Riding after knee surgey

leggit

leggit

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Hello! just joined the forum seeking some advice!

I recently had acl reconstruction on my knee. my consultant told me i was looking at about 6 months before i can ride again. Anyone else had same similar surgery on their knee, just wondered when ya got back into the saddle? I have read an article online and they were back riding within 8 weeks and competing again in 3 months. Am just a happy hacker, like to potter about really, but would like t start ridng again just for the hour n half away from kids!

thank you
:)
 
I've had ACL surgery twice now, once about 8 yrs ago, the last time was this Spring after a bad dislocation last Nov/Dec. I had the Op to reconstruct the acl on 19 Feb.
I was told that 7-9 weeks after the Op is the most delicate time for the cruciate, because that is when it is knitting together again.
It is worth doing a LOT of physio exercise, esp strengthening the quads, as these really help to stabilise the knee. I played it by ear and didn't ride until the knee felt really good, no point rushing it and risking stretching the new/repairing ACL and making it unstable again imho.
Obv it depends what kind of horse you have, how trustworthy it is... I rode a guaranteed saint the first few times just in case!
I started riding again about May time. I didn't really push the knee with short stirrups etc for a long time after that though. My knee is now about 99%, which I'm really happy with, so I'm glad I was so careful with the rehab and gave it lots of time.
Hope that helps, feel free to pm me if you want more info, as I've been through it recently!
Good luck with your rehab.
 
I think fitness before the operation plays a massive role on how quickly you recover from something like this. I haven't had the op (although it has been suggested that I have knee realignments done on both knees) and I'm just a happy hacker so probably would take me, for example, much longer to recover than a rider who spends 2-3 hours a day in the saddle competitively.

Good luck though - fingers crossed for you.
 
Thanks for you Kerilli and EriskayO. Nice to know someone else as had it done too! Last thing i want is to damage the repair, i have been a little cautious of my physio as i'm worrid it will hurt but i must be a bit braver and i shall aim for spring- i'd like to say then atleast the weather will be better- but maybe not knowing are climate! Spesh in Yorks!

Many thanks
 
Haven't had any major surgery like a replacement but in '08 I had key hole surgery to remove cartilage. The thing I would recomend most is to do as much physio to build up the muscles, unfortuantly (although it was only keyhole) my knee never was back to normal and I now have a problem with my knee and theres nothing they can do about it. I have comments made my instructors about how stiff my left leg in and I am very one sided in the stirrups unless I really concentrate. I really wish that I had build more muscle up during physio.

I hope you have a speedy recovery and i'm sure you'll be back riding within no time :)
 
Other Half (who is too engrossed in fallout: las vagas on xbox to reply himself) - blurgh I hate knees. :o
Had complete acl rebuild and was riding 4-5 months later, walked Burghley xc course on crutchs after 3 months :rolleyes: bad wifey making him.
Anyway just happy hacking and knee was fine even when he fell off pathetically over a jump. The trick is not to worry about it or it won't get stronger. (And don't get drunk and fall off a curb in the czech republic either :D)
Not that I am an expert but do you know if you had the muscle brought up to reconstruct it or down? Just because OH had surgery done in Germany with a new technique and we are trying to work out what new about it.

If you have screws in it apparently it can be creaky in the cold.
Rich has found now his acl is reconstructed its his other knee is noticeably weaker keeping up with his new one but its because his knees are weak not though injury.
 
I had mine done three years ago. ACL totally obliterated, meniscus torn, medial collateral nearly all the way through and a massive lump of cartilage taken out too.

I didn't ride for nine months because I fell into the unfortunate third. I couldn't walk for six.

My consultant when I first went to him said it's roughly in thirds

1/3 don't need the ACL at all and will manage without reconstruction
1/3 need reconstruction but will never notice any further problems once it's done
1/3 (me) will have it fixed and it'll still not be totally right.

I was very fit when I did it and I worked really bl00dy hard at my physio but it's still a mess :(

I couldn't walk before the op which is unusual apparently and it took me a long time to get walking after as so much muscle had wasted away so do your exercises. They hurt but they work.

I have bits of metal in mine and it still hurts. I can still cause it to clunk too because it isn't terribly stable. I have to watch what I do these days. Can't ride short, can't play footy, no skiing that kind of thing!
 
thank you all for your advice! i have been feelin' cold in my knee over last few weeks!

Sorry to hear yours still isn't right perry and jess. Jess did you do it playing football? Thats how i did mine. AT first they thought i had just damaged the cartilage but when i had the mri it showed i had torn the acl and damaged my pcl and the cartilage. I do remember hearing a 'pop' when i did it. I was only on crutches for two weeks when i first did it, though i could manage most tasks after then i was regularly going over or 'pullin off ninja moves' to stay on my feet and pain when i did it was terrible but would pass. I was desperate to have it repaired as i am only 25 and would like to get back into playing some kind of sport and wearing high heels!

