Riding with ruptured ACL, medial ligaments and damaged meniscal

Gucc

Gucc

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Hi all,
As title really has anyone ridden with a ruptured ACL, Medial ligaments and damaged miniscus cartlidge? I damaged my knee a few weeks ago and am wearing a brace for the next few weeks but wondered if anyone has ridden once the knee settled down and before surgery to repair? If so how did you find it and how stable is the knee whilst riding? I find my knee is more stable if I keep it slightly bent when walking but haven't tried to ride as still in a fair amount if pain. Do Flexi stirrups help? Just depressed at the thought of not riding long term until it's been repaired and gone through the recuperation period. Am I mad to even consider riding?
 
Yes - you are mad to consider riding. A short term break from riding, versus the possibility of doing long term damage - it's a no brainer!
I've been there - both with torn ACL, and torn ligament/cartilage in one knee. I let the ACL heal properly, and it's ok now, but i did the knee as a teenager, and thought I knew better than the surgeons. Now I'm 41, and I struggle to get down the stairs in the morning - and my knee is considerably weaker than the other one.
Not worth it!
 
Thanks for your reply. The ACL and Medial are completely ruptured so technically can't damage them further. I did my other leg 10 years ago and didn't ride for 2 yrs as had surgery to reconstruct but didn't own ridden horses then so it was easier to stay out of the saddle. Just wondered if it was feasible once the meniscal has settled prior to surgery.
 
I snuck a ride when in a thigh to ankle plaster cast with a broken knee. It stuck out at a strange angle, and could not use a saddle, just a thick numnah.

I fully admit is was a really silly idea! TBF I did not damage my knee any further as it was totally immobilised, but I was not stable, not balanced, could not use my legs, and goodness only knows what would have happened if I had fallen off!

I would wait if I were you. Or at least ask for advice from a medic.

BTW when I was free of the cast I rode with a made up human version of a horse bandage, I think it is called a Robert Jones. Basically huge amounts of cotton wool, bent knee but then totally immobilised with bandage over the top. Again, silly, as no movement whatsoever.
 
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I was able to walk around, but nothing more, pain too great - certainly afterwards. It's still a ****** now on long rides if my stirrups aren't at the magic length they need. I had a meniscal tear left knee, but 'only' torn posterial in the left and over stretched (as my dad put it, not done the job properly) everything else in both. I learnt very quickly to not ride through pain, and to take time landing on dismount. Even now, nearly 10 years on its painful and current doctor thinks it is because I pushed it too far, built up pain resistance so when I had further tests surgery was not an option as I was coping okay. But now I have buggered my hips and ankle its all regressed!

I would really consider backing off the riding, especially if surgery is on the cards.
 
I broke my ACL, damaged my medial ligament and snuck a ride in before my operation just to see how it went. I couldn't put any lateral pressure on the knee, so it was pointless trying to ride - I was pretty much a passenger. I had to dismount onto my good leg, and I realised how much damage I could do if I fell off. I hadn't damaged the cartilage originally, but another fall would have messed that up big time. Frustrating as it is, you really are better not riding. I bided my time, did all the physio and listened to the doctor, and I now forget I ever damaged my knee most days. It is still sore if I spend more than a couple of hours in the saddle.
 
Please don't ride until your knee is stable. You have four basic ligaments in the knee which stabilise it. The ACL, PCL, MCL and LCL. If you have a complete rupture of your ACL, and MCL along with a meniscal tear you have already significantly damaged your knee. These injuries can often end people's sporting lives as they are. Whilst you may feel that you may be able to ride the risks are enormous. If you come of your horse you may completely knacker your knee for good... there are more sturctures than just cartilage or ligaments to consider. A serious injury from height to an already unstable joint could compromise bone, vascular and neural structures too. Never mind riding... think about not being able to walk properly again. :(
 
Definitely not worth it Gucc! Turn horses away, or get someone to "share" them with you. Your long term health & fitness is important. Going to be difficult, but defintely not worth riding until the drs give the OK! (sorry probably not what you wanted to hear!)
 
I have snapped my ACL, and medial, partially ruptured another. I did the injury in March but only got a referral for an MRI in early July as I made a passing comment that it felt a bit unstable when I was running. Then they found out the extent of the damage!

I've stopped running and walking for any great lengths of time or on rocky terrain where I could twist it again, also avoid rapid movement or pivoting on it. Funnily enough I've not really given a second thought about riding and have been eventing all summer with it strapped up. The moment there's any pain I would stop, or if it felt unstable at all, but it's held up so far. I've been careful though and rebalanced my position so most of my weight is in my ankles, I do sitting trot and put weight down my seat.

I've weighed up the pros and cons of it, touch wood my horse is relatively sane and we're only doing the lofty heights of up to 3ft so jumps feel like an extended canter stride rather than anything else. If I fall I'll try to miss my knee!

I've already written off the winter/next season or whenever I have the op so I suppose I'm making up for it. However my doctor did say to me that it should be okay as it's considered a low impact sport on the knees (she also said cycling was fine) so I guess I didn't even consider it as am not going against medical advice!
 
Thanks all... Yes it's not what I wanted to hear and did wonder If it was possible and as Charmin has posted it's not impossible it's just whether you are prepared to take the risk. I ruptured my other ACL and had it reconstructed about 10 years ago following a fall whilst jumping and it was two years before I rode again due to it being misdiagnosed and recovery time from the op. Can anyone who has had the reconstruction lately tell me if they still advise a year before riding again? It's the thought of riding trough the summer that gets you through the long winter months so it's very dissapointing to think I'm going to be out of action until next summer. 3 weeks in and I'm already feeling fed up. :(
 
my doctor is a rider and advises 16 weeks and then riding, that's also the advice on the NHS website. but longer for running and higher impact sports. unfortunately you may have to play it by ear and see what the physio says as I understand that's quite intense!
 
Your situation is more complex because you have more than one ligament injury. Also.. so are you having just the ACL reconstructed or the MCL too? Are you having the medial meniscal tear resected or sutured. Will the ACL be done with patella tendon graft or hamstring? All these factors will influence your post op protocol. Remember that the new ACL is at it's weakest point at six months post op. You are taking a live tissue and cutting it out of one place and putting into another place. It has had it's blood supply cut off and starts to die and weaken. It takes many months for new vascular structures to grow into the new tendon and supply it with oxygen and nutrients. Therefore whilst you may be making excellent progress with your rehab the actual graft is more vulnerable to injury at around six months than it was on the day you had the surgery. Add on the other issues you have with the MCL and meniscal tear and you may want to wait longer. Sorry, not what you want to hear. Wish you thebest of luck tho.
 
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