know the official prognosis from the mri. That combined with being couch ridden is not helping my attitude.
> 
> That's good news! How long was the recovery process?


sigh

to full recovery was about 12-14 months
the problem is at about 8 months it starts to feel really good...but that's the most dangerous time as the blood is just starting to get to the ends of the "new" ligament. once you can pedal though, pedal as much as you can, on the trainer or the road.

again, good luck man and don't skip out on any physio, you'll be back and badass in no time!


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## fattireb (Jun 17, 2004)

I've been riding without an ACL for about a year. I tore my ACL in 2001 and was back to riding about 3 months later. Started with light XC but in no time was back at the freeride thing. Had no problems until last April when I dismounted off a skinny and landed on some uneven ground and as my knee buckled and I went down I immediately knew what had happened:madman: . 

Got my MRI and was suprised to hear the doctor told me that I didn't tear my ACL BUT I didn't have an ACL to begin with - I guess between the time of my previous surgery and now, my ACL failed and was absorbed into my body.... Strange. Doc recemmended not having surgery at the time and to just PT my knee back to normal strength so thats what I did. I ride with a CTI brace but I feel it wiggle every now and then (which is not a great feeling) when I put my foot down either riding or doing something like mowing the lawn or walking down stairs. I did stop riding elevated skinnies with the fear of having to dismount. 

I was looking into getting surgery late last year to have it fixed again but then a bigger injury happened but thats a whole differt story....


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## powderhound82 (May 2, 2007)

Finally got the MRI results, torn ACL, torn medial meniscus, bruised bones, and various sprains and strains. This was from the local doc, I have to be referred to a specialist and hopefully see them this week, the downside of living in a small mountain town. I am able to put weght on it now and walk with one crutch, which is a huge improvement over last week. I cannot wait to get the straight dope from the surgeon, the suspense is killing me. The repilies here are helping me cope.


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## yzfvet (May 13, 2010)

Ferday has some good advice.

Just back into Mtn biking after 15 yrs. of MX, and due to MX , no ACL for 10 yrs. The only reason I haven't got it replaced was a femur condial break/patellar tendon sever caused alot of scar tissue which actually tightened up the knee. ( ironically ) Now my quad is noticably larger on the that side, and the knee has not dislocated in 9 years.

But a tear is a whole other story - I know that the tear can cause alot of pain and swelling that would not exist if the ACL was just gone, as in my case. 

Physical therapy is a ***** - but they will try to get you on a stationary when you can bend to about 100 degrees or so, so biking is not bad. It is putting the foot down that can be bad until you are fully recovered. Good luck.


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## Scottandhisdog (Feb 27, 2005)

I tore my ACL just under a month ago skiing at Snowbird. It hurt like a *****, until I started riding again....the following weekend. I made the mistake of using flat pedals, thinking that it would hurt to have to twist to get out of my clipless pedals. The problem was that my foot was bouncing around the whole time on the flat pedals. I put the clipless back on, but just turned down the tension. The riding actually helped the swelling and pain. I see the MD in early June. 

I am a Physical Therapist, so I'm a bit of a hardass on myself. The person who said that they would put you on a stationary bike is right. I just can't stand stationary equipment for myself. I'm just trying to get as much mountain biking in now, so I won't be as miserable when I miss the rest of the summer riding in Utah. 

Good luck and make sure you get a skilled surgeon and follow his protocol. He was the only one who was inside your knee, so if he wants to be more conservative following surgery, listen to him. I have seen some PT's being overly aggressive trying to make a name for themselves in the industry, but their patients can have failed grafts if you push it too hard too soon. Go to a good PT too.


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## mullen119 (Aug 30, 2009)

I tore my ACL racing motocross in 2004. My body rejected the sugery and I havent had one since. I ride a few times a week with no knee brace on aggressive single track. The only times I have ever had any problems with it is when I have a bad wreck. If you build up muscle in your legs, it holds together just fine (for me anyway). Even when I do tweak it, it swells up for a few days and get stiff, but feel fine after about a week, I did have to give up racing moto though.


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## powderhound82 (May 2, 2007)

*Saw the surgeon yesterday*

I go in for surgery July 12th to reconstuct the ACL with a patellar tendon and clean up the meniscus. Sounds like 6-9 months until I am fully ready to go. Good news is that I can ride as part of my rehab, although only on smooth, flat roads at first, but it's better than riding the couch. Thanks for the replies and stories, I think I will need the motivation.


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## jeffscott (May 10, 2006)

I havn't had an ACL in the left knee for twenty years....

Not a big deal....I feel it taking a large step up with the affected leg...biking is fine.

If you are gonna get it fixed .....take really good care off it until you are fully healed...


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## Rob-Bob (Jun 11, 2004)

Do some research on the patella tendon as the replacement. I had that exact surgery about 1 1/2 years ago. the doc told me i would be good in 6 months if i stuck with the rehab which i did. First ride after 7 months and i took a small fall ( while wearing knee pads) and it resulted in me breaking my knee cap in half. The new doc i had after the break told me that it takes up to a year for your knee cap to heal after the patella surgery. They take a small section of bone from your tibia and your knee cap along with a strip of your patella tendon when they do that surgery. So instead of being off my bike for 6 months, i was off for nearly 18 months.


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## [email protected] (Oct 17, 2009)

fattireb said:


> I've been riding without an ACL for about a year. I tore my ACL in 2001 and was back to riding about 3 months later. Started with light XC but in no time was back at the freeride thing. Had no problems until last April when I dismounted off a skinny and landed on some uneven ground and as my knee buckled and I went down I immediately knew what had happened:madman: .
> 
> Got my MRI and was suprised to hear the doctor told me that I didn't tear my ACL BUT I didn't have an ACL to begin with - I guess between the time of my previous surgery and now, my ACL failed and was absorbed into my body.... Strange. Doc recemmended not having surgery at the time and to just PT my knee back to normal strength so thats what I did. I ride with a CTI brace but I feel it wiggle every now and then (which is not a great feeling) when I put my foot down either riding or doing something like mowing the lawn or walking down stairs. I did stop riding elevated skinnies with the fear of having to dismount.
> 
> I was looking into getting surgery late last year to have it fixed again but then a bigger injury happened but thats a whole differt story....


I was in the same boat. I thought I had a tear, and the doc told me it was gone. He gave me the surgery ro live with it option. I had surgery. He said it had been gone for years. I had been playing volleyball and riding without an ACL for years.

5 years later, and I am pretty sure I have re-torn it. I ride XC (very few sketchy landing situations) and have given up other sports.

There are certain situations you have to stay away from ... impact on a straight leg ... which means it is a bit harder and more unforgiving to land jumps.


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