Llewellyn, i had a tendon graft for the acl which i think is most common repair and a synthetic one for the pcl and god knows what they did with my cartilage though i have plenty of holes in my leg to show for it and a few screws too!
I guess i best crack on with my physio! Hope to ride again soon!
thanks
 
Must be something in the air!!

I'm 25 and have am awaiting a consultation for my knee, according to my GP an MRI showed a torn tendon and a few other things that didn't look right (her words!)...and all I want to do is get back on the hockey pitch!!!!!
 
leggit said:
Sorry to hear yours still isn't right perry and jess. Jess did you do it playing football?

Llewellyn, i had a tendon graft for the acl which i think is most common repair and a synthetic one for the pcl and god knows what they did with my cartilage though i have plenty of holes in my leg to show for it and a few screws too!
I guess i best crack on with my physio! Hope to ride again soon!
thanks
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No. A naughty race horse did it to me!! Bad beasty. When I say I can't ride short I mean racing short. I can ride my own horses just fine. When I'm having a grumble OH says to me 'at least you can ride' and I feel hugely grateful to the NHS for patching me up!

As you were walking before the op you're less likely to be in my 1/3. Obviously you had a certain degree of stability left to build on. Like you I had a tendon graft and it isn't very good at holding everything in place when nothing else in my knee seems to want to help it!

Do your physio and you'll be up and running before you know it. Literally. Even I can go for a run :D

I have the photos of what my surgery looked like if you want to see them? I have scars everywhere too. One big one and then about ten keyhole marks too. Pretty cool really :D
 
trendybraincell said:
Must be something in the air!!

I'm 25 and have am awaiting a consultation for my knee, according to my GP an MRI showed a torn tendon and a few other things that didn't look right (her words!)...and all I want to do is get back on the hockey pitch!!!!!
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Ha ha! Something in the air here too! I have had an MRI which said the ligaments are ok and healing, but the doc said there was a lot of 'wear and tear' inside the knee and the fall really did a lot of additional damage - will prob need an operation (I am guessing to remove smashed up cartilage?). Am seeing the consultant in Jan.

Not that I have a lot of faith in them, after they missed the broken leg! :eek:
 
having cartilage taken out is a day procedure don't worry. Key hole only and you can go home an hour after you wake up :)

I had mine done in two stages, op1 took out all the loose bits, op2 to fix the ligaments

I was 21 when I did mine. Just goes to prove that sport is dangerous and should be avoided. You don't tear up ligaments from sitting on the sofa!
 
One thing I might add - our old bullmastiff had the operation (Yes, she did!) to repair a cruciate. It was actually a wire placed to replace the broken ligament and the scar tissue built up around it to make a 'new' ligament. The vet said that it would end up stronger than the other one! The wire may have eventually snapped (it didn't in the end), which would just maybe make her limp temporarily! He was some sort of expert on this particular surgery and said they had done a lot of research.

I wonder if they can do something similar for humans? Of course the dog only lived until 8, so don't know if it would last for another 60 years in a person! :D
 
jesstickle said:
having cartilage taken out is a day procedure don't worry. Key hole only and you can go home an hour after you wake up :)

I had mine done in two stages, op1 took out all the loose bits, op2 to fix the ligaments

I was 21 when I did mine. Just goes to prove that sport is dangerous and should be avoided. You don't tear up ligaments from sitting on the sofa!
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Thanks! That's what I'm hoping! ;)

I am actually more worried about the pain still in my back - this was from a fall in September. They said it's not broken, but severely bruised (yes, they said my leg wasn't broken!). I will mention it again when I see the knee man in Jan - as well as the ankle that still isn't right (fall in October).

Trouble is, when you get to my age (?!), you don't bounce so well! :D
 
MrsHutt said:
Thanks! That's what I'm hoping! ;)

I am actually more worried about the pain still in my back - this was from a fall in September. They said it's not broken, but severely bruised (yes, they said my leg wasn't broken!). I will mention it again when I see the knee man in Jan - as well as the ankle that still isn't right (fall in October).

Trouble is, when you get to my age (?!), you don't bounce so well! :D
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Could be that your walking funny and that is upsetting your back further? When I fist got back on my feet I limped awfully and it gave me a lot of pain in my hip so just a thought?

I hope they x rayed your back? What hospital was it so I can avoid it. I'd have thought a broken leg would be pretty obvious really!

I bounce fine as long as I don't try and land on my feet. I'll never try that again that's for sure. Or let myself get dragged, needed surgery for that too. Blooming horses! We should all collect stamps instead :)
 
Was Kent & Sussex in Tun Wells! I had 4 different doctors look at the x-rays (including A&E consultant and Fracture Clinic consultant!!) It wasn't until the MRI that they saw the broken leg (I SAID it hurt! ;)) !!! I was walking around on it for 8 weeks! They said it was healing very nicely on its own!

I did have my back (and head, and ankle!) x-rayed too - which didn't show a break. I am due for physio in the new year, so hopefully that will help. And once I can get riding, I'm sure I'll build the muscle a bit.

(Still can't get Hugo out of the field, apparently! I will try tomorrow as it's supposed to get much milder today and hopefully that will get rid of the remaining ice??)
 
Agh! This post has scared me a lot :(

I bought my first horse in October and then 6 weeks ago dislocated my knee playing netball and now need an ACL reconstruction. I've already had an ACL reconstruction in my other knee 3 years ago and after lots of complications I had 4 operations to fix it. I remember it being horrific and still have the photos which I've been looking at just to upset myself :rolleyes:

I really don't want to have the operation. My physio said I'd be ok to ride after 3 months max. My surgeon said he will be using a new technique and I'll be able to drive the day after surgery :eek: I'm doubting both of them and am swaying between 'I'm not having any more ops thank you!' and 'OMG, I need to sell the horse.' I've been waiting so long for my first horse (I'm 31!) and I had dreams of competing next summer. Boo. It's just rubbish. Definitely no more netball for me.
 
Ha, depends how bad piccies are lol, am a wimp! i guess am playing the patience game then which am terrible at! Roll' on spring and hopefully a hack. Not that my four legged friend minds much!
 
leggit said:
Ha, depends how bad piccies are lol, am a wimp! i guess am playing the patience game then which am terrible at! Roll' on spring and hopefully a hack. Not that my four legged friend minds much!
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Not too bad. They only look like your own leg! Don't look if you don't want






P1010175.jpg




DSCF1199.jpg
 
Mine did look like that after time. I may have pulled the dressing off three hours after surgery to get piccies. I had all the key hole scars too but I couldn't be bothered to pull off all the plasters to get a photo.

Did you have loose cartilage?
 
Yeah, a bit of cartilage had come away and got stuck in my knee joint so I couldn't bend or straighten it. They trimmed the rest.

When I had the reconstruction, the pin they put in my thigh was too long so it was sticking out of my bone and rubbing against my muscle :mad: They wouldn't take it out for a year so the most exercise I could do in that time was walk. Grr.
 
Ansiscool said:
Yeah, a bit of cartilage had come away and got stuck in my knee joint so I couldn't bend or straighten it. They trimmed the rest.

When I had the reconstruction, the pin they put in my thigh was too long so it was sticking out of my bone and rubbing against my muscle :mad: They wouldn't take it out for a year so the most exercise I could do in that time was walk. Grr.
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Mine was really good and mended super quick. Surgeon was ace. Don't be put off having it done again. Will be worth it in the long run I bet :)
 
jesstickle said:
I had mine done three years ago. ACL totally obliterated, meniscus torn, medial collateral nearly all the way through and a massive lump of cartilage taken out too.

I didn't ride for nine months because I fell into the unfortunate third. I couldn't walk for six.

My consultant when I first went to him said it's roughly in thirds

1/3 don't need the ACL at all and will manage without reconstruction
1/3 need reconstruction but will never notice any further problems once it's done
1/3 (me) will have it fixed and it'll still not be totally right.

I was very fit when I did it and I worked really bl00dy hard at my physio but it's still a mess :(

I couldn't walk before the op which is unusual apparently and it took me a long time to get walking after as so much muscle had wasted away so do your exercises. They hurt but they work.

I have bits of metal in mine and it still hurts. I can still cause it to clunk too because it isn't terribly stable. I have to watch what I do these days. Can't ride short, can't play footy, no skiing that kind of thing!
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you are like me... I was 16 and doing a lot of cross country running at the time, I was about as fit as I've ever been (running about 6 miles a day). I slipped running on a muddy track down hill and landed awkwardly. Was taken to hospital by the school as I couldn't really walk unaided. I had ruptured the ACL and PCL, and sprained the laterals, damaged the cartilage and fractured the patella.

I was operated on pretty much there and then, and told that I wouldn't be riding for about 6 months. Went home on crutches a day or two later. I did the physio half heartedly, and got on my welsh cob bareback at about 8 weeks in (walked round the field then got off as it still hurt). I was back in hospital at 11 weeks with an infection in the joint capsule which took two lots of flushing under GA to clear up.

In the end it was 9 months before I was riding as "normal" though I did do pony club camp with it at about half strength. Now it sounds like I'm walking on gravel when I go up stairs, and it feels pretty dreadful most of the time (not really sore, just graunchy) but I've been told by the GP that they won't do anything with it until I'm at least 40 as it really needs a replacement. :(
 
Ah yes, the happy knee replacement scenario which we have all been carefully sidestepping :)

Mine will need doing at some point due to the cartilage being missing. Still onwards and upwards in the mean time hey?
 
I had both my knees totally replaced last year (one at a time)and was hacking around 8 weeks later after the first, much to my physio's delight! I use a very large mounting block and for ages my OH stood by me when I dismounted. I have also had reconstructive surgery on my ankle when I fell over in the stable putting a hay net up just after my second knee...that wasn't the worst as I had to be immobile in a wheel chair for six weeks and now have spondulitis for which I have just had facet joint injections!! Anyways I am back cantering and trotting my gorgeous and patient coblet who is what inspired me to keep going. Love him to bits.
 
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